When you open Word, the File menu can take several seconds to load, especially if the recent files list contains hundreds of entries. This slowdown happens because Word queries the system registry or cloud storage to verify each file still exists and to load its thumbnail preview. This article explains how to reduce the number of recent files Word displays, which speeds up the File menu loading time. You will learn to adjust the registry setting and the in-app option to limit the list to a smaller, faster-to-load set of files.
Key Takeaways: Trimming the Recent Files List in Word
- File > Options > Advanced > Display > Show this number of Recent Documents: Set this value to 10 or 25 to limit the visible list and reduce File menu loading time.
- Registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Word\File MRU: Directly edit or delete the MaxDisplay value to cap the recent files list at a specific number, overriding the in-app setting.
- Clear the entire recent files list: Use the Right-click > Remove from list option on individual files or the Clear unpinned items button at the top of the recent files pane.
Why a Long Recent Files List Slows Down Word’s File Menu
Word stores the list of recently opened files in two places: the Windows registry under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Word\File MRU and in a local cache file. Each time you open the File menu, Word reads every entry in that list. For each file, Word checks whether the file still exists on the local drive or network share. If the file is on a network location or in OneDrive, Word also attempts to retrieve a thumbnail preview. With 50, 100, or more entries, these checks add up to a noticeable delay of 2 to 5 seconds or more.
The in-app option in File > Options > Advanced > Display lets you set the number of recent documents shown. However, this setting only controls how many entries appear in the menu. Word still loads the full list from the registry before trimming it to the displayed count. To truly speed up the menu, you must reduce the total number of entries stored in the registry.
Steps to Reduce the Recent Files List Size
- Open Word and go to File > Options
Click the File tab in the top-left corner, then select Options at the bottom of the left pane. This opens the Word Options dialog box. - Navigate to Advanced > Display
In the Word Options dialog, click Advanced on the left sidebar. Scroll down to the Display section near the top of the right pane. Look for the option labeled Show this number of Recent Documents. - Set the recent documents number to a smaller value
Change the value from the default 50 to 10 or 25. Click OK to save the change. This reduces the number of entries shown in the File menu, but the full list remains in the registry. - Clear the existing recent files list
Open the File menu again. At the top of the Recent list, click the Clear unpinned items link. This removes all unpinned recent files from the list and from the registry. Pinned files remain. - Edit the registry to cap the stored list size
Press Windows + R, type regedit, and press Enter. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Word\File MRU. Right-click the MaxDisplay value in the right pane, select Modify, and set the base to Decimal. Enter a value of 10 or 25. Click OK. Close Registry Editor. This forces Word to store no more than the specified number of entries.
If Word Still Loads Slowly After Trimming the List
Word still shows old files after clearing the list
If you cleared the list but old files reappear after restarting Word, the registry may have been repopulated by a synchronization with your Microsoft account or OneDrive. Sign out of your Microsoft account in Word: File > Account > Sign Out. Then clear the list again. After signing back in, the list will start fresh.
Recent files list is empty after editing the registry
If you set MaxDisplay to 0 or deleted the File MRU key, Word may show an empty recent files list. To restore the list, set MaxDisplay back to 25 or 50. If you deleted the key, Word will recreate it with default values the next time you open a file.
Network file checks still cause delays
If your recent files list includes documents on slow network shares or disconnected drives, Word may hang while trying to verify those files. Permanently remove those entries by right-clicking each one and selecting Remove from list. Alternatively, disable network file thumbnail loading in File > Options > Advanced > Show document content > Disable hardware graphics acceleration and uncheck Show background images.
| Item | In-App Setting (File > Options) | Registry Edit (MaxDisplay) |
|---|---|---|
| Effect on menu speed | Reduces displayed count but still loads full registry list | Reduces stored count, preventing slow loading from the start |
| Persistence after restart | Setting persists, but registry list remains large until cleared | Setting persists and limits future entries automatically |
| Ease of use | No technical skills required | Requires Registry Editor access and caution |
| Revert to default | Change value back to 50 | Delete MaxDisplay or set it to 50 |
Combining both the in-app setting and the registry edit gives you the fastest File menu loading. The in-app setting hides the extra entries from view, while the registry edit prevents Word from storing a large list in the first place. After applying both changes, restart Word and open the File menu. The menu should appear in under one second.
For further optimization, pin only the documents you access daily by clicking the pin icon next to each file in the recent list. Pinned files are immune to the Clear unpinned items command and will always appear at the top of the list. You can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+O to open a file without waiting for the recent list to load at all.