Over the years, Windows has included many programs, like WordPad, that went unnoticed by many users. This surprisingly powerful text editor with useful tools allowed users to create fairly advanced text files. We say “was” because Microsoft decided to eliminate WordPad at the end of 2023 to encourage people to switch to Office.
It’s important to note that WordPad was never intended to be a full-featured text editing tool like Word. It lacked many of Word’s advanced features. However, it was a handy tool for basic text editing, working offline, and completely free.
Although WordPad has been removed in Windows 11, there are still ways to bring it back. Here’s how you can recover and use it again in the latest version of Microsoft’s operating system:
Steps to Recover WordPad program in Windows 11
As mentioned earlier, WordPad was a great alternative for writing texts quickly and easily, though it wasn’t ideal for creating complex and professional documents. If you want to bring back WordPad in Windows 11, you can do so by copying some files and resources from a previous version of Windows 11 to your current installation.
Here’s how you can recover WordPad in Windows 11:
- If you have Windows 11 version 23H2 or an earlier version, navigate to: `C:\Program Files\Windows NT\Accessories`.
- Look for three files: `wordpad.exe`, `WordPadFilter.dll`, and a localization folder for your region.
- Copy `wordpad.exe,` `WordPadFilter.dll,` and the appropriate localization folder. If you have more than one language pack installed, there will be multiple localization folders.
- Paste these files into a folder that you can easily access.
- Right-click on the executable `wordpad.exe,` select “More options” in the context menu, then click “Send to” and choose “Desktop.”
- This will create a shortcut for the WordPad executable.
- Copy or cut the shortcut you created and paste it into the path: `C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs`.
- Open the Start menu in Windows 11 and click “All applications”.
- Scroll to the end, and you will see the WordPad program listed.
- You can pin it to the taskbar or start menu for easier access.
By following these simple steps, you can recover the WordPad program in Windows 11 and continue to use it for your text editing needs.
