How to delete file and activity history in Windows 11

If you share your computer with others or are simply protective of your privacy, you're probably concerned that Windows is displaying your recent files and activities on your PC . Between File Explorer, Activity History, and recent suggestions from apps like Photos, Media Player, or Microsoft Edge , it's easy to leave a trail of everything you do.

Besides privacy concerns, all that history and associated temporary files can end up taking up disk space and affecting system performance. Clearing file history in Windows 11 and controlling what the system saves is a simple way to keep your computer running more smoothly and with less "digital clutter."

What does Windows 11 record about your files and activities?

Windows 11 stores various types of information related to your daily computer usage: Windows 11 file history , used apps , visited websites, and recent items that appear in various parts of the system. It's helpful to understand what each of these is so you know what to delete or disable.

On one hand, there's File Explorer, which displays recent items and frequently used folders in the Start or Quick Access section. It lists the documents and directories you've recently opened so you can quickly access them, but it also makes your activity very visible if someone else uses the same PC.

On the other hand, Windows maintains a broader Activity History, which records apps, files, and websites visited . This information is stored locally on your device and, if you authorize it, can be synced with your Microsoft account to appear on other linked devices.

Some applications, such as Microsoft Edge, Photos, and Media Player , also play a role , displaying "recent" items or recommendations based on what you've recently opened. While this may seem like an isolated issue, they often draw from the same system data or generate their own histories.

The result is that, if you don't change anything, Windows 11 tends to display and retain quite a bit of information about what you do on the computer , which is convenient in terms of productivity, but can clash with privacy or the need to free up space.

Delete recent items in Windows 11 File Explorer

One of the most visible places where your activity is displayed is the Home section of File Explorer, with its lists of recently used files and frequently used folders . Let's see how to clean up and manage that information.

If you only want to remove specific items without affecting the rest, you can do so manually: simply right-click on the file or folder that appears in the recent items list and select "Remove from recent items." It's that easy. This way, you keep the rest of your shortcuts but remove what you don't want to see.

When you're looking for a complete cleanup, you can use the Explorer's own options: open File Explorer, go to the Home tab, and click the three-dot icon at the top. In the menu that appears, select "Options" to open the classic Folder Options window.

Within the "General" tab, you'll see a Privacy section with several checkboxes related to recent files . There, you can click the "Clear" button to remove all recent files and folders from the history displayed in Start/Quick Access, leaving the list completely empty.

If you're concerned about long-term privacy, in addition to clearing your history, you can disable the feature entirely by unchecking "Show recently used files" and "Show frequently used folders" in the same section. From that point on, Windows will no longer display anything in those lists.

Clear recent history from the system folder

Even if you clear your browsing history through Explorer's options, Windows maintains an internal folder where shortcuts to open documents are stored. For a more thorough cleanup of these traces , you can delete the contents of that folder.

To access it, press the Windows key + R to open the Run window . In the box that appears, type or copy the path %AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\ and click “OK” or press Enter to open the folder in Explorer.

You'll see a list of shortcuts to recent documents and items; these aren't the original files, but rather references. You can select all the content (Ctrl + A) and delete it with the Delete key or by right-clicking and selecting Delete. This completely empties the Recents folder that Windows uses to display history.

It's a good idea to repeat this process occasionally if you're very sensitive to privacy, because with normal use of your computer, Windows will continue to fill that folder with new shortcuts. It doesn't affect the actual documents stored in your folders ; it only removes the references to them from the history.

Keep in mind that if you have File Explorer set to show recent files, new items will reappear as you open documents or folders . Therefore, if you want to ensure no trace remains, combine this cleanup with disabling the feature in Folder Options.

Permanently disable recent files via group policy

If you share your computer with others or manage multiple computers (at home or in a small office), you might want to disable the system-wide saving of recently opened documents . This can be done using the Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) in Windows 11 editions that include it.

The first step is to press Windows + R to open Run and type gpedit.msc , then press Enter. The Group Policy Editor will open. Note that this tool is typically available in Pro, Enterprise, and similar editions, but not in Home.

In the editor's left panel, navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar . There you'll find a comprehensive set of policies related to the behavior of the Start Menu and the items it displays.

In the list on the right, locate the entry called “Do not save history of recently opened documents” and double-click on it. A policy settings window will open with several options: “Not configured”, “Enabled”, and “Disabled”.

Select the "Enabled" option to prevent Windows from saving this document history , apply the changes, and click OK. From that moment on, the system will no longer record recently opened documents to display them in File Explorer or other recent items menus.

This setup is interesting if you want a more permanent and centralized solution, especially on shared or company computers where privacy and control are more critical . However, keep in mind that you'll also lose the convenience of having the latest files always at hand.

Manage and delete Activity History in Windows 11

In addition to Explorer history, Windows 11 has Activity History, which more globally records what you do on the computer : applications used, documents opened, and websites visited in Microsoft Edge (when you are not browsing in InPrivate mode ).

This history is saved locally on your device so Windows can offer features like an activity timeline, suggestions, and quick task resumption. If you enable syncing with your Microsoft account, some of that information can also be linked to the cloud to be available on other devices using the same account.

To manage this section, go to Settings using Win + I or by searching for it in the Start menu . In the main window, go to "Privacy and security" in the left column, where the permissions and data handled by the system are grouped.

Within “Privacy and security”, scroll down to find the “Windows Permissions” section and click on “Activity history” . There you will see the options to decide whether Windows stores your activity history on the device and whether to allow that information to be associated with your Microsoft account.

If you don't want the system to continue collecting this data, you can uncheck the options related to storing history on your device . And if you'd prefer that none of this data goes to the cloud, make sure you don't enable (or disable, depending on what appears) any setting that refers to sending history to Microsoft.

On that same page, you'll see a button called "Clear activity history" or "Clear activity history for this account ." Clicking it will delete the stored activity for the selected account on that device. The process may take a few seconds, but once completed, the history will be cleared. Clear activity history

If you use multiple accounts on the same computer (local, Microsoft, or work/school), Windows maintains a separate history for each one . From Settings > Accounts > Email & other accounts, you can see which accounts are associated, and from "Activity history" you can filter which activity is shown for each account or stop it from being shown in the timeline without deleting the data from the device.

Clear browsing history in Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Chrome

While your primary goal might be to clear your file history in Windows 11, your browser history also forms an important part of your digital footprint . Many people directly associate "history" with visited websites, so it's worth reviewing how to clear it in the main browsers.

In the Microsoft Edge browser, you can quickly access and delete your history. Click the Hub icon (the one that groups Favorites, History, etc.) and go to the History section . From there, you'll see a button to "Clear all history."

When you tap to clear your history, Edge lets you choose which data and files you want to delete : browsing history, cookies, cached data, download history , form data, saved passwords, permissions, etc. Check the boxes you want and confirm the action with the "Clear" button.

Internet Explorer, although practically obsolete, is still present in some environments. To clear your browsing history, there's a very convenient keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + Delete . This directly opens the window where you can select which categories of data you want to delete and then click "Delete."

In newer versions of Internet Explorer, you could also go to Tools > Security > "Delete browsing history ," select the desired categories (history, cache, cookies, etc.), and confirm. The logic is the same: choose the data and delete it.

Firefox and Google Chrome share the same keyboard shortcut to open the history clearing dialog box: Ctrl + Shift + Delete . In Firefox, using it opens a window where you can choose the time range to clear (last hour, last 2 hours, 4 hours, full day, or all) and what types of data you want to delete.

In Chrome, the shortcut also opens the "Clear browsing data" section, where you can choose the time range (last hour, 24 hours, 7 days, 4 weeks, or all history) and what to delete: browsing history, cookies and other site data, cached images and files, passwords, form data, etc. Everything is confirmed with the "Clear browsing data" button.

In all these browsers, when you clear your browsing history, things like the list of visited sites, cookies and saved website data, cache, download history, form data, stored passwords, and certain permissions (allowed pop-ups, location permissions, full screen, compatibility, media licenses, etc.) are deleted, depending on what you select.

Recent files, temporary files, and junk files: why you should clean regularly

Beyond visible history logs, Windows and applications constantly generate temporary files, residual data, and small files that accumulate on the disk, especially on the C drive. Many are necessary while certain tasks are running, but once those tasks are finished, they remain there, useless.

The shortcuts in the "Recent" folder are just a very small part of that collection of junk files. The system also creates temporary system files, application caches, reports, update remnants , and other items that are not automatically deleted in many cases.

If you use a mechanical hard drive (HDD) as your primary drive, this accumulation of unnecessary files can reduce free space and, in some cases, affect perceived performance , especially when the drive is almost full. With SSDs , the impact on speed is usually less, but it's still a waste of space.

For basic cleanup, Windows offers built-in tools like Disk Cleanup and Storage Sense , which allow you to remove temporary files , update remnants, memory dumps , and other unnecessary content. It's a good starting point, but sometimes it falls short.

If you want to go a step further, you can use specialized third-party utilities, such as partition managers or system cleaners, capable of thoroughly analyzing disks, locating obsolete files, and deleting them in more detail . Some tools, for example, include "Junk Files" or "Large Files" features to identify what's taking up the most space. Consult guides on temporary files to better understand what to delete.

These programs typically allow you to scan your system for temporary files, large caches, old registry entries, or residual data that Windows doesn't always delete with its standard tools. Once the list is displayed, you can select what to delete and run the cleanup with one or two clicks.

In some cases, they also help uncover large hidden files on the C drive that aren't visible in File Explorer (either because of their location or because they're in hard-to-reach folders). By selecting the target partition and scanning, you can detect these large files and decide whether you can actually delete them.

It's advisable to use these types of tools with caution, especially if you're unsure which file does what. Blindly deleting system or application files can cause problems , so it's recommended to carefully review the lists, make backups if necessary, and rely on well-known and reputable programs.

Control suggestions and recent apps in Windows 11

In addition to the elements managed by the system itself, several Windows 11 applications, such as Photos and Media Player, display recent suggestions or lists of recently used files . Sometimes, even if you delete or disable history in other places, these apps continue to show content.

If this happens to you, the first step is to check the settings of the specific app. Many include options to clear your playback history, delete recent playlists, or disable recommendations based on your activity . These are usually found in the settings or preferences menus.

For example, in the case of Microsoft Edge, even if you clear your browsing history, if you use features like syncing or cross-device activity view, suggestions based on your account data may still appear . In these cases, it's also a good idea to review the browser's privacy and sync settings.

Something similar can happen with the Photos app or the Windows video/music player: they can display collections, albums, or playlists automatically created from the folders you've added to your library. Even if you delete recent items, if they still have access to those folders, they'll continue to show content.

In these cases, one solution is to modify which folders are included in the application libraries or, if privacy on a shared computer is your concern, to use separate user accounts for each person . This better isolates each user's history and settings.

In short, when you see that what you expect isn't being deleted, keep in mind that Windows 11 doesn't have a single history, but several levels: system, apps, browsers, and Microsoft account . For something to truly stop appearing, you may need to check several of them.

With all of the above, you can have considerable control over the digital footprint you leave behind when using your Windows 11 computer, balancing privacy and convenience. Deleting file history, managing stored activity, cleaning junk files, and tweaking applications allows you to use your PC with greater peace of mind and, incidentally, free up some disk space.

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Isaac

Passionate writer about the world of bytes and technology in general. I love sharing my knowledge through writing, and that's what I'll do on this blog, show you all the most interesting things about gadgets, software, hardware, tech trends, and more. My goal is to help you navigate the digital world in a simple and entertaining way.