How to Enable or Disable Show Recommended Section in File Explorer Home in Windows 11
Show Recommended section in File Explorer Home in Windows 11 lets you control what appears in your File Explorer’s main view.
File Explorer’s Home screen shows a “Recommended” section, which displays your recently used files and frequently accessed folders. This feature first appeared in Windows 11 build 22000 updates and aims to help you quickly find your ongoing work.
You can turn this “Recommended” section on or off. When it’s on, it replaces the older “Quick access” area that showed pinned folders and recent files. This gives you a more personalized view of your documents.
To enable or disable the “Show recommended” section, open File Explorer, click the three-dot menu, select Options, and go to the General tab. Check or uncheck “Show recommended section” under Privacy, then click OK.
Why Use the Recommended Section?
The File Explorer recommended section helps you quickly find files you have recently used or downloaded. It puts important documents right on the main screen, saving you time when you need to access files fast. This feature is especially useful for keeping track of your most frequent work or school files without searching through folders.
File Explorer shows people icons in the Activity column for work or school accounts. Hovering over these icons reveals Microsoft 365 Live Persona Card details. The Persona Card displays the person’s identity and their link to the file, offering direct insight into collaboration.
Windows Insiders with a Microsoft account now see people icons in the Activity column on File Explorer Home. When you hover or click on these icons, you’ll see the Windows People Card. This card tells you who recently worked on the file and lets you start a chat or call through your apps.
What Happens When You Enable the Recommended Section?
Method 1Use Folder Options
To Turn On the Recommended Section
Windows enables this setting by default.
- Open Folder Options.
- Go to the General tab.
- Under Privacy, check the box for Include account-based insights, recent, favorite, and recommended files.
- Under Privacy, check the box for Show recommended section.
- Click OK.
To Turn Off the Recommended Section
- Open Folder Options.
- Go to the General tab.
- Under Privacy, uncheck the box for Show recommended section.
- Click OK.
Method 2Use Windows Terminal
Administrative rights are needed for this method.
Open Windows Terminal with administrative rights, and then run the commands below.
To Turn On the Recommended Section
Windows enables this setting by default.
reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer" /v ShowCloudFilesInQuickAccess /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer" /v ShowRecommendations /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
To Turn Off the Recommended Section
reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer" /v ShowRecommendations /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
Summary
The Recommended section in File Explorer Home shows files you use often or have downloaded recently, making them easy to find and replacing Quick access when turned on.
What is recommended in File Explorer?
The Recommended section in File Explorer Home on Windows 11 shows files you use often or have downloaded recently, helping you quickly access important documents and cloud files.
How to disable recommended in File Explorer 🪟 Windows 11?
You can turn off the Recommended section in File Explorer on Windows 11 by opening File Explorer, clicking the three-dot menu, choosing Options, and unchecking 'Show recommended section' on the General tab.
How do I change the File Explorer view back to normal?
To change your File Explorer view back to normal, open Folder Options via the three-dot icon, uncheck 'Show recommended section' on the General tab, and set 'Open File Explorer to' to 'This PC'.
How do I disable Microsoft recommendations?
You can turn off Microsoft recommendations in File Explorer by opening Folder Options, clicking the three-dot icon, and unchecking the 'Show recommended section' box on the General tab.
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About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard, a writer for Geek Rewind, is a tech enthusiast who loves breaking down complex IT topics into simple, easy-to-understand ideas. With years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, he’s developed a knack for offering practical tips and solutions. Richard aims to make technology more accessible and actionable. He's deeply committed to the Geek Rewind community, always ready to answer questions and engage in discussions.
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