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studio-7even
Inspiring
July 12, 2024
Answered

Remove Recent Folders From Acrobat Sidebar

  • July 12, 2024
  • 2 replies
  • 1637 views

I'm running the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Pro via Creative Cloud. I have the recent files to display setting set to 0, so they do not appear on the main screen when I first load Acrobat. But on the left side, under “Other File Storage > Your Computer" I have a folder list of where I've opened recent PDFs from. 

 

This is not something I want, as most these folders either get moved, deleted or do not need to be pinned there permanently. How can this behavior be stopped? 

    Correct answer AnandSri

    Hello @Miraflor98

     

    I hope you are doing well.

     

    Steps for Mac:

     

    Quit Acrobat/Reader.

    In Finder, go to: ~/Library/Preferences/

     

    Look for files such as:

    https://adobe.ly/4lNXlGq.plist

    com.adobe.Reader.plist

    or under ~/Library/Preferences/Adobe/Acrobat/DC/

    Remove or edit the plist that contains the cRecentFolders entries.

    Restart Acrobat/Reader — the “Recent Folders” list should be reset.

     

    Note: Editing plist files directly requires care. A safer option is to delete the plist, and Acrobat will recreate it with default settings on the next launch.

     

    I hope this helps.

    Thanks,
    Anand Sri | Acrobat Community Team
    Meet Acrobat Studio

    2 replies

    S
    Sisto31816191kr8x
    Participant
    August 26, 2025

    The list of 'recent folders' that shows under My Computer is stored in the Windows registry:

    Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\DC\AVGeneral\cRecentFolders.

    You have to clear out entries from this registrr key (obviously with Acrobat closed).

    No way for deleting it by app itself: claim for it!

      M
      Miraflor98
      Participating Frequently
      August 27, 2025

      any idea how to do it on a Mac?

      AnandSri
      Community Manager
      AnandSriCommunity ManagerCorrect answer
      Community Manager
      August 28, 2025

      Hello @Miraflor98

       

      I hope you are doing well.

       

      Steps for Mac:

       

      Quit Acrobat/Reader.

      In Finder, go to: ~/Library/Preferences/

       

      Look for files such as:

      https://adobe.ly/4lNXlGq.plist

      com.adobe.Reader.plist

      or under ~/Library/Preferences/Adobe/Acrobat/DC/

      Remove or edit the plist that contains the cRecentFolders entries.

      Restart Acrobat/Reader — the “Recent Folders” list should be reset.

       

      Note: Editing plist files directly requires care. A safer option is to delete the plist, and Acrobat will recreate it with default settings on the next launch.

       

      I hope this helps.

      Thanks,
      Anand Sri | Acrobat Community Team
      Meet Acrobat Studio

      S
      studio-7evenAuthor
      Inspiring
      July 15, 2024

      Does anyone else have this issue?

        M
        Miraflor98
        Participating Frequently
        February 12, 2025

         I have the issue where when I click "Save As" a list of recent saved folders appears and I want to clear it somehow. But I can't find the option anywhere to clear the list from. so annoying.

        AnandSri
        Community Manager
        AnandSriCommunity Manager
        Community Manager
        June 18, 2025

        Hello @Miraflor98

         

        I hope you're doing well, and we apologize for the delayed response and the trouble.

         

        Unfortunately, Acrobat does not currently offer a direct UI setting to disable or clear the folder history shown under “Your Computer” in the left panel. This list is generated based on folder access history and is not governed by the “Recent Files” setting alone. You can use the Adobe Wish form to file a feature request with the product team.

         

        Thanks,

        Anand Sri.

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