# Does Windows 7 still have the "Latest downloads" list?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-windows-7-still-have-the-latest-downloads-list/828805>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 1, 2019, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-windows-7-still-have-the-latest-downloads-list/828805 "2019-02-01T21:11:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2019, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-windows-7-still-have-the-latest-downloads-list/828805/1 "2019-02-01T21:11:19Z")

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ON Win XP the last 10 downloads appeared on a list when you pressed the left mouse button on the “Start” menu. You could move the mouse pointer to those downloads and when you got to the one you want you lifted your finger off the mouse button and that document, image or whatever would open. Windows 7 does not seem to have that feature?

Dennis (still behind the times but moving up)

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**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2019, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-windows-7-still-have-the-latest-downloads-list/828805/2 "2019-02-01T23:52:27Z")

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Actually it was “recently viewed documents”. It did save a link to each downloaded file also. But if I opened, say, a PDF from my documents, that PDF would now be in the list. It was a great tool for accessing frequently visited documents.

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**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\
**Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-windows-7-still-have-the-latest-downloads-list/828805/3 "2019-02-02T00:09:35Z")

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I don’t have a Windows 7 system but according to this, you should see recent items in your Start Menu, unless it’s disabled. This page has instructions to enable it if it is disabled.  
[https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2013-recent-items-turn-off.html](https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2013-recent-items-turn-off.html)

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**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\
**Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-windows-7-still-have-the-latest-downloads-list/828805/4 "2019-02-02T00:18:51Z")

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Windows 10 shows recent documents, recent programs, and recent locations (folders and shares), so it takes it further.

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**Author:** ![dougrb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)\
**Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-windows-7-still-have-the-latest-downloads-list/828805/5 "2019-02-02T00:38:51Z")

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> [@markn\_1](#):
>
> I don’t have a Windows 7 system but according to this, you should see recent items in your Start Menu, unless it’s disabled. This page has instructions to enable it if it is disabled.  
> [https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2013-recent-items-turn-off.html](https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2013-recent-items-turn-off.html)

At least they made it easy.