What Are My Recent Documents?

The My Recent Documents icon appears in your Start Menu and displays the most recent documents that have been opened on your computer. The list is composed of shortcuts to the actual documents, so deleting the list won’t affect the original files.

Why Remove My Recent Documents?

You’d want to remove this menu for security reasons, to prevent snoopy coworkers from seeing what you’re up to. This would be handy on a public computer.

You can also hide this option from users through a Registry Hack: Delete The My Recent Documents Icon From The Start Menu!

How To

  1. Right-click the Taskbar and click Properties.
    Right-click The Traskbar
  2. In the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box, click the Start Menu tab (at the top).
  3. In the Start Menu tab, with the Start Menu radio button checked [1], click the Customize button.
    The Start Menu Dialog Box
  4. In the Customize Start Menu dialog, click the Advanced tab.
  5. In the Advanced tab, under the Recent documents section, untick the List my most recent opened documents checkbox.
    The Advanced Tab
  6. Hit OK in all dialogs.

Changes will be immediate!

[1] This tip will not work with the Classic Start Menu - Sorry Charlie, that’s what happens when you’re old-school!