Notepad is one of the very basic yet extremely useful components of any system. Though recently, a lot of Windows 10 users have been reportedly complaining that Notepad is not opening on their computer. The issue is majorly reported after users installed a Windows update and they were unable to launch Notepad either through the Windows search or the File Explorer.

Further users have also reported that they were unable to directly launch text files with the Notepad. In some cases, even when Notepad was appearing in the search results, they were not able to click and launch it. Or Notepad.exe was not even present in its installation directory. However, no matter whatever the reasons and circumstances are, the error is resolvable, and we have got enough fixes for the same. Have a look down below:

How to Fix Notepad is Not Opening In Windows 10 Issue?

Before you proceed with the fixes, try to launch Notepad via File Explorer from the following locations (if present):

  • C:\WINDOWS\system32
  • C:\Windows\SysWOW64

Or, if your system was any day a part of a multi-display setup, then consider checking and confirming if the Notepad application is not launched on the phantom display.

Though if it does not help, then move to the fixes below:

FIX 1: Disable/Remove the Conflicting Applications:

If other programs and applications in your system are creating any conflict with the functioning of Notepad, you might come across the Notepad as not an opening issue. Here the best solution is to remove or disable those conflicting programs/ applications and check whether it helps or not.

  • Firstly, Boot your computer into Safe Mode and then check if Notepad is working finely or not.
  • If it is, then perform a Clean Boot into your system, and it will resolve the Notepad is not Opening issue in general as well.
  • If this happens, then consider enabling the programs and applications one after the other until you find the problematic one.
  • Once you locate the Problematic application, either Navigate to Task Manager and disable it under the Startup tab section. Or navigate to Settings and then Apps and uninstall the application completely.

FIX 2: Use the SFC and DISM Commands:

At times when the essential system files are corrupt, it might also cause the “Notepad is not Opening in Windows 10” issue. Here the best solution is to use the SFC and DISM commands, the commands will clear the file’s corruption and check whether it helps or not. For doing so, follow the steps given below:

  • Firstly, go to the desktop search bar, type cmd, and launch Command Prompt window from the search result. Make sure you launch it with admin access.
  • Now inside the Command Prompt window, type sfc /scannow and then press Enter.
  • After the Command has successfully run, check whether the said issue got resolved or not.
  • However, if not, then consider running the DISM command. For doing so,
  • Inside the Command Prompt window, type or copy + paste the following command and then press Enter.

Dism /Online /Add-Capability /CapabilityName: Microsoft.Windows.Notepad~~~~0.0.1.0

  • If it alone cannot resolve the issue then, type or copy + paste the following command and then press Enter after each command.

dism.exe /online /cleanup-image /scanhealth

dism.exe /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth

  • Once done, check whether it helps or not.

FIX 3: Set the Notepad as the Default Text Editor and Enable the Background Apps:

When no application is set as default to open the text files, and the user has disabled the background apps, then it might impact Notepad from opening. Here the Windows search fails to fetch the Notepad result.

Also, if the user is utilizing another application for a text editor, then that editor is automatically set as default app to launch the text files. Further, even after removing that specific editor, the setting does not revert to Notepad. Here in case, the best solution is to set the Notepad as the Default Text Editor for opening the text files along with enabling the operations of the background apps. Then check whether it helps or not. Have a look at the details:

For Setting Notepad as the Default App to Open the Text Files:

  • Firstly, press Windows + X simultaneously to launch the Power User menu and then navigate to Apps & Features.
  • Now on the left-pane menu, navigate to the option Default Apps and then click on Choose Default Apps by File Type from the right-pane menu.
  • On the next screen, scroll down the list until you locate the ‘.txt’ file. Once you find it click on the option in front of it (either it might show some other app or Choose A Default).
  • Further, under the Choose an App section, click on Notepad and then restart your computer.
  • Lastly, check whether Notepad is opening smoothly or not.

For Enabling the Background Apps:

  • Firstly, navigate to the desktop search bar, type Background Apps, and then open the relevant search result.
  • On the next screen, at the right-pane menu, toggle ON the button for the option Let Apps Run in the Background.
  • Further, make sure that all the applications under the Choose Which Apps Can Run in the Background section are enabled.
  • Now restart your computer.

Once done, check whether the said issue got resolved or not. If yes, then disable the apps under Choose Which Can Run in the Background until you find the problematic one amongst them. Once you find it, consider keeping it enabled and disable all the other apps that are not essential.

FIX 4: Reinstall the Notepad:

The “Notepad is not Opening in Windows 10” might occur when the installation is corrupt. Here the best solution is to reinstall Notepad; more specifically, re-add the Notepad feature and check whether it helps or not. For doing so, follow the steps given below:

  • Firstly, press Windows + I altogether and launch the Settings window.
  • Now navigate to Apps -> Optional Features.
  • Further, expand Notepad from the list of options and then click on Uninstall.
  • Once the uninstallation process gets completed, restart your computer.
  • After your system restarts, follow the step 1 and step 2 again and navigate to Optional features.
  • Here click on Add a Features and further in the Add an Optional Feature search bar, type Notepad, and then tick the checkbox located before the option Notepad (from the search results).
  • Now click on the Install tab and let the installation process get completed.
  • Lastly, restart your computer and check whether the said issue got resolved or not.

If the problem still persists, then we would recommend you to install the Microsoft Store version of Notepad (if applicable for you) and check for improvement.

Fix 5: Edit the System’s Registry:

At times, when the registry key relevant to the Notepad application is wrongly configured, Notepad might fail to operate in your system. Here if you will edit the System’s registry, it might help in resolving the problem. For doing so, follow the steps given below:

  • Firstly, navigate to the desktop search bar, type Regedit, and launch the Registry Editor window. Make sure you launch it with admin access.
  • Now navigate to Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\
  • Further on the left-pane menu, under the Image File Execution Options, locate Notepad.exe, right-click over it and then click on Delete.
  • Confirm your action and then exit the Registry editor window.
  • Lastly, restart your computer and check whether it helped or not.

FIX 6: Create a New User Account:

At last, if none of the above-mentioned fixes work for you, then we would recommend you to create a new user account (preferably an administrator account) and check whether it helps or not. At times, if the Windows user profile is corrupt, it might keep the Notepad from opening.

  • Create a new local administrator user account and then log out of your current account.
  • Further log in using the new account and launch the Notepad. Check whether it launches swiftly or not.
  • Now, if the new user account launches Notepad swiftly then,
  • Either copy-paste the EXE file for Notepad from the new account to the problematic user account.
  • Or acquire the EXE file for Notepad from another trusted computer.
  • Though in case the issue still persists, then check if editing the %PATH% environment variable helps or not.
  • Or perform a repair install of Windows and check for improvements.

Here were the top 6 solutions for the “Notepad is not Opening in Windows 10” issue. If you are also one of the suffered users, then we would recommend you to try all the fixes mentioned in the article above within the same pattern and check which of them helps you.

At the end of the article, we hope that all the information here will prove helpful and relevant for you. If you have any queries or feedback, please write down the comment in the below comment box.