


How do I fix Notepad if it's not working properly? (Basic troubleshooting steps)
Jul 25, 2025 am 12:55 AMIf Notepad does not work properly, you can try the following steps to solve it: 1. Check whether Notepad is unresponsive, try to close and restart; 2. Run the system file checker (sfc /scannow) to repair possible system file corruption; 3. Reset or reinstall Notepad by settings or PowerShell; 4. Use WordPad, command prompt, PowerShell or online editor temporarily instead. These problems are simple and effective, and the Notepad function can be restored without complex technology.
If Notepad isn't working right, it can be frustrating, especially since it's one of the simplest tools we rely on for quick text editing. The good news is that many common issues can be resolved with basic troubleshooting steps — no advanced tech skills needed.
Check if Notepad is responding
Sometimes Notepad may look frozen or unresponsive, but the fix is simple. First, try clicking on the window to see if it's just slow to load. If nothing happens, open Task Manager (Ctrl Shift Esc), go to the Processes tab, find Notepad , and click End Task . Then reopen it.
If this happens often:
- Make sure your system isn't overloaded with too many programs running at once.
- Try rebooting your computer before jumping into more complex fixes.
Run a System File Checker scan
Corrupted system files can cause built-in apps like Notepad to stop working. Windows has a built-in tool called System File Checker (sfc) that scans and repairs these files.
Here's how to use it:
- Open Command Prompt as administrator.
- Type
sfc /scannow
and press Enter. - Wait for the scan to finish — it might take a few minutes.
- If it finds issues, it will attempt to fix them automatically.
After this, restart your PC and check if Notepad works again.
Reset or reinstall Notepad (Windows 10/11)
While Notepad is a core system app, in newer Windows versions, it's technically a UWP app and can sometimes become corrupted or misconfigured.
You can try resetting it:
- Go to Settings > Apps > Optional Features .
- Find Notepad in the list, expand it, and choose Uninstall .
- Then reinstall it from the same menu by clicking Add feature and selecting Notepad again.
Alternatively, you can use PowerShell to reset it:
- Open PowerShell as admin.
- Run:
Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.Windows.Notepad | Reset-AppxPackage
This often clears up glitches without affecting your system stability.
Try a basic alternative temporary
If you're stuck and need to edit text fast, you don't have to wait for Notepad to be fixed. Use any of these built-in alternatives:
- WordPad – More feature-rich and usually stable.
- Command Prompt or PowerShell – You can create or edit text files using commands like
notepad filename.txt
orecho test > filename.txt
. - Web-based editors – Google Docs or even GitHub's online editor work well for basic edits.
These steps cover most of the everyday issues people run into with Notepad. Fixing it doesn't usually require complicated tools — just a few standard checks and resets.
The above is the detailed content of How do I fix Notepad if it's not working properly? (Basic troubleshooting steps). For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

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