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About this lesson

Learn to quickly preserve files and easily access your most used documents.

Lesson versions

Multiple versions of this lesson are available, choose the appropriate version for you:

2013, 2016, 2019/365.

Exercise files

Download the Word document used in the video tutorial and try the lesson yourself.

File, Recent.docx
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Quick reference

File, Recent

The “Recent Files” list is a time saver, especially when you pin your most used document to the list.

When to use

Rather than searching repeatedly for your most used document or file location, use the push pin to lock it onto the top of the list. When the document or file is no longer urgent, just click the pin to turn it off.

Instructions

1. There are two places to find recently used documents: Both are on the FILE ribbon.

a. File Ribbon, then HOME.

b. File Ribbon, then OPEN.

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2. To keep your favorite Documents or Folders at the top of the list, simply click the Push Pin that appears when you float the mouse over the Document or Folder name.

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  • 00:04 A great feature of the file ribbon is to go in and
  • 00:07 grab the recent files you've currently worked on.
  • 00:10 Maybe yesterday or earlier today.
  • 00:12 Well, when we first go into the file ribbon, it shows us info.
  • 00:16 So you've gotta click on Home or New or Open to see your recent files.
  • 00:21 When we click on Open, we do have recents.
  • 00:23 And then here on the right hand side are all the recent files that
  • 00:27 I have currently worked on.
  • 00:28 And notice as I float my mouse,
  • 00:29 take a look at the right hand side, see that little blue push pin.
  • 00:33 Now, if there's one of these that I'm going to be working on again,
  • 00:36 I can simply click the push pin, click, and it actually put it way at the top.
  • 00:41 So now I don't have to continue to scroll ,scroll, scroll to find that file.
  • 00:44 I just pinned it to the top.
  • 00:46 I'll go ahead and do the second one and pin it to the top.
  • 00:48 Now when I'm done working with those, I can certainly unpin them.
  • 00:52 Now, a feature they took away at one point, but
  • 00:54 I've given us back, check this out right here.
  • 00:56 It says folders.
  • 00:57 Again I'm on the file ribbon.
  • 00:59 On the open on my recents I'm looking at my documents, but
  • 01:02 now I want to look at my click on my folders.
  • 01:05 Check this out These are the recent folders I've been working in, and
  • 01:09 maybe one of those folders I know I'm going to be in there a few times this
  • 01:12 week, click, I can pin that to the top as well.
  • 01:15 Now, that used to be in Microsoft Word 2010, and they take it away, and
  • 01:19 thankfully have given it back to us in 2019.
  • 01:22 That was one of those features I missed the most, was pinning a folder to the top.
  • 01:26 All right, well, what else can you pin?
  • 01:27 Go ahead and click on New.
  • 01:29 Now, We already did a lesson on File > New, but
  • 01:32 check these out even these have these little push pins.
  • 01:35 So if I find one that I particularly like,
  • 01:38 I can pin it to the top of the template list because maybe that's a template.
  • 01:42 I'd like to come back to regularly.
  • 01:43 And on the home ribbon, notice, here are the two that I've already pinned,
  • 01:48 of course I can unpin it.
  • 01:50 Or I can go ahead and pin them on this list as well and
  • 01:53 that'll send it to the top, right up here to the top.
  • 01:57 Okay so again.
  • 01:58 File Home file new file open happens to be my favorite because
  • 02:03 that's where I can find my folders.
  • 02:06 Please get in there and use those and practice with those it is invaluable to
  • 02:11 find your recent folders in your recent files.
  • 02:14 Absolutely invaluable.
  • 02:16 Another thing.
  • 02:16 I want to show you is right over here.
  • 02:18 This PC, when you click on This PC, here's a bunch of documents and
  • 02:23 places on my PC, but notice there's no push pins over here.
  • 02:27 It would just, you digging around in here's how you gonna find these folder.
  • 02:31 'Cause they are folders 'cause I can see by the filefolder. Now, also have Browse.
  • 02:36 when I click on Browse, now it's actually taking me into my file system,
  • 02:40 which is a great place to be as well.
  • 02:42 If you're more comfortable in how you work this left hand
  • 02:46 side happens to be what I call the four door file cabinet.
  • 02:50 And you simply click on the drawer you want to open up.
  • 02:52 And all the contents of that drawer open up in here.
  • 02:55 And then you would click around.
  • 02:57 I'll go ahead and hit Cancel on there.
  • 02:58 But just to keep you centered, on the File ribbon, the Home section has Recents,
  • 03:04 has your Pinned files, and has your Shared with Me files.
  • 03:07 Of course, you would have to sign in to the OneDrive to get those files.
  • 03:11 And then, of course, the New And the Open.
  • 03:14 All right.
  • 03:15 Practice with that, and you'll be a master in no time.

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