How to Enable or Disable Showing Remote Locations in Jump Lists in Windows Worried about unauthorized access to network files? Your Windows Jump Lists could be a weak point in your security. We'll show you how to lock them down. Before we begin, be sure to subscribe to NinjaOne's IT Video Hub and our YouTube channel for more tech content like this. Understanding Jump Lists and Remote Locations Jump lists are the context menus that pop up when you right-click a program on the taskbar or Start menu. They show recently or frequently accessed files associated with that program. Remote locations are files accessed from network shares or mapped drives, such as \ServerName\Share. By default, these remote files appear in jump lists, just like local files— which can create security, privacy, and compliance concerns in managed environments. Managing this setting helps keep company files secure and avoids displaying shared access history across users. Now let's explore the two primary methods to manage these settings. Method 1: Using the Local Group Policy Editor The first method is ideal for managed networks and is available on Windows 10 and Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions. First, open the Local Group Policy Editor by pressing the Win + R shortcut and typing gpedit.msc. Next, navigate to: User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar. Find and double-click “Do not show remote locations in jump lists”. To prevent remote files from showing, select Enabled. To allow them to show, select Disabled or Not Configured. Once you’ve chosen your preferred setting, click Apply, then OK, and reboot your computer for the change to take effect. Method 2: Using the Registry Editor If you're using a Windows Home edition or need to make a change on an individual device, the Registry Editor is your best bet. First, press Win + R, type regedit, and hit Enter. Navigate to this key. If the Explorer subkey doesn't exist, simply create it. Inside the Explorer key, create a new DWORD (32-bit) value named NoRemoteDestinations. Set the value to 1 to hide remote locations or 0 to show them. Finally, after closing the editor, log off and log back in to apply the change. Troubleshooting Common Issues and Notes for Admins No plan is perfect, so here's a quick guide on what to do if your changes don't take effect, along with some important notes to remember. Sometimes the tweaks won't take effect immediately. If this happens, a simple restart of File Explorer or your computer should solve it. For admins, managing a large network, be aware of Group Policy conflicts. Use tools like rsop.msc to check for conflicting settings that may override your policy. Finally, ensure you're using the correct Windows version, as Home editions don't support the Group Policy Editor. Managing Jump Lists is a simple yet effective way to enhance security and privacy in any Windows environment. Whether you use the Group Policy Editor for your entire network or the Registry Editor for individual machines, you can easily control which remote locations are displayed. For more information, check out our official blog post on How to Enable or Disable Showing Remote Locations in Jump Lists in Windows linked in the description below.