Quick Access Toolbar - Reset to Default in Windows 8

Brink · Oct 26, 2013

How to Reset Quick Access Toolbar for File Explorer to Default in Windows 8 and 8.1

Information

The Quick Access Toolbar (QAT) in Windows 8 File Explorer provides a lot of customization opportunities to help make the commands and actions you use most often in File Explorer quicker and easier to use. You can add any button (command) from the ribbon to the QAT, and you can choose to have the QAT display above or below the ribbon. You can choose approximately 200 commands to add to the QAT.

This tutorial will show you how to reset your Quick Access Toolbar (QAT) settings in File Explorer back to default in Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows 8.1, and Windows RT 8.1.

Note

Your settings are stored in the QatItems Binary value in the registry key below. This is the binary value that the .reg file below deletes to reset QAT.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Ribbon

EXAMPLE: "Quick Access Toolbar" in File Explorer

Here's How:

1. Click/tap on the Download button below to download the .reg file below.

Reset_Quick_Access_Toolbar.reg

2. Save the .reg file to your desktop.

3. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

4. If prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

5. If File Explorer is open, then close and reopen to apply.

6. When finished, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.

That's it,
Shawn

Quick Access Toolbar - Reset to Default in Windows 8

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