Missing "Recent Items" entry in Start Menu

[Neolith]

Strange behaviour - my Recent Items list has disappeared. I've been to the
Start Menu properties window, and under Privacy, I only have a single entry,
"Store and display a list of recently opened programs". The corresponding
entry for documents is missing. Furthermore, although I can check the
one-and-only tick-box, the setting doesn't hold, and it's unchecked again
next time I open Properties.

I have a Recent Items folder (with the correct icon), deep in my User
folder, but it's empty. I tried restoring the desktop.ini file from an early
disk image, but although the restore appears to work according to the image
program, the folder remains stubbornly empty.

It's as though some system setting registry value has been set prohibiting
the use or display of this Recent Items folder. Any ideas?

 

[Curious]

right click on your start menu and select properties and then select Recent
Items.

 

[Neolith]

I'm afraid your suggestion doesn't work, Curious - I assume that you meant
look under the Customize button under the Start Menu tab. But there's no
reference to Recent Items anywhere in the Properties window. As I said in my
original append, it looks as though Recent Items is prohibited from appearing
anywhere.

 

[Curious]

No I said to display your start menu and while it is displayed to right
click on it and select properties I never said anything about a customize
option.
I have recent items displayed in both of my vista computers using the steps
I told you to use.

 

[Neolith]

Well, perhaps you could tell me EXACTLY where to look for Recent Items in the
Properties window? Your route to the properties is no different to mine, and
while I've looked EVERYWHERE for Recent Items in the propertes window (the
most likely place being the Customize button under the Start Menu tab within
Properties) I can only reiterate - It's not there!

As I said in my original append, I think there must be some registry setting
that's got changed or corrupted. Or maybe some .ini file. This is not just a
simple "set the properties" issue.

 

[Curious]

On my system the recently open files check box is first item in the bottom
section of the start menu tab itself labeled privacy.
If you do not have it there it may be because you do not have administrator
rights or the actions you are allowed by your corporate administrator if
your system is managed by a domain controller.

 

[Neolith]

Thank you for your continuing interest in this problem but, as I said in my
first append, the Recently opened files check box does not appear in the
Privacy section (though the Recently opened programs check box does - but
without a check setting persisting.)

I am the Administrator and I'm not on some corporate networ - this is my
private machine. I still think that this must be a Registry problem.

 

[PaulB]

This tutorial may help.
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/72816-recent-items-list.html