Microsoft KB Archive/312968

= How to modify the Windows registry to clear the list of most recently used (MRU) files in Office XP =

Article ID: 312968

Article Last Modified on 2/10/2006

-

APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Access 2002 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Excel 2002 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft PowerPoint 2002 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Word 2002 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Windows XP Professional
 * the operating system: Microsoft Windows 2000

-



This article was previously published under Q312968





For a Microsoft Office 2003 version of this article, see 312968.



Important This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry



IN THIS TASK
SUMMARY
 * Delete the Most Recently Used Files List in Office XP
 * Troubleshooting



SUMMARY
You can edit a single registry entry to clear the most recently used files list that appears in most Office XP programs.

Many Office XP programs maintain a list of the most recently used (MRU) files and display that list on the File menu of the program and in several other locations, including the Open and Save As dialog boxes and the Insert Hyperlink dialog box. The purpose of this feature is to provide quick access to files that a user is working on. In the interest of increased privacy, many users and administrators prefer not to have these files listed. Although you can prevent this list from being displayed on the File menu within the programs, there is no built-in method for removing the list altogether or preventing its display in other locations. You can, however, edit the Windows registry to clear the list of most recently used files.

Note This article describes how to delete the files that are listed when you click File, choose Open or Save As, and then look in the File name box. After you follow the steps in this article, no files will be listed in the File name box.

To delete the files that are listed in the File name box, change the settings in the Office program. For more information about how to do this, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

313454 How to clear the Most Recently Used list (MRU) list in Office programs

back to the top

Delete the Most Recently Used Files List
Warning If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

To delete the most recently used files list, follow these steps:  In Access, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word: On the Tools menu, click Options. On the General tab, clear the Recently used file list check box. Click Start and then click Run. In the Open box, type regedit and then click OK. Navigate to the following registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\10.0\Common\Open Find

 Within the Open Find subkey, navigate to the program for which you want to clear the MRU file list. Within each program subkey, you find another subkey named Settings. In that subkey, you find several additional subkeys. Each of these subkeys contains an MRU list. For example, the Microsoft Word\Settings subkey contains subkeys (depending on past actions performed within Word) such as Insert File, Save As, Open, or Modify Location. Beneath each subkey is another subkey named File Name MRU.

</li> To delete a specific MRU file list, delete the Value entry in any File Name MRU subkey.</li></ol>

back to the top

Troubleshooting
Office subsequently rebuilds the File Name MRU subkey, to begin tracking MRU files, so you must periodically delete the list. You can also create a registry file (.reg) by exporting that subkey of the registry in the Registry Editor. Use that registry file to automatically apply the registry settings (in this case, the deletion of the MRU file list).

You can also delete the entire Open Find subkey (or create a registry file to do it for you automatically) to remove all MRU files lists at once.

back to the top

Keywords: kbregistry kbhowtomaster KB312968

-

[mailto:TECHNET@MICROSOFT.COM Send feedback to Microsoft]

© Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.