Hello LSXXX, welcome to the Microsoft Community.
Based on your feedback, you want to disable the Quick Access options in File Explorer.
You can try the following methods:
1. Open File Explorer and select "Options" in the Quick Access section of the sidebar.
2. Under the General tab of Folder Options, change "Open File Explorer to" to "This PC."
3. Uncheck "Show recently used files in Quick Access" and "Show frequently used folders in Quick Access," then click "Clear."
4. Click OK.
5. Reopen File Explorer, and you should see that "This PC" is now the default instead of "Quick Access."
Method 2:
1. Navigate to the following registry location:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
2. Create a new DWORD (32-bit) value on the right side and rename it to "HubMode."
3. Double-click to modify the value: 1 to hide, 0 to show.
4. After making the changes, restart "Windows Explorer" in Task Manager to hide Quick Access.
To disable or enable "Quick Access":
1. Navigate to the following registry location:
Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{679f85cb-0220-4080-b29b-5540cc05aab6}\ShellFolder
2. Before modifying the right-side key value, you need to acquire permissions.
3. You may notice that the current administrator group only has "Read" permission. Check "Full Control" and apply. You may receive a "Cannot save updates to ShellFolder permissions. Access denied" message.
4. You'll need to further acquire modification permissions. Select "Advanced" below.
5. The owner is SYSTEM. Choose "Change."
6. Enter your current admin name, click "Check Names," then confirm.
7. Once you've become the owner, apply and confirm. Go back to step 3, check "Full Control" for the administrator group, and apply.
8. Go back to the registry and right-click to modify "Attributes."
9. Change the key value from a0100000 (default for enabling Quick Access) to a0600000 (to disable Quick Access).
10. After modifying, similar to hiding, restart "Windows Explorer" in Task Manager to complete the process.
Disclaimer: Generally, modifying registry subkeys or work group is intended for advanced users, administrators, and IT Professionals. It can help fix some problems, however, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For further protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click How to back up and restore the registry in Windows - Microsoft Support to view the article.
I hope this information is helpful to you.
Kirito | Microsoft Community Support Specialist
