Microsoft KB Archive/826208

= How to edit the Windows registry to clear the list of most recently used files in Office =

Article ID: 826208

Article Last Modified on 11/19/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Office Access 2007
 * Microsoft Office Excel 2007
 * Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007
 * Microsoft Office Word 2007
 * Microsoft Office Access 2003
 * Microsoft Office Excel 2003
 * Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003
 * Microsoft Office Word 2003
 * Microsoft Access 2002 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Excel 2002 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft PowerPoint 2002 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Word 2002 Standard Edition

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This article is a consolidation of the following previously available article: 312968

Important This article contains information about how to modify the registry. Make sure that you back up the registry before you modify it. Make sure that you know how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up, restore, and modify the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

322756 How to back up and restore the registry in Windows XP and Windows Vista



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

Many Office programs maintain a list of the most recently used (MRU) files. Additionally, the programs display this list on the File menu and in several other locations. These locations include the Open dialog box, the Save As dialog box, 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 enhanced privacy, many users and administrators prefer not to have these files listed.

Although you can prevent this list from being shown on the File menu in the programs, there is no built-in method for removing the list or for preventing its display in other locations. You can, however, edit the Microsoft Windows registry to clear the list of the most recently used files.

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

This article does not discuss how to delete the files that are listed on the File menu. To do this, you must change the File menu settings in the Office or Office XP program. For more information about how to change the settings in the Office program, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

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

This article does not discuss how to prevent shortcuts for recently used files from being saved in the location that is specified by the  registry entry. By default, that location is C:\Documents and Settings\ \Application Data\Microsoft\Office\Recent.

Delete the Most Recently Used files list in Office
Note When the Recently used file list option is not checked on the General tab of the Options dialog box in Office 2000, in Office XP, or in Office 2003 programs, Word continues to save shortcuts in the default location. The default location is as follows:

C:\Documents and Settings\ \Application Data\Microsoft\Office\Recent

The default location is specified by the following registry entry:

To delete the most recently used files list in Microsoft Office XP or in Microsoft Office 2003, follow these steps:
 * 1) Start the program that you want to modify.
 * 2) On the Tools menu, click Options.
 * 3) On the General tab, click to clear the Recently used file list check box, and then click OK.

To delete the most recently used files list in the 2007 Microsoft Office suites, follow these steps:
 * 1) Start the program that you want to modify.
 * 2) Click the Microsoft Office Button, and then click   Options.

Note  is the name of the program that you want to modify.
 * 1) Click Advanced.
 * 2) In the Display area, click to select the number of files in the Show this number of Recent Documents list.
 * 3) Type the number of files that you want to display, and then click OK.

If you do not want to display any files, type 0.

To modify the registry key and to clear the most recently used files list in a program in Office, follow these steps.

Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall the operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.  Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK. Locate the following registry key, as appropriate for your version of Office:

2007 Office suite

Office 2003

Office XP

 In the Open Find subkey, locate the program for which you want to clear the most recently used files list.

In each program subkey, you find another subkey that is named Settings. In that subkey, you find several additional subkeys. Each of these subkeys contains a most recently used files list.

For example, the Microsoft Office Word\Settings subkey contains subkeys such as Insert File, Save As, Open, or Modify Location. These keys may vary depending on the past actions that were performed in Microsoft Word.

Under each subkey is another subkey that is named File Name MRU. To delete a specific list of most recently used files, delete the Value entry in any File Name MRU subkey.

Troubleshooting
Office rebuilds the File Name MRU subkey after you delete it, and begins to track the most recently used files again. Therefore, you must periodically delete the list.

You can also create a registry file (.reg) by exporting that subkey of the registry in Registry Editor. Use that registry file to automatically apply the registry settings (in this case, the deletion of the most recently used files list).

You can also delete the whole Open Find subkey (or create a registry file to do it for you automatically) to remove all most recently used files lists at the same time.

Additional query words: OFFXP OFF2003 OFF2007

Keywords: kbhowtomaster KB826208

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