Notepad app Archives

Winsage

February 11, 2026

Microsoft fixes six actively exploited flaws in latest Windows 11 update

Microsoft's February 2026 Patch Tuesday addressed 59 vulnerabilities in Windows 11, with six confirmed as actively exploited. The most critical vulnerability is CVE-2026-21510, a Windows Shell security feature bypass with a CVSS rating of 8.8, allowing attackers to evade warnings by tricking users into opening malicious files. Another significant vulnerability, CVE-2026-21513, also rated at 8.8, affects MSHTML and allows remote attackers to bypass execution prompts through malicious code in HTML or shortcut files. CVE-2026-21514 impacts Microsoft Word and enables adversaries to disable OLE mitigations, posing risks through document-based attacks. Two local privilege escalation vulnerabilities are CVE-2026-21519 in Desktop Window Manager and CVE-2026-21533 in Windows Remote Desktop Services, with CVSS scores of 7.8. CVE-2026-21525 is a denial-of-service vulnerability in Remote Access Connection Manager. The update includes 53 additional vulnerabilities across various Microsoft products and services, with CVE-2026-21531 in Azure SDK rated at 9.8 and CVE-2026-20841 affecting Windows Notepad rated at 8.8. The cumulative update for Windows 11 (KB5077181) also includes enhancements and resolves WPA3 Wi-Fi connectivity issues. Microsoft reminded users of the June 2026 expiration of Secure Boot certificates, which requires timely updates to ensure secure booting. Users can install the updates via Windows Update.

Winsage

February 1, 2026

5 Essential Free Apps That Aren’t Available On The Microsoft Store

The Microsoft Store has recently added applications like VLC, Foobar2000, Firefox, and Brave, but several essential applications are still missing, leading users to download installers from developers' websites. Microsoft has discontinued support for Office installations via the store, and the transition to allowing Win32 app formats has introduced more applications, although many developers may find this shift too late, with full support for Win32 apps not expected until 2025. Notable applications currently unavailable on the Microsoft Store include: - Steam: A critical gaming platform with over 140 million users, absent from the store due to Valve's competition with Microsoft. - Notepad++: A popular text and code editor known for its simplicity and versatility, requiring direct download from its official website. - Calibre: An open-source e-book manager that allows users to organize, convert, and enrich e-books, also needing to be downloaded from its official site. - qBittorrent: A free and open-source torrent client offering a clean interface and extensive features, available only through direct download from its official website. - Paint.net: While available on the Microsoft Store for a fee, it can be downloaded for free from the developer's website, providing robust image editing features.

Winsage

January 22, 2026

Notepad and Paint updates begin rolling out to Windows Insiders

The latest updates for Notepad (version 11.2512.10.0) and Paint (version 11.2512.191.0) are being rolled out to users in the Canary and Dev Channels of Windows 11. Notepad now includes expanded lightweight formatting capabilities with additional Markdown syntax features such as strikethrough formatting and nested lists. A revamped welcome experience has been introduced to help users learn about the app's features, which can be accessed via a megaphone icon. The update also enhances support for AI text features, allowing for quicker streaming results for Write, Rewrite, and Summarize, requiring users to sign in with their Microsoft account. Paint's update introduces an AI-powered Coloring book feature that allows users to create coloring book pages from text prompts and a fill tolerance slider for greater control over the Fill tool. The Coloring book feature is available only on Copilot+ PCs, and users must sign in with their Microsoft account to access it.

Winsage

December 7, 2025

Notepad on Windows 11 can now make Markdown tables — here’s how to master it

Notepad on Windows 11 has been upgraded to version 11.2510.6.0, introducing table support that enhances its Markdown capabilities. This feature allows users to create tables using Markdown syntax, providing a simple way to organize information without competing with spreadsheet applications like Excel. Users can open Notepad, ensure they have the correct version, define rows and columns using Markdown, preview the table, and save their document to preserve the table's structure.

Winsage

November 24, 2025

Microsoft adds tables and more AI to Notepad — what happened to the app we loved?

Windows 11's Notepad app is receiving new features for testing by Windows Insiders, including support for bold and italic text, hyperlinks, lists, and headings. The introduction of AI capabilities, such as streaming responses for the Write, Rewrite, and Summarize tools, has led to mixed user feedback, with many expressing dissatisfaction over the integration of AI into the traditionally simple application. Users have voiced concerns about feature bloat, with some feeling that Notepad is losing its identity as a lightweight tool. There is a growing sentiment of AI fatigue among users, reflecting frustration with unnecessary AI tools in applications where they are not needed.

Winsage

September 18, 2025

Notepad gets free AI features on Copilot+ PCs with Windows 11

Microsoft is enhancing Notepad for users with Copilot+ PCs running Windows 11 by integrating AI-powered text writing capabilities in Notepad version 11.2508.28.0, currently rolling out to Windows 11 Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels. The new features include text summarization, rewriting, and generation, available exclusively for English content. Users with a Microsoft 365 subscription can switch between local and cloud AI models, while those without a subscription can still use the local model. The AI options can be disabled in settings or users can uninstall the updated Notepad to revert to the classic version. Since the redesign of Notepad in December 2021, Microsoft has added features like multiple tabs, a character counter, text formatting, spell-check, and autocorrect. Additionally, updates for the Paint app now support Photoshop-like project files and an opacity slider, while the Snipping Tool has introduced a "Quick markup" feature for faster screenshot annotations.

Winsage

August 4, 2025

How to get started with Markdown in the Notepad app for Windows 11

The Notepad application in Windows 11 now supports the Markdown (.md) file format, allowing users to create and edit Markdown documents without needing additional software. To enable Markdown, users must open Notepad, access the Settings, and toggle the "Formatting" switch to on. To create a Markdown document, users save their file with a ".md" extension and can utilize a toolbar for formatting options such as headings, lists, and links. Markdown syntax supported includes titles, bold and italic text, and lists. Users can switch between formatted and raw views and can disable Markdown support by toggling the "Formatting" switch to off in the Settings. While Markdown support is a useful addition, it is limited compared to dedicated text editors, and users may encounter formatting warnings for unsupported syntax.

Winsage

July 7, 2025

Hands on with Windows 11 Notepad’s new markdown support

Notepad in Windows 11 has introduced markdown capabilities, allowing users to format text with features such as headings, subheadings, body text, bullet points, and numbered lists. The markdown formatting is enabled by default and can be accessed through a new formatting toolbar or by using syntax like "###" for headings. Additionally, users can apply bold and italic styles and include hyperlinks. Notepad remains lightweight, with minimal CPU and memory usage, and users can disable formatting in the Settings menu if desired.

Winsage

July 2, 2025

Microsoft just gave the Windows 11 Notepad app a controversial feature that people are either loving or hating

Windows 11's Notepad app has received an update that introduces new formatting capabilities, making it more similar to the retired WordPad. Users are receiving this update through the Microsoft Store for the stable version of Windows 11. Reactions to the update are mixed; some users appreciate the enhancements, while others feel that Notepad is becoming bloated with unnecessary features. Microsoft has included a toggle feature that allows users to disable the new formatting options, enabling them to revert to the traditional Notepad experience.

Winsage

June 2, 2025

Microsoft updates Notepad app with new features after decades

Microsoft's Notepad is undergoing an update that introduces enhanced formatting features, moving away from its traditional minimalist design. The new version will support "lightweight formatting," including Markdown-style input, a formatting toolbar for bold, italic, hyperlinks, lists, and headings. Users who prefer the classic Notepad can revert to its original simplicity by clearing formatting or disabling new features in the app settings. Notepad was first launched in 1983 as "Multi-Tool Notepad" and became a part of the Windows operating system starting with Windows 1.0 in 1985.