In Excel 2016, Open gives a nearly blank page with the only options being Recent, This PC, Add a place or browse.

Why is there no way to add a specific data directory?

"This PC" give a list of files under the C: My Documents which is not where my Excel data is held with no way of changing or adding to it.

To select the relevant directories I need therefore each time I need to go through the pain of browsing for it. There needs to be a "Favo(u)rites" in the same way as Explorer has. There is loads of wasted space for adding directories below "Browse".