Notepad: Frequently asked questions

Notepad is a handy app when you want to view or make simple edits to text files (usually with a .txt extension). If you’d like to do something more advanced—use font colors, insert pictures, or type in other languages—you might want to use WordPad. For more info, see How to use WordPad.

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How can I see all of my text without scrolling horizontally?

  1. Tap or click to open Notepad.

  2. Tap or click the Format menu, and then tap or click Word Wrap.

How do I change the font style and size?

If you change the font style and size, this will change the look of all the text in the file—not just part of it.

  1. Tap or click to open Notepad.

  2. Tap or click the Format menu, and then tap or click Font.

  3. Pick a font, font style, and size, and then tap or click OK.

How do I cut, copy, paste, or delete text?

  1. Tap or click to open Notepad.

  2. Do one of the following:

    • To move text from one place to another, select the text, tap or click the Edit menu, and then tap or click Cut.

    • To have the same text in two places, select the text, tap or click the Edit menu, and then tap or click Copy.

    • To paste text you have cut or copied, tap or click the place in the file where you want to paste the text, tap or click the Edit menu, and then tap or click Paste.

    • To delete text, select it, tap or click the Edit menu, and then tap or click Delete.

    • To undo your last action, tap or click the Edit menu, and then tap or click Undo.

Can I save a Notepad file in any another format besides .txt?

Yes, you can save a Notepad file in a different format (for example, a Microsoft Word document).

  1. Tap or click to open Notepad.

  2. Tap or click the File menu, and then tap or click Save As.

  3. In the Save As dialog box, in the Save as type list, tap or click All Files (*.*).

  4. Enter a file name with the extension you want, and then tap or click Save.

How do I print a Notepad document?

  1. Tap or click to open Notepad.

  2. Tap or click the File menu, and then tap or click Print.

  3. Choose the printer and options you want, and then tap or click Print.

Tip

Tip

To change the settings that determine how your printed document will look, click the File menu, and then click Page Setup:

  • To change the paper size, tap or click a size in the Size list.

  • To change the paper source, tap or click a tray name or a feeder in the Source list.

  • To print the file vertically, tap or click Portrait; to print the file horizontally, tap or click Landscape.

  • To change the margins, enter a width in any of the Margins boxes.

If you have trouble printing, see How to solve printing problems in Windows.

How do I insert the time and date in a file?

  1. Tap or click to open Notepad.

  2. Tap or click the place in the file where you want to add the time and date.

  3. Tap or click the Edit menu, and then tap or click Time/Date.

How do I find and replace specific characters or words?

To find specific characters or words

  1. Tap or click to open Notepad.

  2. Tap or click the Edit menu, and then tap or click Find.

  3. In the Find what box, enter the characters or words you want to find.

  4. Under Direction, tap or click Up or Down to search from the current cursor position to the beginning or end of the file.

  5. Tap or click Find Next.

To replace specific characters or words

  1. Tap or click to open Notepad.

  2. Tap or click the Edit menu, and then tap or click Replace.

  3. In the Find what box, enter the characters or words you want to find.

  4. In the Replace with box, enter the replacement text.

  5. Tap or click Find Next, and then tap or click Replace.

    To replace all instances of the text, click Replace All.

Tip

Tip

To find or replace only text that matches the uppercase and lowercase characters specified in the Find what box, select the Match case check box.

How do I create a header or footer?

Headers and footers contain text that appears at the top and bottom of a file. When a file is printed, the header and footer info will appear on every page.

  1. Tap or click to open Notepad.

  2. Tap or click the File menu, and then tap or click Page Setup.

  3. In the Header or Footer boxes, enter the text you want to use in your header and footer. You can also use the following character combinations to create more detailed headers or footers.

To Enter this

Insert today's date

&d

Insert the time from your PC's clock

&t

Insert the page number

&p

Insert the name of the file—the default is "(untitled)"

&f

Insert an ampersand (&)

&&

Align the header or footer to the left, center, or right

&l, &c, or &r

Tips

Tips

  • You can use more than one character combination in the Header or Footer boxes. It’s a good idea to leave a space or two between each combination to make it easier to read.

  • To align text to the left, center, or right, you must first enter &l, &c, or &r in the Header or Footer boxes, followed by any other character combinations you want to use.

  • You can also combine your own text with the character combinations. For example, Page &p will print out as Page 1, Page 2, and so on.

How do I go to a specific line in a Notepad file?

You can go to a specific line in a Notepad file even if the file doesn't display line numbers. Lines are counted down the left side beginning at the top of the file.

  1. Tap or click to open Notepad.

  2. Tap or click the Edit menu, and then tap or click Go To.

  3. In the Line number box, enter the line number you want the cursor to jump to, and then tap or click Go To.

Note

Note

You can’t use Go To when word wrapping is turned on. To turn word wrapping off, tap or click the Format menu, and then tap or click Word Wrap.

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