Recent files on UE icon in Windows 7 start menu

DaVince · Nov 15, 2013#12013-11-15T16:14+00:00

How do I purge recent files from Windows 7 taskbar pop-up menu for UltraEdit? As soon as I delete one, an older one pops onto the list.

Also I don't see my really recent files getting added to this list. What controls what gets added? I'd like to pin one of the recent files to the list, but can't find it.

Ovg · Nov 15, 2013#22013-11-15T16:39+00:00

Do you wrote about this? Right mouse click on item. This is not UE specific ...

DaVince · Nov 18, 2013#32013-11-18T17:30+00:00

That's what I'm doing, but as soon as I delete one another older one pops onto the list. I wish there was a bulk delete.

Any idea why the file I just edited is not in the list? Is anyone else having this problem?

-->Vince

Mofi · Nov 19, 2013#42013-11-19T09:22+00:00

The properties of the Windows start menu opened by clicking with secondary (right) mouse button on Windows Start button and clicking with primary (left) mouse button on context menu item Properties contains the option Store and display recently opened items in the Start menu and the taskbar. I have unchecked this feature of Windows as I don't need it.

Unchecking this Windows option and clicking on button Apply results in deleting the recent files list for all applications recorded by Windows. The option can be next checked again before closing the dialog with button OK. For details see the Microsoft article Clear lists on the Start menu and taskbar.

As far as I know there is no method to selectively clear the recent files list for just one application as Windows does not store the recent files list per application. It records all files opened by any application with creating shortcut files in %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\ and recording the opened and saved files additionally on several places in Windows registry like

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ComDlg32]

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts]

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RecentDocs]

It is safe to completely delete those registry keys from time to time to delete user related tracking information made by Windows.

I can't tell you why you cannot see some files recently opened/saved in UltraEdit in this list created by Windows as I don't know how the algorithm of Microsoft really works.