How to Reset and Clear Quick Access Pinned Folders in Windows 10  

    How to Reset and Clear Quick Access Pinned Folders in Windows 10

    How to Reset and Clear Quick Access Pinned Folders in Windows 10

    Published by Category: Performance & Maintenance
    16 Feb 2022
    Designer Media Ltd

    How to Reset and Clear Quick Access Pinned Folders in Windows 10


    The Quick access page in File Explorer is the shortest route to files you've been working on and folders you often use. These are your frequent folders and recent files.

    You can Pin to Quick access and Unpin from Quick access folders in Windows 10. These folder locations can include local and network folders, drives, libraries, Recycle Bin, etc..., but files and apps cannot be pinned to Quick access.

    Folders pinned to Quick access will display under Frequent folders in Quick access in File Explorer, and under Quick access in the navigation pane of File Explorer.

    Folders you pin or unpin for Quick access will also be pinned or unpinned in the jump list of File Explorer on the taskbar and Start menu.

    Resetting and clearing Quick access pinned folders can be helpful if you are having issues using Pin to Quick access, Unpin from Quick access, or you just wanted to clear Quick access pinned folders back to default.

    This tutorial will show you how to reset and clear Quick access pinned folders back to default for your account in Windows 10.


    When you reset and clear Quick access, it will only automatically clear the folders you pinned to Quick access, and not the default folders pinned to Quick access.



    Contents

    • Option One: Reset and Clear Quick Access Pinned Folders in Command Prompt
    • Option Two: Reset and Clear Quick Access Pinned Folders in File Explorer



    EXAMPLE: Default folders pinned to Quick access in File Explorer
    How to Reset and Clear Quick Access Pinned Folders in Windows 10-folders_pinned_to_quick_access.png






    OPTION ONE

    Reset and Clear Quick Access Pinned Folders in Command Prompt


    1 Open a command prompt.

    2 Copy and paste the command below into the command prompt, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)

    del /f /s /q /a "%AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations\f01b4d95cf55d32a.automaticDestinations-ms"

    3 When successfully deleted, you can close the command prompt if you like.

    How to Reset and Clear Quick Access Pinned Folders in Windows 10-reset_and_clear_pin_to_quick_access-command.png






    OPTION TWO

    Reset and Clear Quick Access Pinned Folders in File Explorer


    1 Open File Explorer (Win+E).

    2 Click/tap on the icon to the left in the address bar, copy and paste %AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations into the address bar, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)

    How to Reset and Clear Quick Access Pinned Folders in Windows 10-reset_and_clear_pin_to_quick_access-1.png

    3 Delete (Ctrl+D) the f01b4d95cf55d32a.automaticDestinations-ms file in the AutomaticDestinations folder. (see screenshot below)

    How to Reset and Clear Quick Access Pinned Folders in Windows 10-reset_and_clear_pin_to_quick_access-2.png

    4 When finished, you can close File Explorer if you like.


    That's it,
    Shawn Brink


    Related Tutorials



  1. Windows 11 Tutorials



  2. cytherian
    Posts : 366
    Windows 10 v. 21H1, Build 19043.1348
       New #1

    Excellent tutorial.
    I was in a strange situation where right-mouse clicking on Quick Access entries did not offer a menu item for unpinning. I tried numerous ways to view Quick Access in order to unpin items, but nothing worked. Removing this f01b4d95cf55d32a.automaticDestinations-ms file was the only way to clear it. Now I can add folders to Quick Access and right-mouse click menu shows an "unpin" option for every item added. Back to normal function!
      My Computers
    Quote Quote

  4. rdwray
    Posts : 841
    Windows 10 Pro 21H2
       New #2

    Can't delete f01b4d95cf55d32a.automaticDestinations-ms in 3155 even after changing security to everyone and taking full control, it keeps getting restored and all folders in quick access remain in place. I would like to remove quick access but can't find a way to do it after two days of searching - it will not go away.

    Code:
    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{679f85cb-0220-4080-b29b-5540cc05aab6}\ShellFolder]
"Attributes"=dword:a0600000
"FolderValueFlags"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Classes\CLSID\{679f85cb-0220-4080-b29b-5540cc05aab6}\ShellFolder]
"Attributes"=dword:a0600000
"FolderValueFlags"=dword:00000001
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

  5. Brink
    Posts : 70,568
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       New #3

    rdwray said:
    Can't delete f01b4d95cf55d32a.automaticDestinations-ms in 3155 even after changing security to everyone and taking full control, it keeps getting restored and all folders in quick access remain in place. I would like to remove quick access but can't find a way to do it after two days of searching - it will not go away.

    Code:
    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{679f85cb-0220-4080-b29b-5540cc05aab6}\ShellFolder]
"Attributes"=dword:a0600000
"FolderValueFlags"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Classes\CLSID\{679f85cb-0220-4080-b29b-5540cc05aab6}\ShellFolder]
"Attributes"=dword:a0600000
"FolderValueFlags"=dword:00000001
    Hello mate,

    Did you already try an option in the tutorial below to remove Quick Access in Windows 10?

    Remove Quick access from Navigation Pane in Windows 10
      My Computers
    Quote Quote

  6. rdwray
    Posts : 841
    Windows 10 Pro 21H2
       New #4

    Brink said:
    Hello mate,

    Did you already try an option in the tutorial below to remove Quick Access in Windows 10?

    Remove Quick access from Navigation Pane in Windows 10
    Yes, I have tried all of that. You may have missed that (maybe wrong forum) this is Windows 11 3155.
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

  7. Brink
    Posts : 70,568
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       New #5

    rdwray said:
    Yes, I have tried all of that. You may have missed that (maybe wrong forum) this is Windows 11 3155.
    Yeah, it's not the same in W11 since the "Quick Access" in W10 is now "Home" in W11, and "Frequent Folders" in W10 is now "Quick Access" in W11.

    Normally, the two below should do the trick in W11.

    Remove Quick Access Folders from Navigation Pane of File Explorer in Windows 11 Tutorial | Windows 11 Forum

    Add or Remove Quick Access in File Explorer Home in Windows 11 Tutorial | Windows 11 Forum
      My Computers
    Quote Quote

  8. rdwray
    Posts : 841
    Windows 10 Pro 21H2
       New #6

    Brink said:
    Yeah, it's not the same in W11 since the "Quick Access" in W10 is now "Home" in W11, and "Frequent Folders" in W10 is now "Quick Access" in W11.

    Normally, the two below should do the trick in W11.

    Remove Quick Access Folders from Navigation Pane of File Explorer in Windows 11 Tutorial | Windows 11 Forum

    Add or Remove Quick Access in File Explorer Home in Windows 11 Tutorial | Windows 11 Forum
    Home has been removed but the pinned folders remain. The weird part is that if I unpin all the folder and delete recent files, the folders return.
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

  9. Brink
    Posts : 70,568
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       New #7

    rdwray said:
    Home has been removed but the pinned folders remain. The weird part is that if I unpin all the folder and delete recent files, the folders return.
    Resetting Quick Access would restore the default pinned folders in Windows 11.
      My Computers
    Quote Quote

  10. rdwray
    Posts : 841
    Windows 10 Pro 21H2
       New #8

    Brink said:
    Resetting Quick Access would restore the default pinned folders in Windows 11.
    Let me ask this, is there a way to unpin all the folders from quick access at once - not one at a time?
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

  12. Brink
    Posts : 70,568
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       New #9

    rdwray said:
    Let me ask this, is there a way to unpin all the folders from quick access at once - not one at a time?
    No.
      My Computers
    Quote Quote

 

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