The Cluttered Sidebar
In Windows 11, whenever you open the File Explorer, the left-hand navigation pane displays a section called “Quick Access.” By default, Windows actively monitors every single folder you open. If you open a specific sub-folder on your D: drive three times in one week, Windows will automatically permanently pin a shortcut to that folder directly into the Quick Access sidebar. While this predictive behavior is designed to save time, it rapidly destroys the organization of your sidebar, filling it with dozens of temporary project folders that you only needed for a few days. You must disable the tracking engine.
How to Turn Off Frequently Used Folders
You can force the File Explorer to only show folders you manually pin via the Folder Options.
- Open the File Explorer (press the Windows Key + E).
- Click the three horizontal dots (…) on the far right side of the top toolbar to open the “See more” menu.
- Click on Options at the very bottom of the dropdown list.
- A new “Folder Options” window will appear. Ensure you are on the General tab at the top.
- 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 the Clear button right next to it to wipe the current history.
- Click Apply, then click OK.
A Static Sidebar
The change takes effect instantly. The File Explorer will immediately purge all the automatically generated folders from the left-hand sidebar. From this point forward, the Quick Access menu will remain perfectly static. The only folders that will ever appear in that list are the default system folders (Desktop, Downloads, etc.) and any specific folders you intentionally right-click and manually “Pin to Quick Access.”