Windows 11 Recent Search results resets back to suggested list when pc has been off overnight.

Hi people I need some help please, thank you ever so much.

I have been having this issue for weeks now. When I first built this pc I never had this problem. I have been using it for months and never had any issues until recently. The problem is when I search something in the task bar search box, such as program or application, the program/application gets listed under recent, this is the correct behaviour. But when I turn my pc off (shutdown and turn off the socket switch) overnight the recently opened programs list changes back to default suggested list when I turn on the pc the next day, I don't understand why my searched applications/programs are cleared from recent. With more testing shutting down the pc and waiting a few mins and turning it back on the pc has no issues and my recent results are still there, the problem occurs overnight or over a multiple hours when the pc is turned off.

I have tried the following: re installed the OS full wipe and format of the Nvme, update everything on a clean os, reverting to older chipset drivers and installing new ones, resetting the search box, rebuilding the search index. Done all SFC scans, reset search in task manager.

I just want my recently opened programs to stay where they are.

Edit Specs: x870e, 7950x, 4080s, 32gb 6000mhzt, 2x 1TB Nvme, 3x 1TB sata ssds, 1000wat platinum Asus PSU.

Check this setting.
Start > Settings > Personalization > Start and enable the toggles for Show most used apps, and Show recently opened items in Start, Jump Lists, and File Explorer.

Hi thank you for your reply I have these options enabled, I checked I don't understand why this is happening. Any program I open gets listed under recent as shown in the picture it shows Firefox opened recently. When I turn my pc off overnight and turn it on the next day it's defaulted back to suggested.

TBH I have never heard of this problem before so I am only speculating.

Both recents and jump lists are stored in your user account appdata folder (with some application recents stored in registry)

Recents path- C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent

jump lists path -
AutomaticDestinations Jump List files are located in the user profile path C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations

CustomDestinations jump list is located at
C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\CustomDestinations\*.customDestinations-ms

If you have not edited group policy or regedit to clear recents on shutdown, I would suspect corruption in your user account. To prove whether it's a windows problem or user account problem, create a new local user account to test with. Change it's type to administrator.
Restart and login to new user account. If the problem does not happen using this new account, it points to corruption in your user account rather than it being a windows problem.

glasskuter said:

TBH I have never heard of this problem before so I am only speculating.

Both recents and jump lists are stored in your user account appdata folder (with some application recents stored in registry)

Recents path- C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent

jump lists path -
AutomaticDestinations Jump List files are located in the user profile path C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations

CustomDestinations jump list is located at
C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\CustomDestinations\*.customDestinations-ms

If you have not edited group policy or regedit to clear recents on shutdown, I would suspect corruption in your user account. To prove whether it's a windows problem or user account problem, create a new local user account to test with. Change it's type to administrator.
Restart and login to new user account. If the problem does not happen using this new account, it points to corruption in your user account rather than it being a windows problem.

Click to expand...

Thank you for the reply. I just wanted to add I can shutdown the pc as many times as I want the recent list is always there. It's when the pc has been off for a very long time over night and I turn it on the next day in the afternoon this problem occurs. Say if I shut down the pc and come back 30 mins later it's fine. It's only after over night or a very long period of time this happens. I will test your method out and try another user, thank you for Ur reply

Hey, I'm not sure it will work but considering both recents and jump lists are in the same folder, it would be worth trying to at least narrow it down to actually being a Windows problem,. Shut down at no time is supposed to clear these items unless the user, a group policy, registry change, or created task tells the PC to do so.

Something else....do you have any 3rd party cleaning app installed on your computer that might be set up to run on a schedule?
Search for and open "task scheduler" See if anything jumps out to you there that is set to automatically run...

If this proves to be a Windows problem you can do the normal file checking stuff like checking for corrupt system files.
Open a command prompt as administrator and type dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
When complete restart. Then open command prompt as admin again and run sfc /scannow
Pay attention to the scan results to see if SFC found anything it could not repair.

The next step after that would be a repair install. Repair Install Windows 11 with an In-place Upgrade

glasskuter said:

Hey, I'm not sure it will work but considering both recents and jump lists are in the same folder, it would be worth trying to at least narrow it down to actually being a Windows problem,. Shut down at no time is not supposed to clear these items unless the user, a group policy, registry change, or created task tells the PC to do so.

Something else....do you have any 3rd party cleaning app installed on your computer that might be set up to run on a schedule?
Search for and open "task scheduler" See if anything jumps out to you there that is set to automatically run...

If this proves to be a Windows problem you can do the normal file checking stuff like checking for corrupt system files.
Open a command prompt as administrator and type dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
When complete restart. Then open command prompt as admin again and run sfc /scannow
Pay attention to the scan results to see if SFC found anything it could not repair.

The next step after that would be a repair install. Repair Install Windows 11 with an In-place Upgrade

Click to expand...

No cleaning apps installed, I have tried the SFC scans and no avail, I also did a in place upgrade to still the same issue, but I do recall when I did a complete fresh install of 24h2 i.e I completely formatted the Nvme and re installed I opened a few programs and they were shown on the recent list. I hadn't installed any updates or driver's and I left the pc overnight and it was completely fine. So I do believe this is a update or driver causing this but I don't know which one. Also I can't find others with the same issue if a update is causing this which I believe it could be.

I'm really hoping I'm right and it's a user account problem or you find some task running that is screwing you up.. If it is user account related, keep me posted and I can tell you how to safely get all your data moved into another account. Just tell me if you currently using a local or a Microsoft account and if you are syncing your personal files to Onedrive and I'll send you instructions?

glasskuter said:

I'm really hoping I'm right and it's a user account problem or you find some task running that is screwing you up.. If it is user account related, keep me posted and I can tell you how to safely get all your data moved into another account. Just tell me if you currently using a local or a Microsoft account and if you are syncing your personal files to Onedrive and I'll send you instructions?

Click to expand...

I am using a ms account and OneDrive isn't installed I removed it since I have no use for it. I never had this issue before I had this new rig for around 4 months now and it was literally like last month this started so I did a complete fresh install of 24h2, I don't have any cleaning software. The only software I have is the following: steam, gog, uplay, rockstar client for GTA V, epic store, battle.net, VLC player, Samsung magician for the 990 1tb SSD firmware updates but that is disable to start on boot optional features are off to in that software, MSI afterbuner, Firefox. That's my entire list. All windows updates installed and all updates from ms store installed, nothing downloaded from ms store when it comes to software and games. Thank you for your help I appreciate it. I will try the new account during the day and let you know.

Hello,

I have exactly the same problem. Even after a fresh Windows 11 installation, the problem still occurs.

@AliA88 Has anything changed for you? Does the problem still exist?

Best regards and thank you