How to Clear Most Recently Used (MRU) Lists in Windows 11

Windows keeps massive most recently used lists or MRU lists to make it easy to reopen files, folders, and apps. These include Quick Access/Recent files in File Explorer, Jump Lists on the taskbar, the Run dialog history, and a few other places.

These MRU lists can expose information like the names and locations of the last files you have accessed. By looking at these MRU lists, someone could determine what files you accessed. What’s more, in most cases, these lists are displayed in drop-down menus of the program.

If you want to clear those histories (or stop Windows from keeping them), here’s a concise, safe guide with multiple methods and tips to prevent future tracking.

Clear the MRU Lists via Windows Explorer

To clear current items, go to File Explorer > three dots menu > Options > General tab. Under Privacy, click Clear to remove File Explorer history (also clears Quick Access recent items).

Delete Windows Explorer MRU Lists via Registry

You can clear MRU lists by using the Windows Registry, but remember to back up the registry before you make any changes. For instance, to clear the MRU list for the Run dialogue.

1. Run regedit and navigate to the following path:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RunMRU

2. Delete all the values except the Default key to clear the Run box MRU list.

Correspondingly, you can do the same for each of the following registry keys to clear the MRU lists.

• Find Computer command: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FindComputerMRU>
• Find Files command: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Doc Find Spec MRU
• Explorer Stream: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StreamMRU

Use Wise Registry Cleaner

While most junk file cleaners do clear the MRU lists, you can also use a dedicated freeware like Wise Registry Cleaner to delete all the traces and usage tracks together from the corner of your Windows PC, including Windows File Explorer, Microsoft Office, Visual Studio, etc.

Step2. Scan and Clean the User MRU Lists

Run Wise Registry Cleaner, and click the Scan button. After a few seconds, you will see all MRU traces listed under the User MRU Lists item. Now click Clean to finish.

Prevent MRU Lists from Being Recreated

If you don’t want Windows to continue saving the list of recently opened files, you can prevent this via the settings in Windows Explorer and Settings.

1. Click on the three dots in Explorer and then on Options. Remove the tick from the following two items: Show recently used files and Show frequently used folders.

2. Press Win + I to open Settings. Select Personalization > Start in the settings and turn off Show recommended files in Start, recent files in File Explorer, and items in Jump Lists.

Conclusion:

By clearing MRU lists, you reduce the digital traces of what you’ve opened and where you’ve been—especially important on shared or work PCs. Start with File Explorer’s Clear button for a quick sweep, then use the Registry paths (or a trusted tool like Wise Registry Cleaner) for a deeper scrub, and finish by turning off recent-item tracking so lists don’t immediately repopulate.