Windows XP Tips:Clear My Recent Documents List on Exit

You don’t have to keep an open and updated list of recent documentsif you don’t want to.As with other Start menu options, right-clicking the Start button and selecting Properties allows you to configure the My Recent Documents item that appears on the Start menu. You can choose to show all your recent documents or show none at all, or to manually clear the list yourself. If you want the list to be cleared automatically when you log off, you have to open the Group Policy Editor, locate the appropriate setting, and enable the option to clear the My Recent Documents history on exit. Here’s how:

1. Click Start | Run and type gpedit.msc. Click OK.
2. Under Local Computer Policy, expand User Configuration | Administrative Templates and select Start Menu And Taskbar.
3. Scroll down about halfway through the list and double-click ClearHistory Of Recently Opened Documents On Exit.
4. Select Enabled, and click OK.

You can also turn off the My Recent Documents feature permanently, which may be a better solution. If you prefer not to use the Group Policy Editor, just right-click Start, choose Properties | Customized | Advanced, and uncheck List My Most Recently Opened Documents.