Windows 11 24H2 is a big release with features like Sudo for Windows, faster animation, and some nifty additions like the “refresh” button for Wi-Fi. However, it also has several known issues and a change that might disappoint some of you. Windows 11 2024 Update pulls the plug on WordPad.
As soon as you install Windows 11 24H2 update through Installation Assistant or .ISO files, you’ll notice that WordPad is no longer installed. Microsoft has deprecated WordPad and removed all related files starting with Windows 11 2024 Update.
WordPad.exe is no longer present in Windows 11. When I asked Microsoft, the company told me to read the support document, which states that WordPad is no longer needed since you have better options like MS Word. You can use Notepad instead, which has been updated with many new features, including tabs.
WordPad will remain available in older versions of Windows, including Windows 11 23H2, Windows 11 22H2, and Windows 10 21H2. However, it has been removed from Windows 11 2024 Update and Windows Server 2025, which are also being released alongside the consumer update.
According to the company, it is better to use MS Word for editing text documents like .doc and .rtf. On the other hand, if you’d like to edit plain texts like .txt or play with a text editor, Notepad is the way to go.
“WordPad is removed from all editions of Windows starting in Windows 11, version 24H2 and Windows Server 2025,” Microsoft noted in the support document. “We recommend Microsoft Word for rich text documents like .doc and .rtf and Windows Notepad for plain text documents like .txt.”
Microsoft warns that certain binaries have been removed, which might affect third-party apps relying on WordPad. First and foremost, since Windows no longer has a default RTF reader, you won’t be able to open .rtf files by default unless you have Word installed.
Windows 11 24H2 update removes the following binaries associated with WordPad:
- Wordpad.exe
- wordpadfilter.dll
- write.exe
This means third-party apps that push people to open their documentation in WordPad by relying on the above binaries must update their apps.
Devs are now recommended to send users to Word or Notepad.
But can you have WordPad back? Yes, we’ve got you covered.
If you haven’t upgraded to Windows 11 2024 Update, you can simply back up the “Accessories” folder under C:\Program Files\Windows NT\Accessories.
If you add the folder to your new Windows installation, you’ll be able to use WordPad again. It’s that simple.
In case you’ve already upgraded, Windows Latest created a backup archive, which you can use to bring back WordPad. You can get it from our OneDrive. The archive (.zip) has these folders:
- en-US with wordpad.exe.mui
- wordpad.exe
- WordpadFilter.dll
Extract the .zip file and move these files to the Accessories folder, as shown in the screenshot below.
Once you’re done, you can use WordPad again, but remember that it will not show up in the search results or Start menu. You can pin it to the taskbar or create a desktop shortcut, and it will also appear in search results.