Windows keeps track of all files modified on the PC and sorts them. The Windows operating system records the file’s name when you open a file in Windows Explorer or from the open and save dialog box.
There are times you’ll want to search for files that have been recently created or modified. Maybe you recently changed a file, but can’t remember where you saved it. Or maybe you accidentally allowed a third-party software installation, and want to locate those files quickly.
In this article, we will share how you can quickly access all recent files in Windows 10.
Method 1: View Recently Saved Files Using Quick Access
- Press the Win + E keys to open File Explorer.
- Then click Quick Access on the left column, and you can see the recently saved files in the Recent files section which appears below the Frequent folders section. The Recent files section shows up to 20 recently saved files.
Method 2: View Recently Saved Files Using File Explorer Search
- Press the Win + E keys to open File Explorer.
- In the search box, type the content: datemodified: to make appropriate changes to the date. Or you can also click the Date modified button on the Search tab.
- The moment you type the colon after the field you’re searching by, a popup appears that you can use to narrow your search. Select a specific date on the calendar, hold the Control key down while clicking to select a date range, or select one of the preconfigured ranges listed under the calendar.
- Then Windows 10 will search for all files that were modified in that date range.
- You can also type datecreated: or dateaccessed: into the box if you want to search by those values instead.
Save Searches For Easier Access
Performing searches for recent files is pretty straightforward, but if you want to make things even easier, you’ll be happy to know that you can save searches so that you can quickly repeat them later.
- After performing a search, return to the Search tab in File Explorer, and click the Save Search button.
- By default, searches are saved in a folder named Searches that you can find inside your user folder: C:\users\<username>\, but you can save a search anywhere you like.
- The Searches folder is a convenient enough place to store them, but it’s even handier if you right-click the folder and choose Pin to Quick access from the context menu. Then, it’ll show up in File Explorer’s left sidebar.
Conclusion
The methods to view recently saved files in Windows 10 apply to all formats of files and some apps, for example, Notepad, WordPad, and Excel. Try them now!
