Things Missing From Recent Items in the Start Menu

> Some files I access and edit regularly will not show up in the recent items
> section of the start menu.
>
> If I go into the "Searches" folder inside my personal folder, then go in to
> "Recent Documents" some of the files shown appear with a bracketed number
> after the file name. For example:
>
> Software Licensing.xls (48)
>
> In this case the file name is "Software Licensing.xls" and the number has
> been added in the display for some reason. Files with numbers after their
> names appear once for each occation that I have accessed the file, with the
> number incremented for each access.
>
> Looking in the folder where recent items appear to be stored, (which in this
> case is: C:\Users\s3013938\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Window s\Recent Items)
> shows that those shortcuts in the "Recent Documents" search folder which show
> a bracketed number are appearing in the recent items folder as a shortcut to
> the directory in which the accessed file is stored, rather than a shortcut to
> the file itself. Where as for those items that are showing up correctly, the
> shortcut points to the file as you would expect it to.
>
> This problem occurs for some files but not for others. All of my files,
> indeed all of my personal folders that are either not hidden or system
> folders are stored on a network drive. Files that fail to appear in Recent
> Items correctly can be stored in the same folder, with identical properties,
> permissions and file types to files that do show up as you would expect.
>
> I have tried deleting the contents of
> "C:\Users\s3013938\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windo ws\Recent Items". I've
> tried copying affected files to my local HDD then back to the network drive.
> None of these things solves the problem.
>
> Can someone advise me of how to solve this problem? Is anyone else having
> problems with files not showing up in the Recent Items component of the start
> menu?