# Recent Documents list very very short **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 28, 2006, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-documents-list-very-very-short/362494 "2006-06-28T14:42:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lillith\_Fair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@Lillith\_Fair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lillith_Fair)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2006, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-documents-list-very-very-short/362494/1 "2006-06-28T14:42:55Z")
I had cleaned out my Recent Documents list a few months ago. It used to show 10-12 documents. Ever since I deleted what was in there it only shows 1-2 documents that I used today. The next day all are gone. It often doesn’t even have what I did today. What did I do and how can I get the list to show again? I liked it to get back to something quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Lillith\_Fair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@Lillith\_Fair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lillith_Fair)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-documents-list-very-very-short/362494/2 "2007-05-16T14:55:52Z")
Wow, I asked this question almost a year ago and no one answered. And I still want the answer. When I turn on my computer there are NO recent documents. Only what I do since I turned on the computer. ---
**Author:** ![samm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/858c86/32.png) [@samm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samm)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-documents-list-very-very-short/362494/3 "2007-05-16T17:09:28Z")
Maybe because no one knew what system/program you were talking about. Are you talking about Word? You must not be because I cannot get 10 or 12 documents to list. I can tell you how to change the number of recently used files in Word or Excel but that doesn’t seem to be your question. Also, if your computer will not remember them from day to day then I have no idea how to help that. Anyway: Under Tools, Options, General you can select the number of recently used files, up to 9. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-documents-list-very-very-short/362494/4 "2007-05-16T18:39:50Z")
No, I think she means the My Recent Documents feature of Windows, accessible from the Start menu. Lillith, what version of Windows are you running? ---
**Author:** ![Myglaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Myglaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myglaren)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-documents-list-very-very-short/362494/5 "2007-05-16T19:27:27Z")
Do you run AdAware a lot? It will (optionally) delete your MRU lists. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-documents-list-very-very-short/362494/6 "2007-05-16T21:28:06Z")
Are you on a corporate network? Some networks have global policies that override local ones and clearing the recent documents folder is often enforced. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-documents-list-very-very-short/362494/7 "2007-05-17T00:09:34Z")
Do you have a fourteen year-old boy in the house? Just askin’. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lillith\_Fair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@Lillith\_Fair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lillith_Fair)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-documents-list-very-very-short/362494/8 "2007-05-18T13:22:16Z")
Sorry–I assumed everyone knew what I was talking about. Windows XP Professional–when you click start then recent documents. I do not run adware. This is at work and we are networked, but this does not happen to anyone else here. Alas, no 14-year-old boy messing with my computer. Who could tell me all the answers, I’m sure, if he existed. ---
**Author:** ![Lillith\_Fair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@Lillith\_Fair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lillith_Fair)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-documents-list-very-very-short/362494/9 "2007-05-18T17:18:03Z")
See, nobody knows the answer. ---
**Author:** ![Myglaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Myglaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myglaren)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-documents-list-very-very-short/362494/10 "2007-05-18T17:34:45Z")
Someone will. Unfortunately I haven’t an XP machine available to try and replicate the problem. Try right-clicking on the taskbar and looking through the start menu options and see if the list has been shortened or turned off. ---
**Author:** ![Queuing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/90ced4/32.png) [@Queuing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queuing)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-documents-list-very-very-short/362494/11 "2007-05-18T17:57:46Z")
Right click the “start” button, go to properties. Under the “start menu” tab there are 2 options, “start menu” and “classic start menu”. You want the first. Choose customize then Advanced. At the bottom ensure “list my most recent documents” is checked off. ---
**Author:** ![Lillith\_Fair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@Lillith\_Fair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lillith_Fair)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-documents-list-very-very-short/362494/12 "2007-05-18T18:12:25Z")
Okay! That was already checked. But I unchecked it, closed that out and did some stuff, then I went back and checked it and then it worked. This makes no sense. Thanks to all who replied. I’ll crawl back into my hole now! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2007, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-documents-list-very-very-short/362494/13 "2007-05-20T15:08:55Z")
Since **Lillith Fair** ’s question has been answered, may I ask a Mac variant? I’m running Mac OS 9 on an old iMac. On the Apple menu, the “Recent Documents” thing is frozen - it’s not updated itself in over a year. However, the “Recent Applications” thing is working fine. Any thoughts on what’s happened to the “Recent Docs” thingie? [Now I guess the protocol is that I diarise this to Victoria Day, 2008. 😛]