How to disable quick access in windows 10 step by step

One of the new features in Windows 10 is Quick Access which can be seen in File Explorer. Quick Access replaces "Favorites" from Windows 8.1 and aims to blend between favorite user-defined locations, such as Desktop, Downloads, and Documents; and an automatically generated list of the most frequently used files and folders.

How to disable Quick Access in Windows 10 step by step

Some users may find Quick Access very useful in Windows 10, as it has the potential to keep the most important information for a user easily accessible from a single location, but those who prefer to manually manage their data will probably find this Quick Access to be annoying and of little use. Although Quick Access cannot be disabled entirely in Windows 10 , it can be configured similarly to how Favorite Explorer worked in Windows 8.1. Here's how to clean up and restrict Quick Access in Windows 10 .

Quick Access settings are found in the file browser. To get there, open a File Explorer window and go to the "View" tab. On the far right a tab called "Options" appears. By clicking there, you access "Folder Options. " Another quick way to access this window is by right-clicking on Quick Access and choosing "Options".

In the Folder Options window, make sure you are on the General tab, and then look for the "Privacy" section at the bottom of the window. These options control how Quick Access sorts and displays your data.

If Quick Access has messed up the interface of files and folders that you think are not relevant or useful, the first step is to delete everything and start again. Click the Delete button, and you will instantly see all your data disappear from Quick Access.

If you prefer to be more precise in your approach to Quick Access settings, you can always manually remove any file or folder by right-clicking on it and selecting the “Remove from Quick Access” option.

If Quick Access has taken the liberty of setting a file or folder for you, but you want to delete it, the process is similar, except that this time you will have to right-click on the item and select “ Unpin from Quick Access ”.

These steps will help you to delete the files and folders that Quick Access has collected so far, but if you leave it like this, then Quick Access will simply start to collect again the files and folders most used by you. To stop this process and prevent Quick Access from automatically adding the most used, you will also need to disable one or both of the check boxes in the Privacy section of Folder Options.

The two options (Show recently used files in Quick Access and Show frequently used folders in Quick Access) behave as their names indicate, and Quick Access will prevent you from continuing to collect new files or folders thereafter. If you want to completely limit these two functions, uncheck them.

Going further, you can avoid full Quick Access by changing the default view by opening a new File Explorer window. It simply consists of changing from Folder Options> Open File Explorer on> This computer.

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Once you have made your choice about how File Explorer works, click Apply and then OK to save your changes and close the window.

However, just because you have modified how Quick Access works in Windows 10 does not mean that it is completely useless. You can still manually set your favorite folders and files in Quick Access for direct and easy access.

To do this, simply right-click any folder in File Explorer and select " Pin Quick Access." The folder will be immediately attached to the File Explorer Quick Access in the left sidebar, where they can be organized by dragging the folders and placing them in the desired order.

A final note : For new Windows users, it is important to note that manipulating files and folders in Quick Access does not change or alter the original files or folders. Quick Access (along with Favorites and Libraries in earlier versions of Windows) only acts as a shortcut to the original files and folders, so deleting such Quick Access items will not cause them to be removed from your computer or hard drive / SSD.

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