This post shows students and new users the steps to find and use the Microsoft Notepad application in Windows 11. Notepad is a generic text editor that can be used to create, open, and edit text files without Format. Files that contain a special format or are not plain text cannot be read in Notepad.
Notepad offers fewer features than Microsoft WordPad, which is also an editor, but offers more features and works with more document formats than Notepad. You can use WordPad to open and save text files (.txt), rich text files (.rtf), Word documents (.docx), and OpenDocument text files (.odt).
If you need more than a plain text editor, you may want to use WordPad, which is also included in Windows 11. An alternative plain text editor that also provides more functionality than Notepad is Notepad ++.
Below is a post on how to install and make Notepad ++ the default text editor in Windows 11.
Continue below to learn how to find and use Microsoft Notepad on a Windows 11 computer.
How to open Notepad in Windows 11
As mentioned above, Microsoft Notepad offers fewer features than WordPad or Notepad ++. For basic and unsophisticated text editing, Notepad can be used. If you want something that does advanced coding or are looking for a plain text editor that has more robust features, then Notepad ++ should be considered.
To use Notepad in Windows 11, click the Start menu and then search pad in the search box. Below Best match, Select the Pad application to open.
That will open the Notepad app.
Alternatively, the Run command box can also be used to open Notepad in Windows 11.
press the Windows key + R on your keyboard, then type pad and press the GET INTO wrench.
In File Explorer, find the path below to find the Notepad application (notepad.exe).
C:Windowsnotepad
Again, for basic use, Notepad may be sufficient. However, if you want to create advanced documents with mail combinations, spell check, styles, tables, headers and footers, columns, margins, and more, you should consider Microsoft Word or an alternative productivity suite.
Below is a basic table on how to create, open, and save files with Notepad.
| Create a new file | Touch or click File, and then touch or click New. |
| Open a file | Touch or click File, and then touch or click Open. |
| Save a file | Touch or click File and then touch or click Save. |
| Save a file with a different name or format | Touch or click Save As. |
You should do that!
Conclusion:
This post shows you how to find and use Notepad in Windows 11. If you find any errors above or have something to add, use the comment form below.
