How to enable Recent Folders in Windows 11 including the Save As and File Open dialog boxes!

Instructions for enabling Recent Folders functionality in Windows 11

The 3 lines of text I refer to in the video that you need to copy and paste when instructed are:

shell:::{22877a6d-37a1-461a-91b0-dbda5aaebc99}

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{22877a6d-37a1-461a-91b0-dbda5aaebc99}\ShellFolder

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Wow6432Node\CLSID\{22877a6d-37a1-461a-91b0-dbda5aaebc99}\ShellFolder

Detailed Steps:

1) Open "File Explorer" on the bottom Start Bar. Click the dots ... , then Options, then View tab, then scroll down and tick "Show All Folders". Click OK

2) Right-click the Windows Start icon, then click Run, then paste the following line then click OK:

shell:::{22877a6d-37a1-461a-91b0-dbda5aaebc99}

3) Recent Folders will appear in File Explorer (at the bottom left). Right Click the Recent Folders and select "Pin To Quick Access"

4) Relocate the Recent Folders under Quick Access to the top or elsewhere in the list to suit your preference. (2023 Update: Windows 11 has since been updated to 2H22. One change is that Quick Access has been renamed to be Home, which doesn't allow reordering its subfolders easily. There is a way to still reorder which involves temporarily turning off "Show all folders" to do the folder reorder and then re-enable "Show all folders". But if in doubt just skip this whole step).

6) At the top of the Registry Editor just below File menu is a white bar that shows your currently selected registry folder. It currently says Computer. Overwrite that with the following line by copying and pasting it and then press Enter:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{22877a6d-37a1-461a-91b0-dbda5aaebc99}\ShellFolder

7) Right-click ShellFolder and select Permissions

8) Click Advanced

9) At the top, click Change

10) Type in ADMINISTRATORS and then click Check Names

11) Click Ok and then Ok

12) Within the "Group or user names:" section, select Administrators so that it is highlighted blue

13) Tick the box corresponding to Allow Full Control

14) Click Ok to close the Permissions box

15) On the right side of the Registry Editor, now double-click "Attributes"

16) Replace the existing Hexadecimal number of 20040000 with 30040000 and then press Ok

17) Replace the current top white bar registry folder location (like you did in step 6) by copying the following line and pasting over it, and then press Enter:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Wow6432Node\CLSID\{22877a6d-37a1-461a-91b0-dbda5aaebc99}\ShellFolder

18) Now repeat steps 7 to 16 but with this second registry key.

19) Close the Registry Editor

That's it. Now Recent Folders appears in Windows 11 both in File Explorer and within all dialog boxes of software allowing you to Open and Save As in the "Recent Folders".

Note, that these steps may need to be repeated from scratch when Microsoft release their annual major version update to Windows 11 (like they do with Windows 10), which seem to reset many Windows registry settings back to their defaults.

[morriscurie]

Thanks!! Is there a way to restore Recent files?

[liliiapytlovana]

I am absolutely happy that I was able to restore this feature with your help! Thank you so much!

[rogerbritus]

This was absolutely the BEST tutorial I've ever followed! Great job putting it together and explaining it so well.

[peterbissonnette]

Wonderful Video! I've been looking for clear, concise instructions to return this to my quick access choices. Thank you!

[midipem]

I spent many hours looking up for this solution. Your video is fast, precise, clear and complete. New subscriber, thanks!

[stefanhaglund]

I thank You with all my
The absence of "Recent places(folders)" is why I have delayed my transition onto win 10/11 until now. I stayed with win now.

[aero]

Very clear instructions, and worked like a charm. Thanks!

[TonyLenart]

😃💻 THANK YOU !!! 😃💻 - I've spent hours watching other videos and instructional articles, and interacting with Chat GPT and Bing AI, but still hadn't managed to get this to work reliably. I was about to install an old copy of Windows on my second computer so that I could use Recent Folders on it. Your succinct, straight-forward instructions have fixed the issue - and I'm now happy to install the latest Windows on my second computer. 😃😃😃

[pietervoogt]

Thank you, very clear and it seems to work. If it keeps working, this will save me so much time!

[nhnmb]

to repeat the previous comment "your tutorial video is perfect". Microsoft should fire whoever remove the "recent folder" functionality and hire you instead. Thanks for the video.

[KMT]

Fantastic! It has improved my work flow quite a bit. Many many thanks.

[wot_hog]

This was a Perfect tutorial. Crisp and succinct, and worked flawlessly. Before I found you I had followed a very similar set of instructions for Win10 which didn't work because the Step 16 values were different, and then I found this video. THANK YOU thank you thank you!!!

[marcelomurras]

Thank you and congratulations for this video!! I truly don't understand how this is not the default for windows...

[TurnerWFU]

Fantastic video, thank you so much! Would love to see a video on restoring "recent items" as well.

[vmloo]

wonderful Video with support! You have make me works faster with this good function that we have been using for so long and now with your help, it makes me work easier. Thanks a lot.

[victoryallus]

Awesome, thanks for the uber-helpful informational video.

[LiamHoran]

Super job, very clear and worked a treat.

[thecatlady-nn]

No wonder I couldn't find the 'first line of text'. It's in the description above. I was looking at this video through a Bing result not YouTube. It's makes a difference and a lot more sense. Thanks for this helpful turtorial.

[Gothra]

Many thanks for this How To video, well done.

[nannan]

Perfect instructions for a very valuable functionality. I am wondering why MS is ignoring this for years.