Microsoft decided to give WordPad the boot in its latest Windows update. But don’t worry, we’re not letting this trusty old text editor go without a fight!

Restoring WordPad in Windows 11 24H2: A Guide - (Image Source: uwinpc.com)

First of all, why would we bother? Well, WordPad has always been that perfect middle ground between simple Notepad and full-blown Word. It handles our documentation work with Rich Text Format (RTF) files like a champion. It lets you do some basic formatting and even add images, without having to fire up a bulky word processor. Plus, it works offline – no internet required!

How to Restore WordPad on Windows 11

Now, let’s get our hands dirty and bring WordPad back to life:

First of all, we need to find the WordPad files. If you have an older version of Windows (before 24H2) that should be it. Go to the C:\Program Files\Windows NT\Accessories folder, and you’ll find several files there. Looking for wordpad.exe, WordpadFilter.dll and a folder named en-US (or your language code).

WordPad Files Directory Path Open - (Image Source: uwinpc.com)

No old Windows? No problem! Some kind souls have uploaded these files online. Just make sure you're downloading from a trustworthy source - we don't want any digital nasties piggybacking on our WordPad revival.

Now that you've got the files, it's time for some good old-fashioned copy-paste action. Grab those files and put them back where they belong in Windows 11.

Double-click on wordpad.exe. Suppose all goes well, and you should see that familiar WordPad interface pop up.

Let's rearrange WordPad. Right-click on WordPad.exe and send a shortcut to your desktop. Want to do anything else? Copy that shortcut to C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs. Now WordPad is back in the Start Menu as if it were never gone.

WordPad Right-click to add a shortcut on your desktop - (Image Source: uwinpc.com)

Remember how WordPad used to be the default way to open RTF files? Let's set it up again. Right-click on the RTF file, choose "Open with," then "Choose another app." Find your resurrected WordPad exe and set it as the default. You may need to do this for other file types, too, like .txt or .odt.

WordPad adds a default way to open RTF Files - (Image Source: uwinpc.com)

Some may wonder why we bother with all this when there are newer, shinier text editors available. WordPad has been a trusted friend over the years, always there whenever you need to jot down some quick notes or open RTF without any fuss.

WordPad back from the dead in Windows 11 24H2 - (Image Source: uwinpc.com) 

Your guide to bringing WordPad back from the dead in Windows 11 24H2. Here's a guide for you from UWinPC. Who knows? Maybe in a few years, we'll look back and laugh at how we couldn't let go of our beloved WordPad text editor.