TRULY banishing the "My Recent Documents" folder

[Wyk]

There are answers for:
1. hiding it from the Start menu
2. limiting it's size
3. removing it from the "My Places" bar
etc.
BUT, I can't seem to get it not to list itself in the "Look In:" drop-down
list in Open and Save dialogs. I've tried deleting it from the "Documents
and Settings\[User]" folder but the dratted thing always comes back sooner
than later and shows up at the top of that "Look In:" drop down list again.

Arrrrgh, please Help!

 

[deviL doG]

There are answers for:
1. hiding it from the Start menu
2. limiting it's size
3. removing it from the "My Places" bar
etc.
BUT, I can't seem to get it not to list itself in the "Look In:" drop-down
list in Open and Save dialogs. I've tried deleting it from the "Documents
and Settings\[User]" folder but the dratted thing always comes back sooner
than later and shows up at the top of that "Look In:" drop down list
again.

Arrrrgh, please Help!

You forgot "relocating the folder". I've seen this plea probably 1.7 million
times and no joy has ever been given. I believe that like those horror
movies where the creature can never be killed that the My Documents folder
is so tightly wrapped around the core of XP that you can't actually kill the
beast without killing the patient. Much like Internet Explorer was integral
to Windows 98. Maybe Vista will free us from mandatory file management
procedures.
Or, maybe this will be the post we've all been looking for!

 

[Wesley Vogel]

They're baaaaaack! LOL

See..
How to Prevent the MRU List of File Names from Appearing
here...
Names of Previously Opened and Saved Files Appear in Typical Windows
Explorer-Style Dialog Boxes in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322948

See...
nofilemru
here...
Open and Save Dialog Box Customization
http://www.winguides.com/registry/display.php/861/

Also...
nofilemru
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/...s/2000/server/reskit/en-us/regentry/93570.asp

Common Dialog - Save As
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
Explorer\ComDlg32\OpenSaveMRU

MRUBlaster can delete 30,345 MRU items from the registry.

Some utility programs will delete the Recent folder, I know that Disk
Cleaner will.

%userprofile%\Recent (My Recent Documents) but it will keep coming back.

MS Word | Tools | Options | General tab |
Clear the Recently used file list check box.

These tweaks remove My Recent Documents from the Start Menu and keep
%userprofile%\Recent empty...

Using TweakUI

TweakUI
[+] Explorer

UNCheck: 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.]]

CHeck: 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]]

UNCheck: 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

There are answers for:
1. hiding it from the Start menu
2. limiting it's size
3. removing it from the "My Places" bar
etc.
BUT, I can't seem to get it not to list itself in the "Look In:" drop-down
list in Open and Save dialogs. I've tried deleting it from the "Documents
and Settings\[User]" folder but the dratted thing always comes back sooner
than later and shows up at the top of that "Look In:" drop down list
again.

Arrrrgh, please Help!

 

[Wyk]

Looks like it can't be truly done ...

Then again, I suppose there may be a program out there that runs in the
background and continuously zaps it when it reappears. But that wouldn't be
very elegant at all.

The other way I can think of would be for someone to h-a-c-k the code that
keeps recreating it and/or displaying it in the Drop-Down. But that isn't
very kosher and /might/ cause incompatibilities now or later.

....sigh... grumble...

 

[Wyk]

Yes, this will be the post that gets re-posted the mosted.
Some mad loner geek guru genius will come to our rescue.

Any moment now.

NOW.

Uh no, I mean NOW!

Umm, hmmm

Wyk

 

[D. Spencer Hines]

So, you are looking at "feeelthy piktures" and don't want your mother or
wife to know about it?

DSH

 

[Wesley Vogel]

I guess that you're correct.

I now just noticed that My Recent Documents *is* listed first in the
drop-down list in Open and Save As. I have to be honest, I never even
noticed that it was there before.

Ignorance is bliss, just like my wallpaper. ;-)

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[Wyk]

I wish. Where can you find dirty pictures on the web..he he.

Actually, I want to get rid of it because of how I have my machine setup. I
have changed the default "My Documents" location. Because of that, whenever
I go to that dropdown "Look In:" list, it defaults to the top "MyRecent
Documents" folder instead and, depending on the situation, pauses there
while it goes through the motions of populating the list. Annoying.
However, turning off the recent document tracking so that there is nothing
in that list has speeded it up quite a bit to being only a minor annoyance
now.

-w

 

[Wyk]

It wouldn't really bother me either except of how I have my machine setup.
I have changed the default "My Documents" location. Because of that,
whenever I go to that dropdown "Look In:" list, the list defaults to the top
"MyRecent Documents" folder instead of "My Documents" and, depending on the
situation, pauses there while it goes through the motions of populating the
list. Annoying. And it happens about 30 times a day for me. However,
turning off the recent document tracking so that there is nothing in that
list has speeded it up quite a bit to being only a minor annoyance now.

-w

 

[D. Spencer Hines]

A likely story... <g>

Why did you change the default "My Documents" location?

Trying to hide that folder from your mother too? <g>

DSH

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Keep having fun.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[Spacey Spade]

There are answers for:
1. hiding it from the Start menu
2. limiting it's size
3. removing it from the "My Places" bar
etc.
BUT, I can't seem to get it not to list itself in the "Look In:" drop-down
list in Open and Save dialogs. I've tried deleting it from the "Documents
and Settings\[User]" folder but the dratted thing always comes back sooner
than later and shows up at the top of that "Look In:" drop down list again.

Arrrrgh, please Help!

I tried deleting the folder, but it of course comes back. However,
when it is deleted, "My Recent Documents" does not show up in the "Save
As" dialogue the first time. The deleted folder is called "Recent" in
the recycle bin, so I tried deleting "My Recent Documents" again, and
creating a file in its place called "Recent". When a file exists, you
cannot create a folder by the same name in the same directory. Windows
renamed the file Recent to Recent.000. I redid everything, but this
time made Recent "read only" and "hidden", but still the same thing
happened. Is there any way to deny access to the system, so that the
system cannot rename the file?

I know this is a feeble attempt. The really great way would be to hack
the Windows offending library with a hex editor so that a new library
is created that doesn't ever want to have anything to do with Recent
documents.

 

[Spacey Spade]

I forgot to note that I am using the FAT32 file system

There are answers for:
1. hiding it from the Start menu
2. limiting it's size
3. removing it from the "My Places" bar
etc.
BUT, I can't seem to get it not to list itself in the "Look In:" drop-down
list in Open and Save dialogs. I've tried deleting it from the "Documents
and Settings\[User]" folder but the dratted thing always comes back sooner
than later and shows up at the top of that "Look In:" drop down list again.

Arrrrgh, please Help!

I tried deleting the folder, but it of course comes back. However,
when it is deleted, "My Recent Documents" does not show up in the "Save
As" dialogue the first time. The deleted folder is called "Recent" in
the recycle bin, so I tried deleting "My Recent Documents" again, and
creating a file in its place called "Recent". When a file exists, you
cannot create a folder by the same name in the same directory. Windows
renamed the file Recent to Recent.000. I redid everything, but this
time made Recent "read only" and "hidden", but still the same thing
happened. Is there any way to deny access to the system, so that the
system cannot rename the file?

I know this is a feeble attempt. The really great way would be to hack
the Windows offending library with a hex editor so that a new library
is created that doesn't ever want to have anything to do with Recent
documents.