14 DAY TRIAL // File Explorer has received only small improvements in Windows 10, but the new features that are already available in preview builds make the application more personal and easier to use for everyone who wants to keep track of the files they recently worked on.
Quick access in File Explorer replaces the Favorites section that was available in the previous Windows versions and allows you to pin your favorite files and folders to easily find them, while also displaying the items you work with the most.
Microsoft says that only few people actually used the Favorites section, and studies have shown that many users re-access their files after working with them.
“Quick access will become more personal and relevant to you as you use Windows, thereby speeding up the everyday task of getting back to the files you care about,” Microsoft explains.
How it works
So Quick access is a feature that displays the recently accessed files in a different section in File Explorer to quickly open them at a later time. But how does it decide what to show in this list? Microsoft explains:
“When you do things like open files, create new files, etc., the containing folder has a frequency score that increases. Once it’s above a certain threshold, it’ll start showing up in Quick access as a frequent folder. We’ll show up to 4 frequent folders, always below the pinned ones.”
Obviously, this list can change as you open other files and the frequency score of other items increases, so will always be able to access the files you most recently accessed.
At the same time, you are also allowed to pin files to Quick access and to remove them in case you don’t want something to be displayed. It’s all possible through the context menu, as Microsoft has also added dedicated options in this regard.
Quick access will also be available in the final version of Windows 10 projected to hit the shelves on July 29.