Access Your Recent List of Workbooks From the Windows Taskbar

Doh! I'm feeling like an idiot.

Whenever I've needed to open a recently-used workbook, I've either used the the Start (menu), Excel method...

or, from within Excel, selected from File, Open, Recent Workbooks...

But I'm embarrassed to admit I've only just recently discovered an even quicker method. Simply right click the Excel button on the Windows Taskbar (or left click and drag up) and you will see a list of recently-used workbooks.

Also, from this Recent list, you have the option to pin workbooks that you use regularly so they remain on the list. Just point to a workbook on the list and click the pin icon. The workbook will be moved up to the Pinned list.

If you don't see this Recent list, in Excel, click File, Options, Advanced and, in the Display section, check the 'Quickly access this number of Recent Workbooks' option. You can control the number of recent workbooks on the list with this option.

If this option is a revelation to you too, please let me know that I'm not the only idiot.

You will also be happy to know that this right-click option on the Taskbar works for many other programs. Not only for opening Recent files, but with some programs such as Outlook, you can immediately initiate a common task or, with Explorer, you can open a recently-used folder. The ability to pin frequently-used folders to the Explorer menu is HUGE!

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