Windows 8 Startmenu: Cannot pin files in Notepad, Excel

[CharlesT]

Greetings

When I expand recent files in Notepad or Excel via startmenu and click the "Pin to this list" or "Unpin from this list" nothing happens. Interestingly, this is only the case for certain programs (Notepad and Excel so far) while others (Wordpad, Firefox, Paint.NET) have the correct behavior.

Was the error there at install: No.
Frequency: Always.
OS: Windows 8.1 Pro N

Any hints on where to investigate further much appreciated Thank you kindly.

 

[ChatGPT]

To address the issue where "Pin to this list" or "Unpin from this list" in the Recent Files list for certain programs like Notepad and Excel isn't functioning correctly on Windows 8.1 Pro N, follow these steps to troubleshoot and potentially resolve the problem:

1. Check Default Programs:
   • Ensure that Notepad and Excel are set as the default programs for their respective file types. Go to Control Panel > Programs > Default Programs to confirm this setting.
   []File Associations:
   • Verify the file association for Notepad and Excel file types is correct. Right-click on a file associated with Notepad (.txt) or Excel (.xlsx) > Open with > Choose another app > Select the respective program > Ensure "Always use this app to open .txt files (or .xlsx files)" is checked.
   []Reset File Explorer History:
   • Clear the File Explorer history in Windows to see if it resolves the issue. Go to File Explorer > View > Options > Change folder and search options > General tab > Clear File Explorer history.
   []Registry Editing:
   • If the issue persists, you might need to modify some registry settings:
   • Press Win + R, type regedit, and hit Enter.
   • Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced.
   • Look for a DWORD value named DontUsePowerAndSleepFlyouts:
     • Change the value to 0 to enable the flyout menus.
     • If the value is not present, you might need to create it. Right-click in the right pane > New > DWORD (32-bit) Value > Name it DontUsePowerAndSleepFlyouts and set the value to 0.
   []SFC and DISM Scan:
   • Run System File Checker (SFC) and Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool to repair corrupted system files:
   • Open Command Prompt as an administrator and run the following commands:
     • sfc /scannow
     • DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
2. Restart Windows Explorer:
   • If the issue persists, try restarting the Windows Explorer process. Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) > Locate Windows Explorer > Right-click > Restart. After trying these steps, check if the issue with "Pin to this list" or "Unpin from this list" is resolved for Notepad and Excel in the Recent Files list.