Notepad is a text application that has always been included with Windows. Despite being a relatively basic text editor, Notepad can be surprisingly useful. In this article, we will help you find the best answer for how to open notepad in Windows 11 OS.

With this application you can set up all batches, Virtual Basic (VBS) and registry to customize Windows. You can also quickly open and use Notepad on the go to take notes and save some details whenever needed.

How to Open Notepad in Windows 11?

Microsoft has slightly redesigned Notepad for Windows 11, which makes that application even more interesting in the new desktop platform. You can view Windows 11’s revamped Notepad app by opening the app through any of the following methods.

Method 1: Open Notepad with Windows 11’s Search tool

Windows 11’s search engine will find most of the apps and files you’re looking for when you enter the correct keywords. So searching Notepad is a quick and easy way to open this text editor. You can launch Notepad using the search box with these quick steps.

1. Press the Win + S shortcut of the search engine or click the magnifying glass taskbar icon.
2. Enter the keyword Notepad in the search engine.

Enter keywords Notepad

3. Then click on the Notepad search result to open the text editor.
4. You can also pin Notepad to the taskbar or Start menu through the search engine. Right-click on the Notepad search result to select the Pin to taskbar or Pin to Start menu option. You can then open a text editor with a shortcut on the taskbar or the Start menu.

Method 2: Open Notepad with Run

Run is an accessory with which you can quickly open Windows built-in applications by entering text commands for them. You can open Notepad with Run as follows.

1. Open Run by pressing the Win + R key combination.
2. Type Notepad in the Open text box.

3. Click OK to launch Notepad.

Method 3: Open Notepad from the Start menu

The Start menu includes your installed software. You can open Notepad from that menu’s All apps index. Or you can open Notepad from the Pinned apps section of the Start menu once you’ve pinned it. Here’s how to open the text editor from All apps on the Start menu.

1. Click the Start button’s taskbar icon.
2. Select All apps at the top right of the Start menu.
3. Scroll down to N on the Start menu.

4. Then select Notepad to open it.

Method 4: Open Notepad with Task Manager

You can open Notepad or other applications whenever you are using Task Manager. Task Manager incorporates the Create new task feature for running applications. Here’s how you can launch Run with that feature.

1. Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete at the same time.
2. Select the Task Manager option.
3. Click File > Run new task in Task Manager.

Task >Click File>Run new task

4. Then enter Notepad in the Open box.

Type Notepad in the Open box

5. Click OK in the “Create new task” window.

Method 5: Open Notepad with Cortana

Cortana virtual assistant can be useful when opening many applications. With Cortana enabled, you can launch Notepad with text or voice commands. These are the steps to open Run with the virtual assistant application of Windows 11.

1. Click Cortana’s circle icon on the Windows 11 taskbar.
2. Type the command Open Notepad in Cortana.

Enter the Open Notepad command in Cortana

3. Press the Return key on your keyboard.
4. To launch Notepad with voice commands, click the Speak to Cortana button.

Click the Speak to Cortana button

5. Then say “Open Notepad” into your PC’s microphone.

Method 6: Open Notepad via Windows Terminal

The same Run Notepad command will work in Command Prompt and PowerShell command line interpreters. You can open Notepad with both Command Prompt and PowerShell in the Windows Terminal emulator. Here’s how to open Notepad through Windows Terminal.

1. Click the Start menu taskbar icon with the right mouse button to select Windows Terminal (Admin).

2. To select a command line interpreter, click the Open a new tab button. Select Command Prompt or Windows PowerShell.

3. Type Notepad into the selected command line interpreter.

4. Press the Return key to open Notepad.

Method 7: Open Notepad from Windows 11 desktop

Adding shortcuts to the Windows desktop gives you more direct access to software packages. So why not set up a desktop shortcut for Notepad? You can set up a shortcut to open Notepad like third-party software as follows.

1. Right-click on the desktop to select the New context menu option.
2. Then select Shortcut on the submenu.

3. Type Notepad in the location box of the Create Shortcut window.

4. Select Next to continue.
5. Type Notepad in the shortcut’s name box.
6. Click the Finish button.
7. Double-click the Notepad desktop shortcut to open this text editor.

Method 8: Open Notepad with keyboard shortcuts

Pressing a keyboard shortcut is probably the fastest way to open any application. If you add a Notepad shortcut to your desktop, you can also apply a hotkey to it. Then you can open Notepad anytime you need by pressing the key combination.

1. Add the Notepad shortcut to the Windows 11 desktop as instructed in the previous method.
2. Right-click the Notepad desktop icon to select Properties.
3. Click in the Shortcut key box for the hotkeys.
4. Press N to set hotkey Ctrl + Alt + N.

5. Select Apply > OK on the Properties window.

Now press the new Ctrl + Alt + N keyboard shortcut for Notepad. Since that hotkey needs a desktop shortcut, don’t delete the Notepad icon. If you prefer setting up a hotkey without a desktop shortcut, check out WinHotKey or similar Windows 11 apps.

Method 9: Open Notepad from the context menu

The desktop context menu is the menu that opens when you right-click. That’s another place you can open Notepad. However, you will need to edit the registry to add the Notepad shortcut to the context menu. That may sound a bit daunting, but it’s actually relatively simple to add context menu shortcuts. You can add Notepad to the right-click menu like this.

1. Open the search box in Windows 11.
2. Type Registry Editor into the search engine’s text box and select the Run as administrator option for that application.
3. Next, go to this registry key location: ComputerHKEY_CLASSES_ROOTDirectoryBackgroundshell.
4. Right-click the shell registry key to select the New option.
5. Then click Key and enter Notepad as its title.

6. Right-click the new Notepad key and select New.
7. Select Key on the submenu.
8. Enter command as the name of the new key.

9. Select the key command, then double-click its (Default) string.
10. Enter C:WindowsSystem32notepad.exe in the Value data box and click the OK option.

11. Close the Registry Editor window.

Now, you can quickly open Notepad from the context menu. Just right-click on the desktop and select Show more options. Click Notepad on the classic context menu to bring up the text editor.

If you want to delete that shortcut, reopen the shell key in Registry Editor. Then right click on the Notepad registry key you added and select the Delete option. Click Yes on the prompt to confirm.

Using Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts can be a great way to access Notepad quickly without having to navigate through menus or use the search function. Here’s how you can use keyboard shortcuts to open Notepad in Windows 11:

1. Press the Windows key and the letter “R” at the same time. This will open the Run dialog box.
2. Type “notepad” (without quotes) into the Run dialog box and press Enter.
3. Notepad should open.

Alternatively, you can use another keyboard shortcut to open Notepad directly from the desktop. Here’s how:

1. Press the Windows key and the letter “N” at the same time.
2. Notepad should open.

Both of these keyboard shortcuts are quick and easy ways to open Notepad without having to search for it.

If you prefer to use your own custom keyboard shortcut, you can create one using the Windows keyboard settings. Here’s how:

1. Open the Settings app in Windows 11.
2. Click on “Devices” and then “Typing” in the left-hand menu.
3. Scroll down to the “Advanced keyboard settings” section and click on “Customize keyboard.”
4. Select the key or key combination you want to use for the Notepad shortcut and click “Assign a shortcut.”
5. Type “notepad” (without quotes) into the search bar and select “Notepad” from the results.
6. Click “OK” to save the new shortcut.

Once you’ve created your custom shortcut, you can use it to open Notepad quickly and easily.

Pinning Notepad to the Taskbar

If you use Notepad frequently, you may want to pin it to the taskbar for easy access. Here’s how you can pin Notepad to the taskbar in Windows 11:

1. Open Notepad by using one of the methods mentioned earlier in the article.
2. Right-click on the Notepad icon in the taskbar.
3. In the context menu, select “Pin to taskbar.”
4. Notepad should now be pinned to the taskbar.

Once Notepad is pinned to the taskbar, you can open it quickly by clicking on the icon. You can also move the icon to a different position on the taskbar if you prefer.

Pinning Notepad to the taskbar has several benefits. Firstly, it provides quick and easy access to Notepad without having to search for it or navigate through menus. Secondly, it allows you to access Notepad from any window, regardless of what applications you have open. Finally, it saves you time and can help improve your productivity.

If you no longer need Notepad to be pinned to the taskbar, you can unpin it using a similar process. Here’s how:

1. Right-click on the Notepad icon in the taskbar.
2. In the context menu, select “Unpin from taskbar.”

Notepad should now be removed from the taskbar.

Customizing Notepad Settings

Notepad comes with a few customizable settings that can help you tailor the application to your specific needs. Here’s how you can customize Notepad settings in Windows 11:

1. Open Notepad by using one of the methods mentioned earlier in the article.
2. Click on “File” in the top-left corner of the window.
3. In the drop-down menu, click on “Settings.”

Now you’ll see the Notepad settings screen, where you can customize a variety of options.

Font and Font Size

You can change the default font and font size that Notepad uses to display text. Here’s how:

1. Under the “Font” section, click on the dropdown menu next to “Font.”
2. Select a font from the list of available options.
3. Next to “Size,” use the up and down arrows to increase or decrease the font size.

Word Wrap

By default, Notepad displays text in a single line that goes off the screen if it’s too long. You can enable word wrap to automatically wrap text to the next line when it reaches the end of the window. Here’s how:

1. Under the “Wrap” section, check the box next to “Wrap text to window.”

Encoding

Notepad uses UTF-8 encoding by default, but you can change this if needed. Here’s how:

1. Under the “Encoding” section, click on the dropdown menu next to “Save as type.”
2. Select a different encoding from the list of available options.

Line Endings

You can choose whether Notepad uses Windows-style or Unix-style line endings when you save a document. Here’s how:

1. Under the “New document” section, click on the dropdown menu next to “Line endings.”
2. Select “Windows (CR LF)” or “Unix/Linux (LF)” as needed.

Once you’ve made your desired changes to the Notepad settings, click “OK” to save the changes.

Customizing Notepad settings can help you work more efficiently and improve your overall experience with the application. By following the steps outlined in this section, you can easily customize Notepad to your specific needs and preferences.

Alternatives to Notepad

While Notepad is a reliable and straightforward text editor, there are other options available in Windows 11 that you may want to consider. Here are some of the built-in alternatives to Notepad:

WordPad

WordPad is a more advanced text editor that offers some additional features compared to Notepad. For example, WordPad allows you to format text with bold, italic, and underlining. It also supports more complex file formats such as RTF and DOCX.

To open WordPad in Windows 11, you can use the search function or navigate to “Accessories” in the Start menu.

Windows Terminal

Windows Terminal is a new app in Windows 11 that allows you to run multiple command-line tools and shells in a single window. It supports customization and can be a great option if you work with command-line tools frequently.

To open Windows Terminal in Windows 11, you can use the search function or navigate to “Windows Terminal” in the Start menu.

Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code is a popular text editor developed by Microsoft that offers a wide range of features and customization options. It’s particularly useful for web development and programming, as it supports many programming languages and extensions.

To install Visual Studio Code in Windows 11, you can download it from the Microsoft website or use the Microsoft Store.

In addition to these built-in alternatives, there are also many third-party text editors available for Windows 11. Some popular options include Notepad++, Sublime Text, and Atom.

When choosing a text editor, consider your specific needs and preferences. If you only need basic text editing capabilities, Notepad or WordPad may be sufficient. If you need more advanced features or support for specific programming languages, a third-party editor such as Visual Studio Code may be a better choice.

Common Issues with Notepad

Notepad is a reliable and straightforward text editor, but like any software, it can sometimes run into issues. Here are some common issues that users may encounter when using Notepad in Windows 11:

Slow Performance

If Notepad is running slowly or taking a long time to load, it may be due to high CPU usage. To resolve this issue, try closing any other programs that are running or restarting your computer.

Incorrect Encoding

If text appears garbled or distorted in Notepad, it may be due to an incorrect encoding setting. Make sure that the encoding is set to the correct option for your text file.

File Association Issues

Sometimes, Notepad may not be associated with certain file types, which can make it difficult to open those files. To fix this issue, you can change the default program associated with the file type or right-click on the file and select “Open With” to choose Notepad manually.

Auto-Save Issues

Notepad doesn’t have an auto-save feature, so if the application crashes or the computer shuts down unexpectedly, any unsaved changes may be lost. To avoid this issue, make sure to save your work frequently.

Limited Features

Notepad is a basic text editor and doesn’t offer many advanced features. If you need more advanced text editing capabilities, consider using a third-party text editor.

If you encounter any of these issues when using Notepad in Windows 11, there are several troubleshooting steps you can take. Firstly, try closing any other programs that are running or restarting your computer to resolve slow performance issues. Secondly, check that the encoding settings are correct for your text file to avoid any garbled or distorted text. Thirdly, check the default program associated with file types to ensure Notepad is associated with the correct files. Finally, consider using a third-party text editor if you need more advanced features.

There are different ways to show you how to open Notepad in Windows 11. Opening Notepad with Run, the search engine, Cortana, and the Start menu are all quick methods. However, you can open this text editor faster by setting up a desktop shortcut, keyboard or context menu. Choose whichever method you prefer to open the app.  Good luck and do not forget to check other techinal tips on mycodebit website.