Desktop folder unpin from quick access

Dear Ron,

Thank you for posting your question on our forum.

There are a few possible solutions that you can try. Here are some of them:

1. Reset the quick access data file.

This will remove all the pinned and frequent items from quick access, and allow you to pin and unpin folders again. To do this, rename or delete the file named f01b4d95cf55d32a.automaticDestinations-ms in the %AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations\ folder. You can copy and paste this path into the address bar of File Explorer and press Enter to locate it. Next time you open File Explorer, the file will be recreated and you can start pinning and unpinning folders.

2. Disable the "Show all folders" option.

This will hide the desktop folder from the navigation pane, along with other system folders like This PC and Network.

Should you have any other questions or need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.

I've tried these approaches and neither of them worked. I do not have a %AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations\ folder. The "Show all folders" option has been disabled all along.

Dear Ron,

Thank you for your reply.

Kindly try enabling the "Show all folders" option via File Explorer as shown in the screenshot below:

In case you don’t have necessary permissions, ask the Administrator to grant you them.

Please let us know how it works.

Thank you.

Not making any difference.

Dear Ron,

Thank you for your reply.

In this case, please try the following:

1. Clean up quick access folders using command prompt:

- close all open File Explorer windows;

- open command prompt as Administrator;

- execute the del / f / q "%AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations\f01b4d95cf55d32a.automaticDestinations-ms" command;

- once the file is removed, all folders from the quick access category will disappear.

2. Disable recently open folders from quick access, to enable quick access only for pinned folders:

- go to File Explorer => View => Options => Privacy

- uncheck the Show recently used files in Quick access and Show frequently used folders in Quick access checkboxes.

Please let us know if it helps.

I've tried all of these and none of them has worked.

Dear Ron,

Thank you for your reply.

Just in case, let's try the simplest solution. Perhaps the issue is that you are missing the "Unpin from Quick Access" option? See what it looks like in the screenshot:

Note: please consider that this option might be located either at the top or at the bottom of the context menu.

If you have the "Pin to Quick Access" option, please try the following:

1. Right-click on the "Desktop" and choose the "Pin to Quick Access" option.

2. Then, right-click again, and this time, select the "Unpin from Quick Access" option.

Additionally, you can try the following steps:

Clear Quick Access History:

Right-click on the "Quick Access" option in the navigation pane and select "Options." Under the "General" tab, click the "Clear" button next to "Clear File Explorer history." This might help reset the Quick Access settings.

Change Folder Options:

Go to the "View" tab in the File Explorer ribbon. Click on "Options" and then "Change folder and search options." Under the "General" tab, find "Open File Explorer to" and select "This PC." Click "Apply" and then "OK." Restart your PC and see if the issue is resolved.

Check for Updates:

Make sure your Windows operating system is up-to-date. Sometimes, updates can include fixes for such issues.

Please let us know if this helps.

Still no change. I appreciate your help............looks like this is something that I'll just have to live with and possibly stumble into a resolution somewhere down the road.

One other thing...........I have no "automatic destinations" folder.

Dear Ron,

Thank you for your reply.

Here are some steps to help you address the missing 'AutomaticDestinations' folder issue:

1. It's possible that you have hidden files and folders turned off, which is why you're not seeing the 'AutomaticDestinations' folder. To enable the display of hidden folders, follow these steps:

- Open File Explorer.

- Click on the 'View' tab in the top menu.

- Check the 'Hidden items' box in the 'Show/hide' section. This will reveal hidden files and folders, including 'AutomaticDestinations'.

2. Even if the folder is hidden, the command del /f /q "%AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations\f01b4d95cf55d32a.automaticDestinations-ms" should still work. You can try running this command in Command Prompt to delete a specific file.

3. If after enabling the display of hidden files and folders, you still can't find the '%AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations' folder, it's possible that the 'AutomaticDestinations' folder was accidentally deleted or moved. Alternatively, there might be a mode or tool that's affecting the standard folder structure. In this case, you might consider the following solution:

- Restore your computer to a previous state using System Restore. This might help if the folder was inadvertently removed.

- If you have a backup of your system, you can try restoring the missing folder from the backup.

Additionally, if you're using Windows 10, you can also consider using the 'Windows 10 Media Creation Tool' to perform a repair installation, which might help restore any missing system components and settings. We recommend taking a look at this article: https://www.auslogics.com/en/articles/how-to-use-windows-10-media-creation-tool/

Hope this helps.