Vista - Recent Items not updating

I don't know when my problem started but I too recently loaded an anti-virus application (AVG).

As Earl mentioned, the icon for my Recent Items file is a special icon and the file name includes the work "Items." Dean-dean, do you have any other suggestions?

I did find one interesting point. If I'm logged on as a standard user and attempt to access the Recent Items file (using the shell:recent command) I'm told I need permission to access the file. It then ask me to enter the Admin. password. When I enter the correct password I'm "denied access" and told to use the "security tab" to gain access!

I had already done a search of the registry looking for any items with
"recent" that did not seem correct. I noted that each time the recent items
was listed as a directory it was exactly as you wrote.

When I try to open folder "recent items" or when I type shell:recent
command, a window pops up and closes before I can see what it is.


"dean-dean" wrote:

Actually, the folder popping up and disappearing occurs when "Store and display a list of recently opened files" is not checked in
Taskbar and Start Menu Properties. Right-click on the Start Menu button on your Taskbar, and choose Properties. On the Start Menu
tab of that dialog, make sure, under the Privacy section, that that entry has a checkmark (Apply, OK). Then try the shell:recent
command again.

"Earl R" <EarlR@xxxxxx> wrote in message news:AF7848F6-A9D1-4DE2-A983-39AF38B829E5@xxxxxx

Try this, compTMan, (substitute USERNAME for the actual name of the account):

1. Right-click Command Prompt, and choose Run as Administrator. Type the
following command, and then press ENTER:

takeown /f C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent

2. Type the following command, and then press ENTER to grant
administrators full access to the file:

icacls C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent /grant administrators:F

3. Then type:

icacls C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent /grant USERNAME_PC/USERNAME:F

Press ENTER.


"compTMan" <compTMan.2wt9u7@xxxxxx-mx.forums.net> wrote in message news:compTMan.2wt9u7@xxxxxx-mx.forums.net...

This didn't work either. I got an error message on instruction 3. In any
case, it had no effect.

Earl

"dean-dean" wrote:

Earl

Are you using Vista Ultimate or Business?

If so, right click the Recent Items on the Start Menu and select
Properties/Previous Versions Tab. Select the oldest file there and click the
Restore Button.

--

Ronnie Vernon
Microsoft MVP
Windows Shell/User


"Earl R" <EarlR@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:B0CCCFBC-3567-4F22-AFED-4FF332665C30@xxxxxx

Earl, you aren't getting an "access denied" as was compTMan, so those
commands weren't appropriate to your situation. The behavior you are
describing is more like the the checkmark in "Store and display a list of
recently opened files", in Taskbar and Start Menu Properties, isn't
"sticking". Try toggling that entry; that is, turn it off, so that Recent
Items (on the right-hand side of the Menu) ISN'T listed in your Start Menu,
and then turn it back on, so that Recent Items IS listed in your Start Menu.
The sudden disappearance of the window when you type shell:recent acts just
as you describe, when that entry in Properties is not checked.

"Earl R" <EarlR@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:B0CCCFBC-3567-4F22-AFED-4FF332665C30@xxxxxx

I checked the registry and found that for the "Recent" items in the first registry entry identified in the attachment below I only have:

%USERPROFILE%\Recent

and not the full path defined below.


And for the second registry defined below I have:

C:\Users\(Your Name)\Recent

again not the full path.

I hate making changes to the registry since this is such an important and delicate area but I will look into possibly making the change and report my findings back on this thread.

Well, I finally solved my problem with the help of some of dean-dean's advice. Just to recap my problem, I could log in as the Admin. and the "Recent Items" would update whenever a file is opened. However, when I'm logged in under a standard user ID the Recent Items area would not update.

By looking at the registry as defined earlier in this thread, my "Recent Items" for standard users was pointing to a shortcut located in the C:\User\(your name) directory. I could not determine where the shortcut was pointing because if I attempted to open it's properties I was denied access because I "didn't have permission" (even if I was logged in as the Admin.). So taking the advice of dean-dean earlier in this thread I deleted the shortcut file and entered the SHELL:RECENT command in the "Start Search" area of the START menu to create the special file required for the Recent Items area. This apparently worked because the Recent Items window opened.

I then went to the START menu but did not see the "Recent Items" menu item, so taking another of dean-dean's suggestions I opened the "properties" area of the START button and cleared the checks on the following:

"Store and display a list of recently opened files..."
"Store and display a list of recently opened program..."

I performed a restart, logged back into my standard user ID (not my Admin. ID), and opened the properties area of the START button again. I reselected the two items above (replaced the checks for each item) and clicked APPLY. My Recent Items area now works properly, recording any files that are opened.

Thanks dean-dean for all your help and I hope my narative here helps others to solve their problem as well.

compTman

Thank you very much for the excellent recap, I wish more people would take
the time to return and do this.
Thanks to Dean for providing the solution.

--

Ronnie Vernon
Microsoft MVP
Windows Shell/User


"compTMan" <compTMan.2x0urh@xxxxxx-mx.forums.net> wrote in message
news:compTMan.2x0urh@xxxxxx-mx.forums.net...