MRU lists

Windows tracks user behavior through Most Recently Used (MRU) lists, which include recently opened documents, launched programs, and frequently accessed folders. To delete recently opened files and folders, press Win-R, type "recent," and hit OK to access the list in Windows Explorer. Users can delete these entries without affecting the original files. To stop Windows from saving the list, Windows 11 users can adjust settings in Explorer by clicking on the three dots, selecting Options, and unchecking "Show recently used files" and "Show frequently used folders." Windows 10 users can find these options in the View menu. Deleting entries under Recent does not remove all MRU lists; to clear lists in the Windows 11 Start menu, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Activity history and delete the activity history, then uncheck "Save my activity history on this device." Additionally, toggle off "Show recently opened items in Start, Jump Lists, and File Explorer" under Personalization > Start settings.