Specifying the Number of MRU Files

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated February 24, 2024)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Excel in Microsoft 365, and 2021

4

Excel can easily keep track of the last several workbooks you've edited. This list of files is often referred to as the MRU (most recently used) file list. Excel allows you to specify, exactly, how many files you want tracked in this list. You can change the number of MRU files by following these steps:

  1. Display the Excel Options dialog box. (In Excel 2007 click the Office button and then click Excel Options. In Excel 2010 or a later version display the File tab of the ribbon and then click Options.).
  2. Click Advanced at the left side of the dialog box.
  3. Scroll through the available options until you see the Display section. (See Figure 1.)

    4. Figure 1. The Advanced options of the Excel Options dialog box.

  4. Use the control labeled Show this Number of Recent Workbooks to indicate how many files you want to appear in the MRU list. (You can set a value up to 50.)
  5. Click OK.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (6238) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Excel in Microsoft 365, and 2021.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Inserting and Deleting Footnotes

Footnotes are essential in some types of writing. When you need to add footnotes to your documents, you'll appreciate the ...

Discover More

Automatically Numbering Rows

Adding row numbers to a column of your worksheet is easy; you just need to use a formula to do it. Here's a quick look at ...

Discover More

Automatically Referencing Info Entered in a Table

Tables are a great way to organize information in a document. At some point you may want a cell in a table to contain the ...

Discover More

Excel Smarts for Beginners! Featuring the friendly and trusted For Dummies style, this popular guide shows beginners how to get up and running with Excel while also helping more experienced users get comfortable with the newest features. Check out Excel 2013 For Dummies today!

More ExcelTips (ribbon)

Locked File Puzzle

What would you do if every time you opened a workbook Excel told you it was locked? Here's how you can try to recover ...

Discover More

Correctly Saving Delimited Files

Delimited files are often created through Excel so that your data can be exported to other programs. If the delimited ...

Discover More

Getting Rid of Extra Quote Marks in Exported Text Files

If you don't like the way that Excel exports information you intend to use with other programs, then your best bet is to ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 6 - 0?

2024-02-25 15:57:20

Gene

J. Woolley
Thank you! I hadn’t noticed the little “More workbooks” down in the corner.

2024-02-25 09:43:19

J. Woolley

@Gene
Click "More..." at bottom-right or use the scroll bar.

2024-02-24 14:18:52

Gene

I have specified a quantity of 50 in Show this number of Recent Workbooks, Quickly access this number of Recent Workbooks, and Show this number of unpinned Recent Folders. The list does contain 50, but only 10 can be viewed. Items must be removed from the list to see others below the tenth one.

2024-02-24 11:02:09

J. Woolley

My Excel Toolbox includes the following dynamic array function to list the MRU filenames:
    =ListRecentFiles([AddPath])
If optional AddPath is FALSE (default) or null (""), the list will not be altered.
If AddPath is TRUE, Excel's default local filepath will be prepended to any filename that does not begin with \ and does not specify a drive (like D:\...) or network path (like \\MYNET\...); if the filename begins with one \ character, Excel's default local drive (like C:) will be prepended. Excel's default local filepath is defined in Options > Save.
If AddPath is text (like "Path" or "E:\Path"), that text will be prepended to any filename that does not begin with \ and does not specify a drive or network path; if the filename begins with one \ character, Excel's default local drive will be prepended.
If a non-default AddPath is specified, results should be carefully reviewed.
When using pre-2021 versions of Excel without support for dynamic arrays, review the PDF file UseSpillArray.pdf.
See https://sites.google.com/view/MyExcelToolbox

This Site

Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.

Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2024 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.