Specifying the Number of MRU Files

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated October 10, 2022)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365

3

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, and Excel in Microsoft 365.

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. ...

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What is seven minus 1?

2022-10-11 14:55:58

J. Woolley

My Excel Toolbox includes the ListRecentFiles([AddPath]) dynamic array function. In older versions of Excel you can use it with the SpillArray function like this:
=SpillArray(ListRecentFiles([AddPath]))
See https://sites.google.com/view/MyExcelToolbox/

2022-10-11 09:08:23

J. Woolley

@Billy Thomas
My Recent... folder is empty. I think it is because I have all switches OFF in Settings > Personalization > Start.

2022-10-10 07:47:12

Billy Thomas

If 50 workbooks are not enough you can use Windows to look back further at any file, not just Excel.
Press the Windows Key and R to get to the Run Window. Then type "shell:recent" [without quotations]. Should show the last 165files opened of all types.

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