Increasing the number of recent documents

[Elko Tchernev]

For some reason increasing the number of recent documents does not
work on my system. I have applied /both/ solutions, together and apart,
and still it doesn't work. Temporarily, when opening many documents, the
number increases to 20-something (I have set the limit to 31 = 1F). But
then, gradually, the number decreases to the default 15 (as if there's
an age limit for the additional ones). After reboot, they are adamantly
the last 15. This is so annoying, can somebody suggest a way of making
the number stay more than 15 permanently?

The solutions I Mentioned, are the registry entry
MaxRecentDocs in
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

and

Maximum number of recent documents in Group Policy (run gpedit.msc) in
User Confguration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components ->
Windows Explorer

 

[Jose]

     For some reason increasing the number of recent documents doesnot
work on my system. I have applied /both/ solutions, together and apart,
and still it doesn't work. Temporarily, when opening many documents, the
number increases to 20-something (I have set the limit to 31 = 1F). But
then, gradually, the number decreases to the default 15 (as if there's
an age limit for the additional ones). After reboot, they are adamantly
the last 15. This is so annoying, can somebody suggest a way of making
the number stay more than 15 permanently?

The solutions I Mentioned, are the registry entry
MaxRecentDocs in
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explor er

and

Maximum number of recent documents in Group Policy (run gpedit.msc) in
User Confguration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components ->
Windows Explorer

15 is the default.

After you make your registry change and verify it works, when it
breaks, is the registry value still correct?

Does the registry change on a reboot, etc.

FYI - the list is in the "My Recent Documents" folder (hidden) in your
particular Documents and Settings - does that look okay?

 

[Elko Tchernev]

15 is the default.

I know.

After you make your registry change and verify it works, when it
breaks, is the registry value still correct?

Does the registry change on a reboot, etc.

No, the value stays what I set it to - 31 (hex 1F). That applies to
both - the registry value and the group policy value.
However, I wouldn't say that it 'breaks' - the number of entries
increases when I open many documents in a flurry, and then gradually
decreases (I haven't timed it, but my impression is that they go back to
15 in about one day).

FYI - the list is in the "My Recent Documents" folder (hidden) in your
particular Documents and Settings - does that look okay?

I don't know how it is supposed to look when 'OK'. In my
particular case, it contains about 380 items, the oldest being from
January 2007; I'd be happy if the most recent of them were in the
"Documents" start menu item.

Oh, I see I didn't mention it - I'm using the Classic start menu.
Could that be the problem?

Edit - yes, that is the problem. !@#$%^&*()!!! I'm /not/ using the
non-Classic start menu! What the bloody !@#$%^&! Why can't the thing
work properly in the traditional, useful interface. Gaaaah!

So now, does anybody know how to make it work in the Classic Start Menu?

 

[Elko Tchernev]

I know.


No, the value stays what I set it to - 31 (hex 1F). That applies to
both - the registry value and the group policy value.
However, I wouldn't say that it 'breaks' - the number of entries
increases when I open many documents in a flurry, and then gradually
decreases (I haven't timed it, but my impression is that they go back to
15 in about one day).


I don't know how it is supposed to look when 'OK'. In my
particular case, it contains about 380 items, the oldest being from
January 2007; I'd be happy if the most recent of them were in the
"Documents" start menu item.

Oh, I see I didn't mention it - I'm using the Classic start menu.
Could that be the problem?

Edit - yes, that is the problem. !@#$%^&*()!!! I'm /not/ using the
non-Classic start menu! What the bloody !@#$%^&! Why can't the thing
work properly in the traditional, useful interface. Gaaaah!

So now, does anybody know how to make it work in the Classic Start Menu?

An update - it doesn't quite work yet, no, even without the classic
start menu.

I overcame my revulsion, and stopped using the classic start menu.
Now, the number of documents in the "Recent Documents" menu item stays
22. This is better than the default 15, but still short of the 31 (hex
1F) that I have placed into both the registry, and the policy, as
mentioned before.
Is this number 22 somehow hard-coded into XP? I'd like to have many
more documents in the "Recent Documents" item; the 31 I put in the
registry was just testing the waters.
Don't the people who have written this piece of software read this
NG? Is there anybody here who knows what's going on?