3 Ways: Fix Windows 10 Quick Access not Working Easily

What is Quick Access?

Quick Access is a feature of the Windows 10 File Explorer. It can be seen on the left side of the File Explorer folder. It it allows you to create folder structure in that area according to your requirements. You can pin your favorite folders for easy access. Then you can quickly access these folders with just one click. This feature makes it easier and faster for users to open the files they often need.

However, recently, a lot of users have reported that they are getting problems with Windows 10 Quick Access not working, and if you also encountered this error, then you can read on to know 3 easy and effective methods to fix quick access menu not working on Windows 10.

How to Fix Windows 10 Quick Access not Working

Next, you can learn 3 simple ways to fix this error, including reset quick access in Windows 10, disable quick access in Windows 10, and clear recent app data. And you can try these methods in turn, believing that there is always a method that will help you achieve the goal. A detailed tutorial is included for each method. Please read on.

Fix 1. Disable Quick Access and Enable it Again

If your Windows 10 Quick Access is not working, you can try to disable it and then enable it again. You can follow the steps listed below.

Step 1. Go to File Explorer > View > Options > Change folders and search options.

Step 2. Under the General tab, uncheck the following two options.

Step 3. Click Apply and OK to keep the changes.

Step 4. Go to Folder Options again to check the above two options and then keep the changes.

After re-enabling Windows 10 Quick Access, you can check whether it can work normally.

Fix 2. Clear Recent App Data in two folders

If the first method does not solve the problem, then you can try to fix the Windows 10 quick access folder not working problem by clearing the recent application data in the two folders. Here are the specific steps to perform the procedure.

Step 1. Open File Explorer.

Step 2. Copy and paste the following folder path to the address bar and press Enter:

%AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations

Step 3. Select all files in that folder and then delete them.

Step 4. Use the same method to delete all files in the following folder:

%AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\CustomDestinations

At last, you still need to restart your computer to see whether the Windows 10 Quick Access not working or slow issue is fixed.

Fix 3. Reset Windows Quick Access using Registry

In addition to the above two methods, you can also reset Windows 10 Quick Access via the Registry. You can follow the graphic tutorial below to fix this issue.

Step 1. Press the Windows + R together to open Run window.

Step 2. Type regedit into the Run box and press Enter to open Registry Editor.

Step 3. Go to the following path:

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

Step 4. Find QatItems at the left panel and delete it.

Then, you can close Registry Editor to see whether the Windows 10 Quick Access can work normally.

Backup System Regularly to Stay Away from Any Errors

Windows 10 Quick Access not working can cause problems on the system or even cause data loss. Therefore, in order to protect your system from any problems, it is recommended that you make a habit of backing up your system regularly. This way, even if you encounter a problem, you can use the previously backed up system image for a quick restore and not worry about losing data.

AOMEI Backupper Standard, a free backup software, is a good choice. It is a customized backup software for Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP/Vista, providing System Backup, File Backup, Disk Backup and Partition Backup.

• Scheduled backup: You can set different backup frequencies to back up your Windows 10 system, including Daily/Weekly/Monthly.
• Different backup paths: It supports backing up Windows 10 to different backup destination paths, such as HDD, SSD, USB flash drive, NAS, cloud disk and network location, etc.
• Incremental backup: When you perform the scheduled backup, the freeware will run the backup task with the incremental backup to improve backup efficiency and save disk space.

Download and install this freeware then follow the graphic tutorial below. If you are a Windows Server user, you can pick AOMEI Backupper Server.

Step 1. Open the software and click Backup > System Backup.

Step 2. It will select system partition and boot-related partitions automatically. And you just need to select a destination.

Step 3. Click Start Backup to backup the Windows 10 system.

Notes:

• Options: You can write comments, select the compression level for your system backup or set email notifications.
• Schedule Backup: It offers 5 different backup frequencies to backup system including Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Event trigger and USB plug in.
• Backup Scheme: It allows you to select different backup methods. And you can upgrade to the Pro version to enjoy the differential backup method which can easily restore your scheduled backup. After edition upgrade, you can also enable automatic backup cleanup feature to save disk space. 

Summary

This article shows what is Quick Access and how to fix Windows 10 Quick Access not working issue in 3 easy ways. This error can lead to system problems or even data loss. To protect your system from any error, it is recommended that you backup your system regularly with the free backup software AOMEI Backupper Standard. This way, even if there are any problems, you can perform a quick restore with the previously created system backup and not lose any data.

Besides, the Universal Restore feature of this software can help you restore your system backup to a computer with different hardware. You can download this program to explore more useful features.