Jump Lists - Reset and Clear in Windows 8

How to Reset and Clear Jump Lists in Windows 8 and 8.1​

   Information

Jump Lists contain a list of pinned items, recent items, and frequent places of your recently opened files, folders, websites, etc... when you right click or press and hold on a program's icon on the taskbar, or when you open File Explorer (Windows Explorer) and click/tap on the File tab.

This tutorial will show you how to remove specific or reset and clear all recent items, frequent places, and pinned items in your taskbar and File Explorer Jump Lists in Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows 8.1, and Windows RT 8.1.

   Note

By default, your Jump Lists and pinned items, recent items, and frequent places in them are saved in the folder locations below. You could copy the shell commands below into the Run (Windows + R) dialog and press Enter one at a time to open them. The contents of these folders is what Option Two in this tutorial will be deleting to reset and clear your Jump Lists for you automatically using a BAT file.

shell:Recent\AutomaticDestinations

Shell:Recent\CustomDestinations

EXAMPLE: Jump Lists of Apps on Taskbar Before and Reset

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EXAMPLE: Frequent Places in File Explorer Before and Reset
NOTE: This is when you open File Explorer (Windows Explorer) and click/tap on the File tab.

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OPTION ONE

To Only Remove a Specific Item in a Jump List on Taskbar

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1. On the taskbar, right click or press and hold on an app icon to open it's jump list.​

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2. In the jump list, right click or press and hold on an unpinned item that you want to remove, and click/tap on Remove from this list. (see screenshot below)​

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3. Repeat step 1 for any other listed item that you wish to remove from this or any other program's jump list.​

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OPTION TWO

To Reset and Clear All Jump Lists Automatically with a BAT File

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1. Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, save it to your desktop, and run it.​

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Reset_and_Clear_Jump_Lists.bat​

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2. If prompted, click/tap on Run.​

NOTE: If you like, you can stop getting the Run prompt by unblocking the downloaded .bat file.​

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3. You will now see a quick flash as the BAT file runs and restarts explorer.​

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4. Your jump lists have been reset and cleared to be empty now. It may take a bit afterwards before the Jump Lists start to repopulate as you open files, folders, websites, etc...​

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That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

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• How to Turn "Recent Items" and "Frequent Places" On or Off in Jump Lists in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Back Up and Restore Jump Lists in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Reset and Clear All Pinned Apps on Taskbar in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Reset and Clear Taskbar Toolbars in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Reset Quick Access Toolbar for File Explorer to Default in Windows 8 and 8.1

 

[SwahiliWizz]

Shawn, my Windows 8.1 does not quite work like you describe. My "frequent places" list can be cleared (using "delete history, frequent places") independently of the items on File Explorer's jump lists (pinned and frequent) - see attached screenshots showing status now.

Why should this be?

 

[Brink]

Hello Swahili,

The File menu in your bottom screenshot is for that specific folder, while the one on your taskbar is for that specific program.

If you wanted, OPTION TWO should clear both for you.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[indiadream]

I downloaded the above Reset and Clear jumplist bat with the perhaps simplistic idea of clearing out my history of files like the old recent documents on XP. Now I have a big problem. I have an Acer Aspire with Windows 8.1. When I turn my laptop on it shows the opening screen and asks for my password. But then it goes to an unresposive blue screen. The cursor shows on the screen but there is no response to the keyboard.

 

[Brink]

Hello Indiadream, and welcome to Eight Forums.

While on the blue screen, press the CTRL+SHIFT+ESC keys to see if Task Manager will open. If it does, then click on File (menu bar), click on Run new task, type explorer, and click on OK. If this helps, then something interfered with the .bat file when it was supposed to automatically restart explorer.

If that doesn't help, then there's some other issue at play since the .bat file is not able to cause anything else than above. See if restarting the laptop helps. If not, then see if doing a system restore at boot using a restore point dated before this happened.

Hope this helps for now,
Shawn

 

[alain63720]

Hello,
On my Win8.1, there is no "CustomDestination" or "AutomaticDestinations" folders, only "recent". however jump liet works.
Can you helpto find where the informations arestopred.
Thank you
Alain

 

[Brink]

Hello Alain, and welcome to Eight Forums.

Those are hidden folders, and will not show normally. If you copy and paste the locations below into the address bar of File Explorer and press Enter, does it open the "CustomDestination" or "AutomaticDestinations" folders for you?

shell:Recent\AutomaticDestinations

Shell:Recent\CustomDestinations

Hope this helps for now,
Shawn

 

[alain63720]

Hello Alain, and welcome to Eight Forums.

Those are hidden folders, and will not show normally. If you copy and paste the locations below into the address bar of File Explorer and press Enter, does it open the "CustomDestination" or "AutomaticDestinations" folders for you?

shell:Recent\AutomaticDestinations

Shell:Recent\CustomDestinations

Hope this helps for now,
Shawn

Hello,
I know there are hidden folders.
I did not understand that you need to copy inthe explorer.
Yes it works, I now need to find a soft for editing
Thank you
Alain

 

[Cliff S]

Another way to clear the jump list is to right-click taskbar > choose properties > Jump List tab > untick the two "Store recently" opens and apply. then if you want to rebuild just tick and apply again.