It was Notepad, but not as he knew it. It had shadows. It had rounded corners that seemed to float above the desktop wallpaper. A status bar at the bottom announced the column and row numbers with aggressive precision. There was a "Carbon" theme applied by default, painting the interface in a sleek, flattened obsidian.

Replacing the old Notepad with the new Notepad in Windows 11 is usually a matter of updating through the and ensuring the Default apps settings are correctly set. Embracing the modern version gives you essential, modern editing tools while keeping the simplicity you love. Are you trying to set Notepad for specific file types? Are you running a home or enterprise version of Windows 11? Do you need tips on making the new Notepad faster? Share public link

: Notepad++ is designed to be so efficient that it uses minimal CPU power, thereby reducing your computer's power consumption and helping lower the world's carbon dioxide emissions.

The classic Notepad we knew for years was intentionally limited. It served as a quick, no-frills scratchpad without formatting, tabs, or session saving. This began to change as Microsoft repositioned Notepad as a more significant part of the Windows ecosystem.

A: Yes, you can uninstall the modern Notepad from Settings > Apps, and the classic version may return, though Microsoft is pushing for the modern one to be the default.

The legacy Win32 executable ( notepad.exe ) still exists deep within the system directories for compatibility.

What text editor do you use on Windows 11? Are you sticking with the new Notepad, or have you already moved on? Let me know in the comments below.

Click on Apps in the left sidebar, then select Default apps .

Windows 11 treats the new Notepad as a packaged UWP (Universal Windows Platform) app. You can completely uninstall it to prevent it from interfering with your workflow. Step 1: Open Settings Press Windows Key + I to open Settings. Step 2: Locate Installed Apps Go to > Installed apps . Step 3: Remove Notepad

: To ensure the classic version appears in "Open with" menus, open and navigate to:

You can make the modern Notepad feel much more like the classic version by turning off the extra "fluff" in its settings.

But for the rest of us? It’s still a toy.

After this, Notepad++ will be the sole application that opens when you double-click any text file.