How to Stop Automatically Adding Files and Folders to Quick Access Windows 11

How to Stop Files and Folders Automatically Added to Quick Access Via Registry

The second way to stop files and folders from being automatically added to Quick Access is through the registry. The registry is a database that stores various settings and system information in Windows. By modifying the registry, you can change Quick Access behavior more specifically and flexibly.

However, you should be careful when changing the registry, as accidental errors can cause problems in your system. We recommend that you create a backup of your registry before making any changes. The steps are as follows:

  1. Open Registry Editor by pressing the Windows + R key on your keyboard, then type regedit and press Enter. You may be prompted to grant administrator permissions, and you must click Yes to continue.
  2. In the Registry Editor window that opens, navigate to the following folder:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
  1. Under the Explorer folder, right-click on the Advanced folder, and then select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name the new value LaunchTo, then double-click on it to change it.
  2. In the Edit DWORD (32-bit) Value window that appears, change the data value to one of the following numbers, depending on your selection:
  • 1: to open File Explorer on the Quick Access page
  • 2: to open File Explorer on This PC page
  • 3: to open File Explorer on the Downloads page
  • 4: to open File Explorer on the Documents page
  • 5: to open File Explorer on the Pictures page
  • 6: to open File Explorer on the Music page
  • 7: to open File Explorer on the Videos page
  1. Click the OK button to save the changes and close the window Edit DWORD (32-bit) Value.
  2. Under the Explorer folder, right-click on the ShellState folder, and then select New > Binary Value. Name the new value PinToHomeScreen, then double-click on it to change it.
  3. In the Edit Binary Value window that appears, change the data value to one of the following numbers, depending on your selection:
  • 00: to stop files and folders from being automatically added to Quick Access based on your recent or frequent usage
  • 01: to display files and folders automatically added to Quick Access based on your recent or frequent usage
  1. Click the OK button to save your changes and close the Edit Binary Value window.
  2. Close the Registry Editor window, and then restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

The advantage of this method is that you can set up Quick Access more specifically and flexibly, by selecting the pages you want to open when you open File Explorer, and by choosing whether or not you want to display automatic files and folders in Quick Access.

The downside to this method is that you have to change the registry, which may be more complicated and risky, and you have to restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

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Conclusion

Quick Access is a feature that makes it easy for you to access files and folders that you frequently or recently used in Windows 11. However, you may not always want your files or folders added to Quick Access automatically, for privacy, security, or personal preference reasons.

You can stop automatically adding files and folders to Quick Access by deleting them from there or changing Quick Access settings. You can also add the files or folders you want to Quick Access manually by plugging them into it.

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