Best Notepad Tricks for Windows Users

Posted on by Notepad user
Best Notepad Tricks for Windows Users

Introduction

Notepad has been around since the early versions of Windows, and at first glance, it looks like a very simple text editor. But hidden inside this small app are amazing tricks that can make it fun and powerful. From creating logs and running simple programs to making pranks and writing code, Notepad offers much more than just typing text.

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In this article, we’ll explore the best Notepad tricks for Windows users that you probably didn’t know before.

1. Create Automatic Logs

Want to keep a diary or daily activity record? Notepad can do it automatically.

Steps:

  1. Open Notepad.
  2. Type LOG in capital letters at the very top.
  3. Save the file with a .log extension (e.g., mylog.log).
  4. Every time you open the file, Notepad will add the current date and time automatically.

👉 Perfect for journals, meeting notes, or daily task tracking.

2. Insert Date and Time with One Key

Instead of typing the date manually, just press F5. Notepad instantly inserts the current date and time wherever your cursor is.

👉 Great for adding timestamps to notes or logs.

3. Create a Personal Diary

Combine the .log trick with F5, and you can maintain a personal diary inside Notepad. Each entry gets a timestamp automatically.

Run Simple Batch Programs

Notepad can be used to create .bat files that execute commands.

Example:

@echo off
echo Hello! This is my first batch file.
pause

Steps:

  1. Write this in Notepad.
  2. Save as hello.bat.
  3. Double-click the file to run.

👉 Windows will execute the commands in Command Prompt.

5. Create a Shutdown Prank

You can prank your friends by writing a shutdown script.

Code:

@echo off
msg * Your system will shut down!
shutdown -s -t 30 -c "Goodbye!"

Save as prank.bat. Double-clicking it will start a shutdown timer (30 seconds).
👉 To cancel, open Command Prompt and type:

shutdown -a

6. Make a Matrix Falling Code Effect

Want to see the famous “Matrix” effect?

Code:

@echo off
color 02
:matrix
echo %random% %random% %random% %random%
goto matrix

Save as matrix.bat and run it. You’ll see green random numbers flowing like the movie scene

7. Turn Notepad into a Digital Reminder

You can make simple reminders using VBScript.

Code:

x=msgbox("Don't forget to drink water!",0+64,"Reminder")

Save as reminder.vbs. Running it will show a popup message.

👉 You can customize the text for daily reminders.

8. Create a Password-Protected Folder

Notepad can generate a batch file that locks and unlocks folders.

Code:

cls
@ECHO OFF
title Folder Locker
if EXIST "Private" goto UNLOCK
if NOT EXIST "Private" goto MDLOCKER
:CONFIRM
echo Do you want to lock the folder? (Y/N)
set/p "cho=>"
if %cho%==Y goto LOCK
if %cho%==y goto LOCK
if %cho%==N goto END
if %cho%==n goto END
:LOCK
ren Private "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
attrib +h +s "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
echo Folder Locked
goto End
:UNLOCK
echo Enter password to unlock folder:
set/p "pass=>"
if NOT %pass%==mypassword goto FAIL
attrib -h -s "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
ren "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" Private
echo Folder Unlocked
goto End
:FAIL
echo Invalid Password
goto end
:MDLOCKER
md Private
echo Private folder created
goto End
:End

👉 Save as locker.bat, run it, and it will create a Private folder. Replace mypassword with your own password.

9. Speak Text Using Notepad

You can make your computer speak text using VBScript.

Code:

Dim message, sapi
message=InputBox("Enter text to speak")
Set sapi=CreateObject("sapi.spvoice")
sapi.Speak message

Save as speak.vbs. When you run it, type a message and your computer will read it aloud.

10. Use Notepad for Coding (HTML, CSS, JS)

Notepad is great for writing simple code. Example:

HTML Example:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>My Page</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Hello World!</h1>
</body>
</html>

Save as index.html and open in a browser.

👉 You can also create CSS and JavaScript files the same way.

11. Endless Message Box Trick

You can create a never-ending series of message boxes.

Code:

Do
MsgBox "You are stuck in a loop!"
Loop

Save as loop.vbs. Running it will keep popping up windows until you close it via Task Manager.

12. Make Fun ASCII Art

Since Notepad works with plain text, you can draw creative ASCII art and save it. Websites also offer ready-made ASCII designs you can paste.

Conclusion

Notepad is more than just a plain text editor—it can be a tool for productivity, coding, automation, and even fun tricks. From logs and reminders to batch scripts and pranks, you can explore countless creative uses.

So next time you open Notepad, try out one of these tricks and see how powerful this simple Windows app can be.

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