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When I open a .txt file from windows search, it opens minimized. How do I change that?

On Windows 7 I would search for .txt file and when pressed Enter on it, the notepad would pop up on the screen and I could access the file's contents immediately.

On Windows 11, when I search for file and open, it starts minimized. I have to go to the taskbar and select to see its content. It is rather inconvenient.

How do I make it open showing me a window? Thank you.

Hi, I’m Nicole, I’ll be happy to help you out today.

You can change the default behavior for opening .txt files in Windows 11 by following these steps:

Right-click on a .txt file and select "Open with."
Select "Choose another app."
Select "Notepad."
Check the box next to "Always use this app to open .txt files."
This should make Notepad open .txt files in a window by default.

Regards.
______________________________________________
"Fear the fearsome fury of the forest fawn."

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Set your window exactly like you want...

Use FIle / Exit to close the window (not the X) it will remember the last setting as a default

that should fix it..

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I did that; it yielded no result.

Notepad is already the default for .txt files. The problem is that it runs minimized instead of in a window.

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you can try the following steps:

Right-click the Notepad shortcut on the Desktop or Start menu and select "Properties."
In the Properties window, go to the "Shortcut" tab.
In the "Target" field, add the following text to the end of the existing path: " /notepad" (without quotes).
Click "Apply" and then "OK."
This should open Notepad in a window every time you launch it, including when you open a .txt file.
______________________________________________
"Fear the fearsome fury of the forest fawn."

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This happens:

Image

Image

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Try removing the single ' qoutes on the end of the path
______________________________________________
"Fear the fearsome fury of the forest fawn."

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There are no single quotes:

Image

I think I know what's happening. The notepad window is opening normally, but behind all the other windows I have running.

On Win 7, the notepad window would open on top of all the other ones. On Win 11 it opens behind the others; that's why I can't see it. Is there a way to move it forward and have it on top every time the program runs?

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Try this procedure to make the Notepad window always appear on top of other windows when it's opened. Here's how:

Right-click on the Notepad shortcut and select "Properties."
In the Properties window, select the "Shortcut" tab.
In the "Target" field, add the following text at the end of the existing text: " /multisession" (without the quotes).
Click "Apply" and "OK."

Now, when you open Notepad using this shortcut, it should always appear on top of other windows. Note that this only works for the shortcut you modified, not for the Notepad program itself.
______________________________________________
"Fear the fearsome fury of the forest fawn."

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Last updated April 17, 2025 Views 1,547 Applies to: