9 Ways to Open Notepad in Windows 11 – MUO – MakeUseOf
Notepad is a handy app to have around, and there are so many ways to open it in Windows 11.
Notepad is a text app that has always been included with Windows. Although a relatively basic text editor, Notepad can be surprisingly useful.
With it, you can set up all manner of batch, Virtual Basic (VBS), and registry scripts to customize Windows. You can also quickly open and utilize Notepad on the fly to note down and save some details whenever needed.
Microsoft has slightly redesigned Notepad for Windows 11, which makes that app more interesting in the new desktop platform. You can check out Windows 11’s revamped Notepad app by opening it with any of these methods.
Windows 11’s search tool will find most apps and files you’re looking for when you enter precise keywords. So, searching for Notepad is a quick and easy way to open that text editor. You can launch Notepad with the search box in these quick steps.
Run is an accessory with which you can quickly open Windows’ built-in apps by entering text commands for them. You can open Notepad with Run as follows.
The Start menu includes your installed software. You can open Notepad from that menu’s All app’s index. Or you can open Notepad from the Start menu’s pinned apps section when you’ve pinned it. This is how to open the text editor from All apps on the Start menu.
You can open Notepad, or other apps, whenever you’re utilizing Task Manager. Task Manager incorporates a Create new task accessory for running apps. This is how you can launch Run with that accessory.
The Cortana virtual assistant can come in handy for opening many apps. With Cortana enabled, you can launch Notepad with text or voice commands. These are the steps for opening Run with Windows 11’s virtual assistant app.
The same Notepad Run command will work in the Command Prompt and PowerShell command-line interpreters. You can open Notepad with both Command Prompt and PowerShell within the tabbed Windows Terminal emulator. This is how to open Notepad via Windows Terminal.
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 establish a shortcut for opening Notepad much the same as third-party software as follows.
Pressing a keyboard shortcut is probably the quickest way to open any app. If you add a Notepad shortcut to the desktop, you can then apply a hotkey to it as well. Then you can open Notepad any time you need it by pressing a key combination.
Now press your new Ctrl + Alt + N keyboard shortcut for Notepad. As that hotkey needs its desktop shortcut, don’t delete the Notepad icon. If you prefer to set up hotkeys without desktop shortcuts, check out WinHotKey or similar Windows 11 apps.
The desktop context menu is the one that opens when you right-click the mouse. That’s yet another place you can open Notepad from. However, you’ll need to tweak the registry to add a Notepad shortcut to the context menu. That might sound a bit daunting, but it’s actually relatively straightforward to add context menu shortcuts. You can add Notepad to the desktop’s right-click menu like this.
Now you can quickly open Notepad from the context menu. Simply right-click your desktop’s wallpaper and select Show more options. Click Notepad on the classic context menu to bring up the text editor.
If you ever want to remove that shortcut, open the shell key again in Registry Editor. Then right-click the Notepad registry key you added and select the Delete option. Click Yes on the prompt to confirm.
So, there are various ways you can open Notepad in Windows 11. Opening Notepad with Run, the search tool, Cortana, and the Start menu are all quick methods. However, you can open that text editor even quicker by setting up a desktop, keyboard, or context menu for it. Choose whatever method for opening that app you prefer.
The Windows Notepad now comes with a few improved features. Here’s what you need to know about the new Notepad in Windows 10.
Jack has been a freelance tech journalist for more than a decade. He has covered Windows Vista, 7, 10, and 11 topics within a multitude of guides for Make Use Of and numerous other websites.
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