To open Notepad in Windows, go to “windows search”scribe “memo pad” and select the application. Another way is to open “Execute” with Windows+R, write “memo pad” and press Enter. To open it from a command prompt or PowerShell, type “memo pad” in any of the tools and press Enter.
Opening Notepad on a Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC is as easy as selecting a few options, running a command, or pressing a keyboard shortcut. We will show you all the available ways to open your favorite text editor on your computer.
Using Windows Search
The easiest way to find and start any app on your PC is to use Windows Search. You type the name of the app you want to open and Search retrieves it for you.
To open Notepad this way, first open Windows Search by clicking the box “Look for” on your taskbar or by opening the menu “Start” and selecting the search box at the top.
Then write “memo pad” and click on the app in the search results.
Your application is now open.
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From Run
The Windows Run box allows you to run various commands and open many applications on your PC. To use it to launch Notepad, first open the tool by pressing Windows + R.
In the open box, type the following command and press Enter:
notepad
Windows will start the Notepad application.
Using the start menu
The menu “Start” Windows hosts shortcuts to many of your applications, including Notepad.
To use it, open the menu by pressing the Windows key or by selecting the menu icon on the taskbar.
When the menu opens, select “All applications”. In the application list, choose Notepad to launch the application.
And that is.
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From the Task Manager
Typically, you would use Task Manager to force close applications, but you can also use this utility to launch applications.
To do that, right-click on the menu icon “Start” and choose “Task Manager”. In the tool window, select “run new task”.
In the open box, type the following and press Enter:
notepad
Task Manager will launch your Notepad application.
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From the taskbar
The Windows taskbar is limited in size so it can’t hold all of your apps, but you can pin your favorite apps to make it easier to launch those apps.
To do that for Notepad, first, open the menu “Start” and search “memo pad”. Right-click on the app and choose “Pin to taskbar”.
On the Windows taskbar, you now have a new shortcut that allows you to directly launch the Notepad application.
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From File Explorer
To start Notepad while inside File Explorer, you don’t have to close the current window. Use a command within your file manager to start your text editor.
To do that, in your File Explorer’s address bar at the top, type the following command and press Enter:
notepad
Notepad is now open on your screen.
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Using the Command Prompt
If you prefer to run commands, use a command prompt to open Notepad.
First, open the menu “Start”I searched “Symbol of the system” and start the utility. Then, type the following command and press Enter:
notepad
Let CMD open your favorite text editor.
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With PowerShell
The Windows PowerShell utility is similar to Command Prompt in many ways, and you can also use this tool to launch your applications, including Notepad.
To do that, open the menu “Start”I searched “PowerShell” and start the utility. Then, type the following command and press Enter:
notepad
Notepad is now open.
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Using a desktop shortcut
If you prefer to launch applications from your desktop, add the Notepad shortcut to your desktop by following a few simple steps.
First, access your desktop by pressing Windows+D. On the desktop, right-click anywhere blank and select New > Shortcut.
In the window “Create Shortcut”, click in the text field and type the following. then choose “Following”.
notepad
On the next screen, click in the text field and type a name for your shortcut. Then click “Finish”.
Your shortcut is now ready and you can double-click it to open your Notepad application.
Use a keyboard shortcut
Windows doesn’t offer a keyboard shortcut to start the Notepad app, but you can create one to open your favorite app.
To do that, first, add the Notepad shortcut to your desktop or any other folder (using the method above). Your keyboard shortcut will launch this application shortcut, which will open Notepad.
Then right click on your shortcut and choose “Properties”. Access the tab “Direct access”click on the field “Shortcut key” and press the key combination you want to use. Then at the bottom select “Apply” followed by “Accept”.
And that is. Your keyboard shortcut has been created. Press the key combination you specified above each time you want to launch Notepad on your PC.
From the context menu
If you want to add the Notepad shortcut to your context menu (also known as context menu), add a value to your Windows registry. This value tells Windows to display a shortcut to the Notepad application every time you right-click on your PC.
Note: We do not recommend editing your Windows registry, as incorrect or accidental changes can make your system unstable. However, if you know what you’re doing, you should be fine.
To get started, open “Execute” using Windows + R. In the open box, type the following and press Enter:
regedit
In the message “User account control”select “Yeah”.
In the Registry Editor, using the options on the left, navigate to the following path:
Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell
In the left sidebar, right-click on “shell” and choose New > Key. For the name of the key, use Notepad .
Select the key “command” newly created on the left. Then, in the right pane, double click on the entry “(Predetermined)”. In the box that opens, click the field “value data” and enter the following. Then select “Accept”.
C:\Windows\System32\notepad.exe
Your key is now added. Close Registry Editor and return to your desktop. Right click anywhere and you will find the option “memo pad” on your menu.
And this is how you get access to your PC’s built-in text editor in various ways. Enjoy!
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