Notepad has shipped with every version of Windows since 1985. It edits plain text (.txt) — no fonts, colours or images are saved, only characters. Programmers use it to write HTML, CSS, batch files and quick notes because it opens instantly and never adds hidden formatting. Windows 11 Notepad (2023+) added tabs, dark mode, auto-save, spell-check and Copilot.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+N | New file (Ctrl + Shift + N = new window) |
| Ctrl+O | Open |
| Ctrl+S | Save (Ctrl + Shift + S = Save As) |
| Ctrl+P | |
| Ctrl+Z/Ctrl+Y | Undo / Redo |
| Ctrl+X/C/V | Cut / Copy / Paste |
| Ctrl+A | Select all |
| Ctrl+F | Find (F3 = find next, Shift + F3 = previous) |
| Ctrl+H | Replace |
| Ctrl+G | Go to line (works when Word Wrap is off) |
| F5 | Insert current time and date |
| Ctrl++/Ctrl+− | Zoom in / out (Ctrl + 0 resets) |
| Ctrl+T | New tab (Windows 11) |
| Ctrl+W | Close tab |
| Ctrl+Tab | Switch tab |
| Alt+F → X | Exit |
Tricks every student should know
- I.LOG trick — type .LOG as the very first line of a file; every time you open it Notepad adds the current date and time at the end. Instant diary.
- IISave as a web page — write HTML, then File → Save As → name it index.html, set 'Save as type' to All files, encoding UTF-8. Double-click it to open in your browser.
- IIIBatch file — save commands as hello.bat (e.g. @echo off / echo Hello / pause) and double-click to run them in CMD.
- IVWord Wrap (View → Word Wrap) makes long lines fit the window; Status bar shows Ln, Col and encoding.
- VEncoding matters — choose UTF-8 to save Hindi/Devanagari text correctly; ANSI will turn it into ???.
- VIAlternatives: WordPad (rich text .rtf, removed in Windows 11 24H2), Notepad++ (free, syntax colours), VS Code (programmers), Sublime Text, gedit (Linux), TextEdit (Mac).
// Keep exploring
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