# Items in the Recent Documents (Windows)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/items-in-the-recent-documents-windows/172634>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 2, 2003, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/items-in-the-recent-documents-windows/172634 "2003-05-02T14:59:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Snetho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@Snetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snetho)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/items-in-the-recent-documents-windows/172634/1 "2003-05-02T14:59:32Z")

</div>

Is there a way to prevent certain document types (certain extensions) from appearing in the recent folder? It is set to “Read Only” and documents are still appearing there.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![emulsified](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emulsified/32/2915_2.png) [@emulsified](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emulsified)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/items-in-the-recent-documents-windows/172634/2 "2003-05-02T17:13:07Z")

</div>

This doesn’t directly answer your question, but if you go search for a tool called TweakUI (a set of utility tools for the various windows platforms), there’s an option in there that will clear the recent documents folder on logon.

Not exactly what you were looking for, I know, but it’s a start, eh?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Richard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f0a364/32.png) [@Richard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/items-in-the-recent-documents-windows/172634/3 "2003-05-02T18:48:44Z")

</div>

I haven’t been able to find a version of TweakUI that works on Windows XP. Is there one, or something comparable?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/items-in-the-recent-documents-windows/172634/4 "2003-05-02T19:23:43Z")

</div>

You can download it from [here](http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp).