How to Backup and Restore Quick Access Pinned Folders in Windows 10

Wondering how to backup and restore quick access pinned folders in Windows 10?

Searching for that Excel spreadsheet you created or a movie that you downloaded last week in File Explorer? Quick access got you covered. 

The Quick access view appears whenever you open File Explorer on Windows 10, presenting a list of your recent files and frequent folder navigations. In addition, it also displays the folders you access most often from the left pane as shown in the image below.

In case you open your important files almost always with Quick access, switching to another PC may be a little tricky. This is because there isn’t a Windows-official way to export the contents of Quick access yet. Luckily, you can do so by creating a backup for the pinned folders and then restoring them.

In this guide, we will show you how to backup and restore Quick access pinned folders in Windows 10.

Let’s get started!

1. Backup Quick Access Folders in Windows 10 via File Explorer.

In the first method, we will show you how to backup Quick access folders in Windows 10 via File Explorer. 

Using File Explorer, you can navigate and manage the drives, folders, and files on your computer. Specifically, it provides a graphical interface through which users can view and navigate through files on the computer.

Here is what you need to do:

  1. In the File Explorer, type the following address in the address bar and hit Enter.
%AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations
  1. Locate the f01b4d95cf55d32a.automaticDestinations-ms file and copy it. 
backup and restore quick access pinned folders in Windows 10
  1. Now paste it on the location where you want to save it as your backup. For instance, you can save it in the documents folder or even create a separate folder named ‘Backup’ for it.
  2. Finally, close the File Explorer. 

This should create a backup for Quick access pinned folders on your operating system.

2. Try Using CleanMyPC.

If you are having a hard time executing the steps mentioned in this guide, then there is a chance that your operating system is infected with corruption errors.

In most cases, this kind of file corruption is caused by intentional or unintentional damage. The accidental deletion of a file, for example, can lead to damage or corruption. Viruses or malware can also cause the files to get corrupt. This is why if you haven’t done a thorough cleaning of your PC in a while, now is the right time.  

We highly recommend using a reliable PC cleaner like CleanMyPC to easily eliminate these corrupt and unwanted files.

Install CleanMyPC on your PC

It provides a wide range of powerful system maintenance tools that can do much more than simply removing junk files. These tools include (but are not limited to) Multi-Uninstaller, Registry Cleaner, and a Speed Booster.

Install CleanMyPC now and get your PC up and running like new!


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3. Restore Backup of Quick Access Pinned Folders.

Now that we have created a backup, let us see how to restore it. 

This method is simple, and we will be using File Explorer again. 

Here is what you need to do:

  1. Launch File Explorer on your PC.
  2. Type the location mentioned below in the address bar and hit Enter
%AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations
backup and restore quick access pinned folders in Windows 10
  1. Now copy and paste the f01b4d95cf55d32a.automaticDestinations-ms file from the first method here. 
  2. If a prompt pops up on your screen, select Replace the file in the destination to proceed.
  3. Once the file is pasted, close File Explorer. 

Yes, it is that simple!

Doing so will restore the Quick access pinned folders in no time. 


This brings us to the end of our article on ways to backup and restore Quick access pinned folders in Windows 10. We hope that one of the methods mentioned in this guide did the trick for you. If you have questions regarding the methods mentioned above, please let us know in the comment section below. 

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂

Author

  • Zainab Falak

    Zainab Falak is a staff writer for Saint and an expert in Microsoft Windows, having authored more than 200 posts. She has a Bachelors in Actuarial Sciences and her passion for computers extends to exploring various aspects, from UI customization to the Windows registry and exploring error codes. Twitter LinkedIn

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