Windows Vista Forums
Vista Forums Home Join Vista Forums Windows 7 Forum Vista Tutorials Tags
Welcome to Windows Vista Forums. Our forum is dedicated to helping you find solutions with any problems, errors or issues you are experiencing with Windows Vista. The Vista forum also covers news and updates and has an extensive Windows Vista tutorial section that covers a wide range of tips and tricks.

Go Back   Vista Forums > Vista Forums > Tutorials

Vista - Recent Items - Clear Document History on Exit

Comment
 

Recent Items - Clear Document History on Exit

How to Enable or Disable Clear Recent Document Items History on Exit of Vista
Published by Brink
03-30-2008

How to Enable or Disable Clear Recent Document Items History on Exit

Information
  This will show you how to enable or disable Vista to clear the recently opened documents history for when the current user account logs off. This way the Recent Items menu button on the Start menu is always empty when the user logs on. This is disable by default in Vista.
NOTE
  If you have only one user account on your computer that is shared with other users, then this can be handy to keep each user's recently opened document history private when they log off or shutdown.
WARNING
  This does not clear the Recent Programs history on exit. This will still need to be manually done.
RELATED LINKS:EXAMPLE: Recent Items Menu Button on the Start Menu
recent_items.jpg


METHOD ONE:
Through the Local Group Policy Editor
NOTE
  This method is only available for the Vista Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions. See Method Two below for the Vista Home Basic and Home Premium editions.
1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor.

2. In the left pane, click on User Configuration, Administrative Templates, and Start Menu and Taskbar. (See screenshot below)
group_policy.jpg
3. In the right pane, right click on Clear history of recently opened documents on exit and click on Properties. (See screenshot above)

4. To Enable Clear Recent Items History on Exit -
A) Select (dot) Disabled or Not Configured and click on OK. (See screenshot below step 5A)

B) Go to step 6.
5. To Disable Clear Recent Items History on Exit -
A) Select (dot) Enabled and click on OK.
properties.jpg
6. Close the Local Group Policy Editor window. Your done.



METHOD TWO:
Through the Registry
NOTE
  This method will work for all Vista versions.
Through a Download:
1. To Enable Clear Recent Items History on Exit -
A) Click on the download button below to download the Enable_Clear_Recent_Item_On_Exit.reg file.

B) Go to step 3.


2. To Disable Clear Recent Items History on Exit -
A) Click on the download button below to download the Disable_Clear_Recent_Item_On_Exit.reg file.


3. Click on Save, and save the .reg file to the Desktop.

4. Right click the .reg (On Desktop) file and click on Merge.

5. Click on the Run button for Security Warning pop-up.

6. Click on Continue (UAC), Yes, and then OK when prompted.

7. When done, you can delete the .reg file (On Desktop).
The Manual Way:
1. Open the Start Menu.

2. In the white line (Start Search) area, type regedit and press Enter.

3. Click on the Continue button in the UAC prompt.

4. In regedit, go to: (See screenshot below)
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
NOTE: If you do not have Explorer, then right click on Polices and click on New and Key. Type Explorer and press Enter.
reg1.jpg
5. To Enable Clear Recent Items History on Exit -
A) In the right pane, right click on a empty area and click on New and DWORD (32-bit) Value. (See screenshot above)

B) Type ClearRecentDocsOnExit and press Enter.

C) Right click on ClearRecentDocsOnExit and click on Modify. (See screenshot below)
reg2.jpg
D) Type 1 and click on OK. (See screenshot below)
Name:  Modify.jpg
Views: 5943
Size:  31.9 KB
E) The registry will now look like this. (See screenshot below)
reg3.jpg
F) Go to step 7.
6. To Add Log Off to the Ctrl+Alt+Del Screen -
A) In the right pane, right click on ClearRecentDocsOnExit and click on Delete. (See screenshot above)

B) Click on Yes to confirm deletion.
7. Close regedit.
That's it,
Shawn

Published by
Brink's Avatar
Administrator

Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Texas, USA
Posts: 25,938
Rep Power: 150
Brink has a reputation beyond reputeBrink has a reputation beyond reputeBrink has a reputation beyond reputeBrink has a reputation beyond reputeBrink has a reputation beyond reputeBrink has a reputation beyond reputeBrink has a reputation beyond reputeBrink has a reputation beyond reputeBrink has a reputation beyond reputeBrink has a reputation beyond reputeBrink has a reputation beyond repute

Tutorial Tools

Applies to
All Vista Versions
64 Bit & 32 Bit

Comment

Tutorial Tools


Similar Threads
Tutorial Category
I'm unable to clear Recent items Vista General
Recent items will not clear Vista General
Recent Items List - Clear History Tutorials
Clear recent items doesn't appear Vista General
Clear Recent Items Vista General


Vista Forums is an independent web site and has not been authorized,
sponsored, or otherwise approved by Microsoft Corporation.
"Windows Vista", the Start Orb, and related materials are trademarks of Microsoft Corp.
© Designer Media Ltd
Tutorial powered by GARS 2.1.8m ©2005-2006

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46