To show your most recently used documents on the Start menu
1 Right-click the Start button and then click Properties.
2 On the Start Menu tab, click Start menu and then click Customize.
3 On the Advanced tab, Select the List my most recently opened documents
check box.
How To Display, Use, and Clear "My Recent Documents" on the Start Menu in
Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307875
Using TweakUI
TweakUI
[+] Explorer
Allow Recent Documents on Start menu
[[This check box enables the display of “Documents” on the classic start
menu and enables the “List my most recently opened documents” checkbox on
the Start menu customization dialog.]]
Clear document history on exit
[[This check box will control whether Explorer will clear the recent
documents history, run dialog history and typed-URL history when
you log off]]
Maintain document history
[[This enables the tracking of recently opened documents on the Start menu
and on the file menu of many applications. (Note that some applications do
not respect this setting). ]]
-----
Download TweakUI here >>>
Microsoft PowerToys for Windows XP
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp
Tweak UI
TweakUI.exe
----
Tweak UI for Windows XP Guide
http://www.winxpsolution.com/Tweakuixppro.aspx
-----
Registry settings for TweakUI tweaks:
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
Value Name: NoRecentDocsMenu
Value Type: REG_DWORD
Value Data: 0 or 1
0 = Yes, allow recent docs
1 = No, do not allow recent docs
Value Name: ClearRecentDocsOnExit
Value Type: REG_DWORD
Value Data: 0 or 1
0 = No don't clear
1 = Yes clear them
Value Name: NoRecentDocsHistory
Value Type: REG_DWORD
Value Data: 0 or 1
0 = Yes history
1 = No history
------
If XP Pro you can use Group Edit...
Start | Run | Type: gpedit.msc | Click OK |
Navigate to >>>
User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Start Menu and Taskbar\
Remove the Documents menu from the Start menu
[[The Documents menu contains links to the nonprogram files that users
have
most recently opened. It appears so that users can easily reopen their
documents.
If you enable this setting, the system saves document shortcuts but does
not
display them in the Documents menu. If you later disable it or set it to
Not
Configured, the document shortcuts saved before the setting was enabled
and
while it was in effect appear in the Documents menu.
Note: This setting does not prevent Windows programs from displaying
shortcuts to recently opened documents. See the "Do not keep history of
recently opened documents" setting.
Also, see the "Do not keep history of recently opened documents" and
"Clear
history of recenTly opened documents on exit" policies in this folder.
This setting also does not hide document shortcuts displayed in the Open
dialog box. See the "Hide the dropdown list of recent files" setting. ]]
Do not keep history of recently opened documents
[[Prevents the operating system and installed programs from creating and
displaying shortcuts to recently opened documents.
If you enable this setting, the system and Windows programs do not create
shortcuts to documents opened while the setting is in effect. Also, they
retain but do not display existing document shortcuts. The system empties
the Documents menu on the Start menu, and Windows programs do not display
shortcuts at the bottom of the File menu.
If you disable this setting, the system defaults are enforced. Disabling
this setting has no effect on the system.
Note: The system saves document shortcuts in the user profile in the
System-drive\Documents and Settings\User-name\Recent folder.
If you enable this setting but do not enable the "Remove Documents menu
from
Start Menu" setting, the Documents menu appears on the Start menu, but it
is
empty.
If you enable this setting, but then later disable it or set it to Not
Configured, the document shortcuts saved before the setting was enabled
reappear in the Documents menu and program File menus.
This setting does not hide document shortcuts displayed in the Open dialog
box.]]
Clear history of recently opened documents on exit
[[If you enable this setting, the system deletes shortcuts to recently
used
document files when the user logs off. As a result, the Documents menu on
the Start menu is always empty when the user logs on.
If you disable or do not configure this setting, the system retains
document
shortcuts, and when a user logs on the Documents menu appears just as it
did
when the user logged off.
Note: The system saves document shortcuts in the user profile in the
System-drive\Documents and Settings\User-name\Recent folder. ]]
-----
Registry settings for gpedit.msc:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\
Explorer
The registry entries are DWORD values. A value of 1 is enabled, and a
value
of 0 is disabled.
Policy: Clear history of recent documents on exit
Description: Deletes all shortcuts shown in the Recent Documents menu when
the user logs off.
Registry Value: ClearRecentDocsOnExit
Policy: Do not keep history of recently opened documents
Description: Prevents the system from saving shortcuts to documents the
user
has recently opened.
Registry Value: NoRecentDocsHistory
Policy: Remove Recent Documents item from Start Menu
Description: Removes the Recent Documents folder from the Start menu.
Also
removes the corresponding checkbox from the Start menu customization CPL.
Registry Value: NoRecentDocsMenu
--
Hope this helps. Let us know.
Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
In
NineStories said:
The list of Recently Opened Programs does NOT appear on my Start menu.
Have tried all obvious solutions including switching from modern to
classic to modern Start menu, adjusting the number of programs to be
displayed to 0 and back to reset it, clearing the MRU programs list,
checking and repairing protected system files, etc., but I can't get
anything to show up there. Does anyone know how to fix this, or if not,
where the list is stored within the registry or on the harddrive?
Please note this is the PROGRAMS list I'm talking about, not the
DOCUMENTS list -- I'm not talking about C:\Documents and
Settings\Username\Recent\. Any ideas? Screenshot here:
mdoucet.com/img/startmen.gif
)