# Windows Notepad

Application: Microsoft Corporation

Also called notepad, windows notepad

Microsoft Corporation, System

The Windows text editor. The process stays notepad.exe even when Windows 11 serves the Store build with tabs.

## What you need to know

Notepad is still notepad.exe. The Windows 11 UI is a Store update, not a new mystery process.

Windows Notepad edits plain text. Windows 11 added tabs through a Store package. WINWORD.EXE is Word. Code.exe is VS Code.

- **What is it?**: The Windows text editor

  **Can I uninstall it?**: The Store build, on some SKUs

  **Is it Word?**: No

Feex says

If you need tabs in a tiny editor, the current Notepad already has them. I would not install a random notepad.exe from a filename site.

## What is Windows Notepad?

Windows Notepad is the in-box text editor. Classic System32 notepad remains for compatibility. Windows 11 can redirect to the Store app.

## If you have never used it

If you need to read a .txt or a log, Notepad is already on Windows. Press Start and type Notepad. It is not Word, not VS Code, and not a download. Windows 11 added tabs through a Store update. The process name stayed notepad.exe.

## What is it used for?

**Plain text**

Logs, notes, and files without formatting. Encoding surprises still happen on odd files.

**Quick logs and notes**

The reason people still open it from Run: notepad.

**Tabs on Windows 11**

A Store package feature. Classic System32 Notepad on older servicing has no tabs.

## Who is it for?

- Anyone who needs a tiny editor
- Users who should not confuse it with Word
- People who saw a new UI and thought the exe changed

## Current status

Actively updated through the Microsoft Store on current Windows 11. Classic Notepad remains on older servicing.

## How old is it?

Notepad has shipped with Windows since the 1980s. The Windows 11 Store build is a recent UI on the same name. It is one of the oldest Windows apps still in daily use. WordPad was removed from current Windows 11. Notepad stayed.

## Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.

Store Notepad (Windows 11)

Classic System32

## System requirements

Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.

### Minimum

| Operating system | Windows. The Store build needs a current Windows 11 with Store access |
| ---------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |

## Resource profile

- **CPU demand**: Low except huge logs

  **RAM demand**: Follows file size

## Installed processes

These executables belong to this product when it is installed.

| notepad.exe | Classic or Store host |
| ----------- | --------------------- |

## Startup components

Notepad should not start with Windows unless a file opened it.

## File locations

| Classic | C:\Windows\System32\notepad.exe |
| ------- | ------------------------------- |
| Store   | WindowsApps package             |

## File formats

TXT, other text you open

## Common problems

### Two UIs

Store versus classic is a Windows 11 feature. The process name stayed notepad.exe.

### Uninstall regrets

Reinstall from Optional features or the Store. Do not download a replacement exe.

## Getting unstuck

### Reinstall from the Microsoft Store or Optional features

If the Store build is gone, search Notepad in the Store. Do not download notepad.exe from a filename site.

### Huge logs want a different editor

Notepad can choke on multi-megabyte logs. That is file size, not a broken Windows.

### Encoding: try UTF-8 in the Save dialog

Mojibake is often the encoding, not a virus inside the txt.

## Alternatives

VS Code and Word cover heavier files. Pick them for encoding and styles, not because Notepad grew tabs.

## Official help and downloads

Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.

| Microsoft Support: Notepad | [support.microsoft.com/windows/help-in-notepad-4d68c388-2ff2-40e1-4357-412d66563f0c ](https://support.microsoft.com/windows/help-in-notepad-4d68c388-2ff2-40e1-4357-412d66563f0c)Current Notepad help |
| -------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Microsoft Store            | [apps.microsoft.com/detail/9msmlrh6lzf3 ](https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9msmlrh6lzf3)Store package for the Windows 11 UI                                                                          |
| Windows help               | [support.microsoft.com/windows ](https://support.microsoft.com/windows)Optional features and Store issues                                                                                             |

## Related hardware

Any PC that runs Windows can run Notepad. Huge logs want RAM, not a GPU.

## Technical details

Technical details

Per-version file hashes and volume-license paths are not verified in this preview.

## Related

These entities connect to this article. Type is shown on every link.

[notepad.exe: Application Process](https://feex.it/wiki/process/notepad.exe)[Microsoft 365: Application](https://feex.it/wiki/software/microsoft-365)[Visual Studio Code: Application](https://feex.it/wiki/software/visual-studio-code)

## Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. [How we research](https://feex.it/wiki/research).

- [Microsoft Support: Notepad ](https://support.microsoft.com/windows/notepad)· Current Notepad
- [Microsoft Store: Notepad ](https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9msmlrh6lzf3)· Store package
- [Foxhole process map ](https://foxhole.feex.it/)· First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

## Was this article useful?

A yes or no is enough. Pick a reason if you want, or add a short note.

Quick facts

The short identity of this page. Specs, sources, and the full story stay in the article.

- **Developer**: Microsoft Corporation

  **Category**: Text editor

  **Process**: [notepad.exe](https://feex.it/wiki/process/notepad.exe)

  **First released**: 1983 (Windows 1.0 era). Current Store UI on Windows 11

  **Official site**: [support.microsoft.com/windows/notepad](https://support.microsoft.com/windows/help-in-notepad-4d68c388-2ff2-40e1-4357-412d66563f0c)

  **Mapped by Feex**: Seen on Windows PCs in Foxhole

Feex Reviewed: Last verified August 2026

---

Source: [Canonical Feex Wiki page](https://feex.it/wiki/software/windows-notepad/)

[Developer guide](https://feex.it/wiki/developers/) | [API policy](https://feex.it/developers/api-policy/) | [Agent guidance](https://feex.it/wiki/llms.txt)