How to Add or Remove Quick access in Navigation Pane of File Explorer in Windows 10
Windows 10 replaced Favorites from previous Windows with Quick access. The Quick access page is the shortest route to files you've been working on and folders you often use. These are your frequent folders and recent files.
In Windows 10, File Explorer opens to Quick access by default which shows your Frequent folders and Recent files.
- Frequent folders = Displays up to ten folders that you frequently opened on the system.
- Recent files = Displays up to twenty files that you most recently opened.
This tutorial will show you how to add or remove Quick access in the navigation pane of File Explorer for all users in Windows 10.
You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to add or remove Quick access in the navigation pane.
Removing Quick access from the navigation pane will not clear the history of your frequent folders and recent files.
Contents
- Option One: Add or Remove Quick access in Navigation Pane of File Explorer (New Easy Method)
- Option Two: Completely Add or Remove Quick access in Navigation Pane of File Explorer (Old Harder Method)
EXAMPLE: Add or Remove "Quick access" in navigation pane
This option will not remove Quick access from the older Open and Save as type common item dialog boxes. However, you are able to manually change the places bar items in common dialog boxes to remove Quick Access from them.
The downloadable .reg files below will add and modify the DWORD value in the registry key below.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
HubMode DWORD
0 = Add
1 = Remove
1 Do step 2 (add) or step 3 (remove) below for what you would like to do.
This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.
Add_Quick_access_to_navigation_pane.reg
Download
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.
Remove_Quick_access_from_navigation_pane.reg
Download
4 Save the .reg file to your desktop.
5 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.
6 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.
7 If File Explorer is open, then close and reopen it to apply.
8 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.
This option will completely remove Quick access from all locations, but doing so will also disable drag and drop to the navigation pane.
1 Press the Win + R keys to open Run, type regedit into Run, and click/tap on OK to open Registry Editor.
2 If prompted by UAC, click/tap on Yes.
3 In Registry Editor, navigate to the location below. (see screenshot below)
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{679f85cb-0220-4080-b29b-5540cc05aab6}\ShellFolder
4 If you have not already, you will need to first change the owner of the ShellFolder registry key in the left pane to be the Administrators group. (see screenshot below step 3)
5 If you have not already, you will need to second set permissions of the ShellFolder registry key in the left pane to "Allow" the Administrators group "Full control". (see screenshot below step 3)
6 In the right pane of ShellFolder, double click/tap on the Attributes DWORD to modify it. (see screenshot below step 3)
7 Do step 8 (remove) or step 9 (add) below for what you want.
This is the default setting.
10 When finished, close Registry Editor.
11 Restart the explorer process, Sign out and sign in or restart the computer to apply.
That's it,
Shawn
Related Tutorials
- How to Open File Explorer to 'This PC' or 'Quick access' by Default in Windows 10
- How to Add or Remove Favorites from Quick Access in Windows 10
- How to Add or Remove Frequent folders from Quick access in Windows 10
- How to Add or Remove Recent files from Quick access in Windows 10
- How to Pin or Unpin Folder Locations for Quick access in Windows 10
- How to Add or Remove 'Pin to Quick access' on Context Menu in Windows 10
- How to Hide a Specific File or Folder from Quick access in Windows 10
- How to Backup and Restore Quick Access Pinned Folders in Windows 10
- How to Reset and Clear Quick Access Pinned Folders in Windows 10
- How to Show or Hide Navigation Pane in File Explorer in Windows 10
- How to Turn On or Off Navigation Pane 'Show all folders' in Windows 10
- How to Change Quick Access Icon in File Explorer in Windows 10
- How to Reset Navigation Pane Expanded State in Windows 10 File Explorer
Remove Quick access from Navigation Pane in Windows 10
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New #3
Wow, this took a bit of working through, Shawn, making sure all the permissions were changed etc.
Then when I got to Step 8 and linked to the tutorial to set File Explorer to open up to This PC instead of Quick Access I realized I'd achieved what I wanted to do in this one step. Quick Access is still in the navigation pane, but only opens if I want it to, so it's no longer irritating me. So I stopped there.
Does it matter that I left the ownership set to Administrators and gave this group full control or should I go back and change it again? I'm not sure I can remember the original ownership setting.
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New #4
Hey Maggi,
I'm happy that you got it set how you wanted.
Nar, it won't hurt anything to leave the owner and permissions for the Administrators group. :)
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New #5
I tried this process and nothing changed. See Attached:
Has this procedure Changed?
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New #8
Well I was under the impression that all of the marked items in the image below would be gone.
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New #9
You have "This PC" open in your screenshot instead of "Quick access".
Did you restart the PC afterwards to no longer see Quick access?
Remove Quick access from Navigation Pane in Windows 10
How to Add or Remove Quick access in Navigation Pane of File Explorer in Windows 10Published by Shawn BrinkCategory: Customization
14 Mar 2021
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