How to disable Recommended and restore Quick Access in File Explorer for Windows 11

• The “Recommended” section in File Explorer’s Home is designed to provide quick access to files that Windows 11 thinks you’ll need based on your recent activities.
• To enable the feature, open “Folder Options” on File Explorer, and turn on “Show recommended section” and “Show files based on your account and cloud provider activity.”
• You can also turn off the previously mentioned settings to disable the feature and restore the Quick Access section.

UPDATED 10/30/2025: On Windows 11, you can disable the “Recommended” section to restore “Quick Access” on the Home page of File Explorer, and in this guide, I will outline the steps to complete this configuration.

Starting with the November 2025 Security Update, Microsoft is making available an updated version of File Explorer that introduces a “Recommended” section in File Explorer that surfaces files you may want to resume working on. 

It was previously available only for Azure Active Directory (AAD) and Microsoft Entra ID accounts, but the software giant is now bringing the same experience for those using Microsoft accounts. In addition, the feature will not only surface cloud files but also local files.

The only caveat is that this new experience is turned on by default, replacing the “Quick Access” section on the same page. However, if this feature isn’t for you, you can disable it on the “Folders Options” page.

In this guide, I’ll explain how to enable or disable the Recommended section on File Explorer for Windows 11.

• Restore Quick Access on Home for File Explorer
• Enable Recommended on Home for File Explorer

Restore Quick Access on Home for File Explorer

To restore the Quick Access section by disabling the Recommended section, follow these steps:

1. Open File Explorer on Windows 11.

2. Click the See more (three dots) button from the toolbar.

3. Click on Options.

   

4. Click the General tab.

5. Clear the “Show recommended section” option under the “Privacy” settings.

6. Clear the “Show files based on your account and cloud provider activity” option.

   

7. Click the Apply button.

8. Click the OK button.

After you complete the steps, the changes will take effect, restoring the “Quick Access” tab on the Home page.

Enable Recommended on Home for File Explorer

To enable the “Recommended” section on the Home page of File Explorer, use these steps:

1. Open File Explorer.

2. Click the See more (three dots) button from the toolbar.

3. Click on Options.

   

4. Click the General tab.

5. Check the “Show recommended section” option under the “Privacy” settings.

6. Check the “Show files based on your account and cloud provider activity” option.

   

7. Click the Apply button.

8. Click the OK button.

After you complete the steps, the “Quick access” section will be replaced with the “Recommended” experience, showing users the most relevant local and cloud files for those logged in with an Azure Active Directory (AAD), Microsoft Entra ID, or Microsoft account.

Enable the Recommended section with ViveTool

The “Recommended” section should be available in File Explorer after installing the KB5067036 update, but if the settings are missing, you can try the steps below.

If the option isn’t available, you may be able to enable the settings using the ViveTool following these steps:

1. Open the GitHub website.

2. Download the ViveTool-vx.x.x.zip file to enable the new settings to control the Recommended section.

3. Double-click the zip folder to open it with File Explorer.

4. Click the Extract all button.

   

5. Click the Extract button.

6. Copy the path to the folder.

7. Open Start.

8. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

9. Type the following command to navigate to the ViveTool folder and press Enter:

   cd c:\folder\path\ViveTool-v0.x.x

   In the command, remember to change the path to the folder with your path.

10. Type the following command to enable the Recommended section settings in the Folder Options and press Enter:

    vivetool /enable /id:51721485,48895801

11. Restart the computer.

Once you complete the steps, the Folder Options page will include the settings to enable or disable the feature.

Update October 30, 2025: This guide has been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect changes to the process.