# MS Word: How do I keep the recently viewed docs from disappearing?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-how-do-i-keep-the-recently-viewed-docs-from-disappearing/417735>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 1, 2007, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-how-do-i-keep-the-recently-viewed-docs-from-disappearing/417735 "2007-09-01T17:04:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2007, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-how-do-i-keep-the-recently-viewed-docs-from-disappearing/417735/1 "2007-09-01T17:04:22Z")

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I understand that there’s an option that allows me to select the number of recently viewed documents to remain available. I set it to the max - 9. And when I open Word and click on File, the last nine documents that I’ve viewed are listed there. But occasionally, they all disappear and I have to start over. Why does that happen? Is there a fix? Thanks, xo C.

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**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2007, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-how-do-i-keep-the-recently-viewed-docs-from-disappearing/417735/2 "2007-09-01T17:13:26Z")

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Do you ever use any disk cleaning software like CCleaner? That will wipe out recently used items lists.

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**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2007, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-how-do-i-keep-the-recently-viewed-docs-from-disappearing/417735/3 "2007-09-01T17:54:50Z")

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As will most things like AdAware and Spybot S&D.

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**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2007, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-how-do-i-keep-the-recently-viewed-docs-from-disappearing/417735/4 "2007-09-04T17:52:41Z")

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[QUOTE=KneadToKnow]  
As will most things like AdAware and Spybot S&D.  
[/QUOTE]

You mean the anti-adware software that I run from time to time? That knocks out the memory of recent documents? Interesting. What’s the point? And is there anything in Word that can override it?

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**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2007, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-how-do-i-keep-the-recently-viewed-docs-from-disappearing/417735/5 "2007-09-04T18:14:25Z")

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[QUOTE=CC]  
You mean the anti-adware software that I run from time to time? That knocks out the memory of recent documents? Interesting. What’s the point? And is there anything in Word that can override it?  
[/QUOTE]

It would make more sense for the anti-adware software to have a setting to turn that off, rather than word. They probably do it because there are malicious programs which populate your MRU list in word, hoping you will then open word and click on the trojan containing document they just installed.