Last Updated on May 7, 2026
Now that most people have “upgraded” to Windows 11, there has been some ongoing backlash about some of the changes Microsoft has made and is making to their desktop operating system. Many of us have noticed that Microsoft has removed features that we found useful such as having the ability to move the taskbar to the side or top of the screen. They have also “updated” some of their common apps such as Photos, File Explorer and Notepad.
The updated Notepad app has some new features such as being able to use tabs to open multiple text files in one Notepad window. It will also remember what files you had open so when you open Notepad again, it will automatically load them. There is even Copilot AI integration in Notepad. Some people like these new features while others prefer the simplicity of the classic Notepad app. In this article, we will be showing you how to use both the new and classic Notepad app in Windows 11 at the same time.
In order to enable the classic Notepad app in Windows 11, you will need to perform a registry edit. You can either do this manually or download the registry files from this link. If you didn’t know, the Windows registry is a hierarchical database that stores configuration settings and options for the Windows operating system, its applications, and hardware devices.
1. Extract the Downloaded Zip File
Once you download the zip file and extract it, you should have two registry files. One will be called restore_classic_notepad.reg and the other undo_classic_notepad.reg. The first one is used to enable the classic Notepad app while the second is used to reverse the process and disable the classic Notepad app.
2. Review the Registry File Contents (Optional)
If you want to see exactly what these registry files will do before running them, you can easily open them using Notepad or another text editor application. The first file is used to securely enable the classic Notepad app, while the second is used to completely reverse the process. If you wanted to perform this registry edit manually instead, you would need to find all the keys listed below, create any that were missing, and then carefully adjust their settings to match.
Here are the contents of the registry file that will enable the classic Notepad app:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\notepad.exe]
“NoOpenWith”=-[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\notepad.exe]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\txtfilelegacy\DefaultIcon]
@=”imageres.dll,-102″[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\txtfilelegacy\shell\open\command]
@=”C:\Windows\System32\notepad.exe “%1″”[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\notepad.exe]
“UseFilter”=dword:00000000
And here are the contents of the registry file that will undo the process:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\notepad.exe]
“NoOpenWith”=””[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\txtfilelegacy\DefaultIcon][-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\txtfilelegacy\shell\open][HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\notepad.exe]
“UseFilter”=dword:00000001
3. Run the Restore Classic Notepad Registry File
A much simpler way to apply the registry edit instead of doing it manually is to just double-click on the downloaded file. Locate the extracted restore_classic_notepad.reg file and double-click it to begin the installation. When the standard security warning pops up on your screen, simply click on the Run button to proceed with the system changes.
4. Accept the User Account Control Prompt
After clicking Run, you will then need to click the Yes button for the User Account Control (UAC) prompt that will appear next. This is a built-in Windows security measure to ensure you actually want to make system-level changes. If your Windows user account is not an administrator, then you will need to supply credentials for an account that currently has administrator rights.
5. Confirm the Registry Editor Warning
Because you are making direct changes to the Windows registry, the system will ask you for one final confirmation before proceeding. You will need to click Yes again to officially approve the change and add the new keys to your registry. This step ensures that the classic Notepad settings are properly integrated into your Windows 11 configuration without errors.
6. Acknowledge the Successful Registry Update
Once you have confirmed the changes, Windows will quickly process the new registry keys in the background. You will then be notified via a small pop-up window that the changes to the registry have been made successfully. Simply click the OK button on this prompt to close it out and finish the straightforward installation process.
7. Verify Your New and Classic Notepad Options
Now it is time to test out the changes you just successfully made to your operating system. When you right-click on any text file in Windows and choose the “Open with” option, you should now see a brand new layout available. The context menu will prominently display an option for the new Notepad app as well as the newly restored classic Notepad app.
8. Set the Classic Notepad as Your Default App
If you prefer the older version, you can change the default app used to open text files entirely to the classic Notepad app. Just click on the “Choose another app” option from the right-click menu and manually select the classic version from the list. After clicking on the Always button, every time you double-click on a text file moving forward, it will seamlessly open with the classic Notepad app rather than the newer version.
9. Reverse the Process with the Undo File
If you ever change your mind and want to reverse the process, it is incredibly easy to remove the classic Notepad app from your computer. You can simply double-click on the undo_classic_notepad.reg file that you extracted back in the first step. This will automatically run the removal script and have all the previous changes to your registry reversed instantly.
If you want to use the classic Notepad app without having to edit the registry and have a shortcut to the app then check out this method.
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