There is an entry in the help file "Display or hide recently used workbooks
on the File menu" which says uncheck the 'recently used files' checkbox, the
click OK. Then, basically, start again.

"DB." wrote:

When I open Excel nine filenames appear on the RHS as 'recently
used files' (this number was set via Tools/Options/General, of
course). In the middle of this list are 3 no-longer-used files.
Though the files themselves have been deleted their names remain in
this list.
Is there an easy way to remove those entries from that list,
please?

TIA,
DB.