Microsoft Notepad

Version10(as of 10/20/2021)
PlatformWindows
LicenseBundled
CategoryProductivity
Go to Website
Rating:4.5  |  1011 Votes

Main Features

  • Provides a simple, straightforward text-editing interface
  • Opens any plain text file
  • Detects textual encoding
  • Includes some basic formatting features

Software Overview

Screenshot of Microsoft Notepad 10
Screenshot of Microsoft Notepad 10

Microsoft Notepad is a simple text editor included with Microsoft Windows. It is quite useful for viewing, editing, and creating plain text files.

Because Notepad is a plain text editor, it provides only basic text formatting features. However, you can still apply different fonts, font sizes, styles, and scripts to Notepad documents. You can also adjust each document's printed page layout (including page orientation and margins), word wrap your text, and save documents using any of the following text encoding methods:

  • Unicode
  • UTF-8
  • Big-endian Unicode
  • ANSI

Notepad also includes some additional "advanced" features, such as the ability to find and replace text, search for text online using the Microsoft Bing search engine, and quickly insert the current time and date into documents. Most users, though, will use only some of these "advanced" features, if any.

Summary

Microsoft Notepad's simplicity remains its selling point. If you are looking for a straightforward app in which you can quickly take notes, view text files, and even edit source code files, Notepad is the text editor for you. However, if you are looking for advanced formatting, graphics, and page layout features, you should check out Microsoft WordPad or Microsoft Word instead.

Primary File Type

txt icon.TXTPlain Text File

Supported File Types

ExtensionFile Type
.TXTPlain Text File
.CFGConfiguration File
.CONFIGConfiguration File
.CSSCascading Style Sheet
.CSVComma-Separated Values File
.HTMLHypertext Markup Language File
.INFSetup Information File
.INFOGeneric Information File
.INIWindows Initialization File
.JSJavaScript File
.LOGLog File
.XMLXML File

Additional Related File Types

ExtensionFile Type
.1STReadme File
.AStatic Library
.A8SAnim8or Script
.ANSANSI Text File
.ARENAQuake 3 Engine Arena File
.ASActionScript File
.ASAASP Configuration File
.ASMAssembly Language Source Code File
.ATHAlienware AlienFX Theme File
.ATTWeb Form Post Data File
.AVSAviSynth Script
.BBZBerryBuzz Backup File
.BCSBoland Calibration Settings File
.BMKNokia Device Bookmark File
.BOOKBudget In Brief Book File
.BPWBitmap World File
.BSDBSDL File
.BSDLBoundary Scan Description Language File
.BSHBeanShell Script
.CAMPWCS Color Appearance Model Profile File
.CELCelestia Script File
.CELXCelestia Script
.CFGCal3D Model Configuration File
.CFGWesnoth Markup Language File
.CGICommon Gateway Interface Script
.CHARTGuitar Rhythm Chart File
.CMDWindows Command File
.CONFGeneric Configuration File
.CSC# Source Code File
.CSHC Shell Script
.CUCUDA Source Code File
.CUSAutoCAD Custom Dictionary File
.DBADarkBASIC Source Code File
.DIFData Interchange Format
.FOUNTAINFountain Script File
.GMGameMonkey Script
.GSCCall of Duty Game Script
.GSDGeneral Station Description File
.HAMLHaml Source Code File
.HPSHPL Script
.HTMHypertext Markup Language File
.JAVJava Source File
.JAVAJava Source Code File
.JRTFJAmes OS Rich Text File
.MMATLAB Source Code File
.MMercury Source Code File
.MAPQuake Engine Game Map
.MARKDOWNMarkdown Documentation File
.MCMETAMinecraft Java Edition Resource Pack Configuration File
.MDBACKUPiPhone Data Backup File
.MDINFOiPhone Backup Information File
.MDLWarcraft 3 3D Model Text File
.MDOWNMarkdown File
.MLML Source Code File
.MXMLFlex MXML Component
.OSUOsu! Script
.OUTOutput File
.P6Perl 6 Source Code File
.PASPascal Source File
.PHPPHP Source Code File
.PLPerl Script
.PNPROJProgrammer's Notepad Project File
.PNPTProgrammer's Notepad Project Template
.PROPERTIESJava Properties File
.PROPERTIESMinecraft Properties File
.PYPython Script
.QCHalf-Life Model Compiler Script
.QCQuakeC Source Code File
.RTXRich Text Document
.SSource Code File
.SRCSource Code File
.URLURL Shortcut File
.WTXText Document
.XQLXML Query Language File
.XQYXQuery Source File
.XSDXML Schema Definition
.XSLXML Stylesheet
Updated 10/20/2021