By default, each time you click on the Windows 11 Start menu, you’ll see a “Recommended” section that includes a list of files and folders you’ve recently opened. Here’s how to turn that off.
First, open Settings. You can find it pinned to the Start menu and click the gear icon, or you can press Windows + i on your keyboard to bring it up.
In Settings, locate the sidebar and click “Personalization”. In the options on the right side of the window, scroll down and select “Start”.
In the “Start” settings, set the switch next to “Show recently opened items in Start, jump lists, and file explorer” to “Off”.
Now close the settings. The next time you open the Start menu, you will no longer see your recent files in the “Recommended” section.
Nice and clean. Have fun exploring Windows 11!
