MRU Files Won't Display

MRU is an acronym for Most Recently Used and indicates a list of the most recently opened workbooks within Excel. The purpose of the list is to make it easier to access the files you were recently working on. Ian noted that he can't get Excel to display the MRU list and is wondering if he is missing something.

It is possible that something could be being missed. There are a couple of things you should check in this regard. First, turn on the MRU list in this manner:

1. Display the Excel Options dialog box. (In Excel 2007 click the Office button and then click Excel Options. In Excel 2010 and later versions display the File tab of the ribbon and then click Options.)
2. At the left side of the dialog box, click Advanced.
3. Scroll through the available options until you find the Display group. (See Figure 1.)



Figure 1. The Advanced section of the Excel Options dialog box.

4. Change the first control in the group (Show this Number of Recent Documents) to reflect the number of MRU listings you want.
5. Click OK.

This setting controls the number of listings shown in the Recent Documents list when you click the Office button (Excel 2007), display the File tab of the ribbon (Excel 2010), or display the File tab of the ribbon and click Open (later versions of Excel). This list of workbooks is unlike the older MRU list, in that you can display more of them.

Both Excel 2010 and Excel 2013 have a different place that you can display an MRU list: at the bottom of the left side of the File tab pane. This list of workbooks is entirely different than the MRU. You control how many files are listed there in different ways, depending on your version of Excel.

If you are using Excel 2010 and you display the File tab of the ribbon, you'll see an option at the very bottom of the tab. This check box is labeled "Quickly Access this Number of Recent Documents" and controls the number of files displayed.

If you are using Excel 2013 and later versions and display the Advanced options in the Excel Options dialog box (see the screen shot earlier in this tip), there is an option to "Quickly Access this Number of Recent Workbooks." This is the setting that controls the number of files listed on the File tab pane.

Once you've gotten your various MRU lists set up to display the number of workbooks you want, then you just need to start using Excel. As you do, the lists are "filled out" and provide a way to get to your most recently used workbooks. Remember, however, that if you move your Excel files to a different location, those files will no longer be accessible through the MRU.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (9509) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365.