The Quickest Way to Find Previously Opened Files

There are many ways to struggle accessing a previously opened file.  This is especially common for in-progress files which are often renamed upon each review for proper tracking.  From forgetting the file name to the place it was saved, wasting time looking for a file can be frustrating.  Using search is helpful, but when you are unsure of the file name, this can be a bit more challenging.  

Rather than opening multiple files or searching through folders, open the application originally used to access the file.  Once the program is open, use the list of recently accessed files to find and open the file.  Below is an image from Excel listing recently accessed files which can be opened with a single click.

Most applications will allow the number of recently accessed files displayed to be uniquely set via menus in advanced settings.


In a Microsoft program - Click the File tab and select "Options" which will open the options popup.  In the options popup, select "Advanced" in the left column.  Scroll about half-way down the right panel to the Display heading and change the number next to "Show this number of Recent Workbooks" to the desired number.  Click "OK" to save the change.

In an Adobe program -  Click Edit and select "Preferences".  Under Categories in the upper left, click "Documents".  Under the heading Open Settings in the right panel, set the number next to "Documents in recently used list" to the desired number.  Click "OK" to save the change.

In Quickbooks 2015  - Open a company file.  Click File and select "Open Previous Company".  In the pop-out menu select "Set number of previous companies".  In the Set Number of Previous Companies popup box, change the number next to "How many do you want to list (1-20)".  Click "OK" to save the change.

For whatever reason a file becomes difficult to locate, searching for this file can be a tedious and stressful process.  As an alternative to manually locating a file, opening the original application and accessing the recent files list is more efficient.  Additionally, many programs allow the number of recent files listed to be uniquely set by each user making this an even more valuable tool.

However files are saved, whatever names are used, using tips and tools to be more efficient is always rewarding!

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