The Cluttered Sidebar
When you open the File Explorer in Windows 11, the left-hand navigation pane features a section called “Quick Access” (often represented by a Star icon). By default, Windows actively monitors your workflow and automatically pins folders that you open frequently directly to this list. While Microsoft designed this to save you time, the result is a constantly shifting, unpredictable sidebar filled with random folders you only needed temporarily. If you want your Quick Access menu to remain a static, predictable list of folders that you explicitly chose to pin there yourself, you must disable the tracking algorithm.
How to Turn Off Frequent Folders
You can strip the automated suggestions out of your sidebar via the Folder Options menu.
- Open File Explorer (press the Windows Key + E).
- Click the three horizontal dots (…) located on the main menu bar (the ribbon) at the top of the window.
- Click on Options at the bottom of the drop-down menu.
- A small “Folder Options” window will pop up. Stay on the General tab.
- Look at the very bottom of the window in the “Privacy” section.
- Find the checkbox labeled “Show frequently used folders in Quick access.”
- Click the checkbox to completely remove the checkmark.
- Click Apply, then click OK.
A Static Workspace
The change is immediate. Windows 11 will instantly wipe all the algorithmically generated suggestions from your left-hand sidebar. The Quick Access menu will now only display the default system folders (Desktop, Downloads, Documents) and any folders you manually right-click and choose to “Pin to Quick access.” The list will never dynamically change on its own again.