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How to Fix Missing Notepad in Windows 10 & 11 (reinstall notepad)

Is Notepad missing from Windows 10 or Windows 11? Here is how to fix the missing Notepad error and reinstall Notepad in Windows.

Windows 10 and Windows 11 both come preinstalled with Notepad. As most of you know, Notepad is a basic text editor. i.e., it doesn’t provide rich text formatting. It is an excellent tool for simple text files, short-form documents, and quick and simple scripts. If you want to code, you cannot use rich text programs like Word or WordPad; you have to use Notepad or other special software like VS Code, Notepad Plus Plus, Sublime Text, etc.

Though the Notepad application in Windows appears simple and basic, those characteristics make it so versatile and dependable. Whenever you want to create an unformatted text file, Notepad is the way to go.

As good and helpful as Notepad is, sometimes, it just goes missing, and you cannot open it. If you try to search for Notepad in the Start menu, you will not see the Notepad result; you cannot find the notepad.exe file in the File Explorer, etc. There is no concrete reason why the Notepad is missing, but some of the most likely causes are bugs in Windows Update, sudden system shutdown while the Notepad is open, corrupted system files, virus or malware problems, etc. The good thing is, unlike in previous Windows versions, you can fix the problem with just a few clicks. There is no need to refresh or reset Windows.

If Notepad is missing in Windows 10 or Windows 11 computer, follow the below steps to fix the missing Notepad problem and reinstall Notepad.

  1. Using optional features
  2. DISM command

Fix Missing Notepad with Optional Features

In Windows 10 and Windows 11, Notepad is available as an optional feature. When the Notepad is missing or uninstalled Notepad manually, you can reinstall Notepad from Optional Features. Here is how.

Note: Make sure you are connected to the Internet.

In Windows 10:

  1. Press “Start key + I” to open Settings.
  2. Select “Apps.”
  3. Select “Apps & features.”
  4. Click on the “Optional features” link on the main page.
  5. Press the “Add a feature“ button.
  6. Search for “Notepad.”
  7. Select the Notepad checkbox.
  8. Click the “Install” button.
  9. Notepad will be installed instantly.
  10. With that, you have fixed the missing Notepad in Windows 10.
fix missing notepad in windows

In Windows 11:

  1. Open Microsoft Store.
  2. Search for “Windows Notepad.”
  3. Click the “Get” and “Install” buttons.
  4. Notepad will be installed instantly.
  5. With that, you have fixed the missing Notepad in Windows 11.

Important note: Sometimes, you might see the Notepad entry even after installing Notepad. In that case, go to the “C:\Windows\System32” folder to find the notepad.exe. You can add a shortcut to the notepad.exe in the Start menu folder to make it appear in the Start menu.

notepad.exe file

DISM command to fix missing Notepad problem

You can fix the missing Notepad in Windows problem using the DISM command. This method works the same in Windows 10 and Windows 11. You need to do two main things, i.e., first, remove the Notepad entirely and then install or add it again. That way, the missing Notepad will be fixed properly. Here is how to do it.

Press the Start menu, type “Command Prompt,” right-click on the result and choose “Run as administrator.” This will open the CMD window with admin rights.

In the admin CMD window, paste the following command and press Enter. This command will remove Notepad from Windows.

dism /Online /Remove-Capability /CapabilityName:Microsoft.Windows.Notepad~~~~0.0.1.0

After the first command, execute the following command. This command will add the Notepad application to Windows.

dism /Online /add-Capability /CapabilityName:Microsoft.Windows.Notepad~~~~0.0.1.0

With that, you have successfully restored Notepad in Windows.

I hope that helps.

If you need help, use the comments form to let me know.

3 thoughts on “How to Fix Missing Notepad in Windows 10 & 11 (reinstall notepad)”

  1. Avatar for Ashley Casey

    After trying to do this task

    dism /Online /Remove-Capability /CapabilityName:Microsoft.Windows.Notepad~~~~0.
    My computer show me this error.

    Error: 740

    Elevated permissions are required to run DISM.
    Use an elevated command prompt to complete these tasks.

    Could you please tell me how can I fix it or can give permission to run DISM.

    1. Avatar for Bashkarla

      You have to open the Command Prompt window as admin. To do that, search for Command Prompt in the Start menu, right-click on the Command Prompt option, and select Run as administrator.

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