Text Edit Open Recent doesn't work on my Mac mini

Question

Level 1

7 points

Text Edit Open Recent doesn't work on my Mac mini

For the Text Editor application only, when I go to File > Open Recent, and select a recent file, I get a Popup that says, "The document “[name of doc]” could not be opened. The file doesn’t exist." This is false, it does exist. I just have to use File > Open File and drill down through Finder and find the file, and it will open it.

This only happens with the Text Edit applications; File > Open Recent works with all other applications. What is the problem with the Text Edit app?

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: Text Edit Open Recent Doesn't Work

Posted on Jun 3, 2025 2:15 PM

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Answer 1

Owl-53

Level 10

97,513 points

Jun 5, 2025 3:17 AM in response to robroper

Easy

In Text Edit >> File >> use " Clear Menu "

The wording maybe different as I am using macOS 15.5 Sequoia

Then . as you have said " drill down through Finder and find the file, and it will open it. "

This will make a new " Recent " for the file directing it to its Current Location

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Answer 2

VikingOSX

Level 10

120,671 points

Jun 5, 2025 7:42 AM in response to robroper

The Open Recent menu in TextEdit is updated when a file is moved from a previous referenced location to different location on the same drive. Even in nested folders. It is not removed from the Open Recent menu when it is deleted unless sufficient file opens push that entry from the Open Recent stack.

Could you have had duplicate named files in your filesystem and the last one opened by TextEdit was deleted. Is the one found via the Open File Chooser that exact file or a convenient duplicate that deceives you into believing it was on the Open Recent menu?

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Answer 3

robroper Author

Level 1

7 points

Jun 5, 2025 1:03 PM in response to VikingOSX

The files were not moved. And there were no other files with the same name.

I should add that it doesn't happen all the time. Sometimes it opens the files in the Open Recent list, other times not. I can't pinpoint why it does it sometimes and not others.

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