Learn How To Find Recently Opened Windows 10 Folders

Windows 10 meticulously records your every move, but to the untrained eye, these records are mere whispers in a sea of digital noise. Now, let’s translate those whispers into a clear map to find our treasure – the newly created folders.

1. The Windows Registry: Your First Clue

Imagine the Registry as a library of actions. To get there:

• Press Win + R, type regedit, and hit Enter. This summons the Registry Editor.
• Now, as a detective in this digital realm, tread carefully. The Registry is a web of potential leads.

ComDlg32 LastVisitedMRU & OpenSave MRU:

• In the Registry Editor, navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ComDlg32.
• Under ComDlg32, you’ll find LastVisitedMRU and OpenSaveMRU. These keys are like the history books of your file dialog interactions.
• The entries are not plain text, so you’ll see a mix of readable and non-readable characters. Tools like ‘MRUView’ can translate this gibberish into a clear history of recently opened or saved items.

2. Explorer RecentDocs Registry:

• This registry key whispers the tales of your recent document rendezvous. Find it at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RecentDocs.
• Expand it, and you’ll see subkeys with numeric names, each representing a file extension. The entries within are your recently accessed documents and folders.

3. Jump Lists:

• To view Jump Lists, you don’t need a tool; just a simple action. Right-click on an application icon in the taskbar to see recent items.
• But to delve deeper and see the underpinnings, you can navigate to %AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations. The files here have cryptic names but open them with a text editor, and you’re looking at paths to recent folders and files.

4. Office MRU Registry & Office Recents Folder:

• For the Office sleuths, navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\. Then, open the version number of Office you’re using, and look for the File MRU and Place MRU keys.
• The Office Recents Folder lives in %AppData%\Microsoft\Office\Recent. Here, shortcuts to your recent Office documents lie in wait.

5. Shell Bags:

• Back to the Registry. Under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell, the Shell Bags store detailed views of your folder explorations.
• These bags are tricky; they store the settings for window sizes, icons, and more. To make sense of them, a Shell Bags viewer might be necessary.

6. Windows MRU Registry & Windows Recent Folder:

• The MRU Registry holds the keys to recently opened files across various applications. Located at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RunMRU.
• The Windows Recent Folder is a directory at %AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent that holds shortcuts to recently accessed files and folders, potentially including the ones you’re looking for.

7. Windows RunMRU:

• Finally, the RunMRU keeps track of commands you’ve typed into the Run dialog box. It’s in the Registry at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RunMRU.
• It’s straightforward; the entries are listed, and you can read them directly, no translation needed.

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A Word of Caution

Before you embark on this quest, remember that the Registry is the backbone of Windows. Missteps here can lead to system instability. Always back up before you go tinkering.

Also, keep in mind the footprint we leave in our digital walkabouts can be sensitive. If you’re on this hunt in a professional capacity, ensure you’re following proper legal and ethical guidelines.

So, there you have it–the breadcrumbs to follow in the quest for newly created folders. Happy hunting!