Today we’re going to take a closer look at a great, simple program that comes free with Windows: Notepad.
It’s nothing fancy, but for writing simple notes in plain text or copying and pasting text, there’s not much better. To open it up, just type Notepad in your Windows search box and click on the result.
This very basic-looking program will open.
Just click on the screen and start typing.
It’s a very basic program, but you have some options. Click File to start a new document, open an existing document, or print. This is also where you can change the page setup.
You can adjust the paper size, choose between portrait and landscape, and adjust the margins.
Under Edit, you’ll find standard copy/paste functions, plus the ability to search for and replace text. You can also add a time and date to your note.
Under Format, you’ll be able to decide if you want your words to go out in a straight line or use word wrap.
Without word wrap, it looks like this.
Here it is with word wrap.
Click Fonts to adjust font, style, and type size.
One of my favorite uses of Notepad is to remove unwanted formatting from text that I’m copying. If I copy from the original source and paste into a Notepad document, I can copy and paste again without the unwanted formatting.
This hardworking little program is a refreshing break from the sometimes overwhelming options of programs like Word. Check it out.