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Pin to Quick Access Not Working on Windows 11: 5 Quick Fixes
Your computer might be bogged down by a heavy cache
5 min. read
Updated onOctober 4, 2023
updated onOctober 4, 2023
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Key notes
Quick Access on Windows is a feature giving fast access to folders and files that are frequently used. It’s a holdover tool from Windows 10 but had its start on Windows 7 when it was known asFavorites.
It’s a pretty ubiquitous feature that many use quite often. As you can imagine,Quick Access not workingcan be pretty annoying. Fortunately, fixing it is really easy to do.
What causes Quick Access to malfunction?
Now before we go into the fixes, it’s important that you understand why it happens in the first place. That way, if it happens again, you know what to look out for and what to do.
What can I do if Quick Access is not working properly on Windows 11?
There are five main ways to fix a malfunctioning Quick Access feature, but before going into what they are, we recommend trying out a few faster ones. These will only take a few seconds:
1. Delete a corrupt file in the App Data folder
After you delete that file, it should automatically remake itself shortly afterward free of its corruption.
2. Clear out File Explorer history
Performing that last step will reset the File Explorer’s options to their default setting which will resolve files and folders not appearing on Quick Access.
However, it does have the additional effect of removing any and all customizations you may have made.
3. Turn on Jump Lists
4. Clear out Quick Access corruption
5. Reset Quick Access
The data that’s inside QatItem helps Windows to remember the preferences you have for the Quick Access Toolbar. Deleting it resets the data.
Interestingly enough, for such a simple feature, Quick Access has been known to have several errors associated with it. One involves folders notunpinning from Quick Access.
News of this error cropped up a few years ago but has been known to continue on Windows 10. You should reset the Quick Access Recent Items list to solve this.
Other users have reportedQuick Access has disappearedfrom their File Explorer; that it’s been deleted. You can either restore Quick Access itself or reset File Explorer altogether.
Feel free to leave a comment below if you have any questions about other Windows 11 problems. Leave a suggestion about guides that you’d like to see or information on other Windows errors.
More about the topics:File Explorer,quick access,Windows 11
Cesar Cadenas
Networking & Security Specialist
Cesar has been writing for and about technology going on for 6 years when he first started writing tech articles for his university paper. Since then, his passion for technology blossomed into a prosperous writing career. He first started writing about tech in the entertainment world and would later move on to write about smart life tech and social media. He was recently a Technical Writer for tech company Extron where he wrote user guides for audio and video equipment.
He has since moved on to being a freelance writer looking to have a career in copywriting and hopes to share his love and knowledge of technology with the world. Recently, Cesar has written for the cryptocurrency news site, BTCPro and helping people understand tech.
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Cesar Cadenas
Networking & Security Specialist
Cesar is a tech expert passionate about Windows, Microsoft, and anything surrounding the world of PCs.
