How do I remove this from the explorer?

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I didn't know how I could call it, I just don't want this "desktop", I want it clean, nothing more beside the quick access

4 Answers

Just as a note, your image shows us that Desktop is separated from the Quick Access tree.

If you right click anywhere within the Explorer side panel, you will be given three options.

Unchecking Show all folders should accomplish what you are looking for. Although, it will probably add back the This PC and Network trees.

As others have pointed, the picture published by the OP does not correspond to the title of their question. This answer responds to the title of the question: to get rid of Desktop, Documents, etc. from the Quick Access tree.

First, try right-clicking on the unwanted folder under the Quick Access tree and choose Unpin from Quick Access.

If this does not work (you click the menu item, but nothing happens), then reset all folders under Quick Access (you will lose those that are pinned there now). The Quick access pinned and frequent items data are in this file:

%AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations\f01b4d95cf55d32a.automaticDestinations-ms

Rename this file. The next time you open Windows Explorer, the file will be created, and four folders will appear under the Quick Access tree. However, now you can right-click on each of them and choose Unpin from Quick Access.

In the image you have provided, Desktop is not showing up in your quick access, it is below it. You cannot remove this link to Desktop from file explorer as the Desktop is a required component of the Windows 10 navigation experience.

To remove an item from quick access, expand the quick access menu (by clicking on the arrow pointing right, to the left of the text), right click on the item you want to remove and select "Unpin from Quick access".

Open File Explorer, right-click an empty area on the navigation pane, and uncheck "Show all folders". Then employ the following registry edit.

The REG file was adapted from the one in this link How to Show Only Quick Access in the Navigation Pane in Windows 10

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
;Remove This PC
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}]
"System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree"=dword:00000000

To apply the settings, copy the above code to Notepad and save the file with .reg extension. Double-click to apply the settings to the registry.