Where Are Jump Lists and Recent Files Stored?
Windows Recent folder plus AutomaticDestinations jump list files for per app recent documents.
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Windows tracks recent documents as shortcuts in a Recent folder plus binary jump lists in AutomaticDestinations. Taskbar right click menus read those files.
Clearing from Settings wipes the UI but forensics recovers the underlying records. CustomDestinations beside them holds pinned taskbar items.
Where Windows stores this, by platform
%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent
Jump lists under Recent\AutomaticDestinations as .automaticDestinations-ms files. Run shell:recent to open the folder directly.
Frequently asked questions
How do I clear recent files and jump lists?
Toggle off recent items in Settings, Personalization, Start. That clears the UI; delete the folder contents for the files too.
How do investigators read jump lists?
With jump list parsers that decode destinations plus timestamps. Each app gets its own hashed file in AutomaticDestinations.
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