Notepad: frequently asked questions

Applies to all editions of Windows Vista.
Which edition of Windows Vista am I using?

Here are answers to some common questions about Notepad.

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What is Notepad?

Notepad is a basic text editing program and it is most commonly used to view or edit text files. A text file is a file type typically identified by the .txt file name extension.

How do I open Notepad?

•	Open Notepad by clicking the Start button , clicking Programs, clicking Accessories, and then clicking Notepad.

How do I change the font style and size?

Changes to the font style and size affect all the text in the document.
1.	Click the Format menu, and then click Font.
2.	Make your selections in the Font, Font style, and Size boxes. An example of how your font will look appears under Sample.
3.	When you are finished making font selections, click OK.

How do I cut, copy, paste, or delete text?

•	To cut text so you can move it to another location, select the text, click the Edit menu, and then click Cut.
•	To copy text so you can paste it in another location, select the text, click the Edit menu, and then click Copy.
•	To paste text you have cut or copied, click the location in the file where you want to paste the text, click the Edit menu, and then click Paste.
•	To delete text, select it, click the Edit menu, and then click Delete.
•	To undo your last action, click the Edit menu, and then click Undo.

How do I print a Notepad document?

1.	Click the File menu, and then click Print.
2.	Click the General tab, select the printer and options you want, and then click Print.

To change the settings that determine how your printed document will look, click the File menu, and then click Page Setup.

How do I insert the time and date in a document?

1.	Click the location in the document where you want to add the time and date.
2.	Click the Edit menu, and then click Time/Date.

How do I find and replace specific characters or words?

To find specific characters or words

1.	Click the Edit menu, and then click Find.
2.	In the Find what box, type the characters or words you want to find.
3.	Under Direction, click Up to search from the current cursor position to the top of the document, or click Down to search from the cursor position to the bottom of the document.
4.	Click Find Next.

To replace specific characters or words

1.	Click the Edit menu, and then click Replace.
2.	In the Find what box, type the characters or words you want to find.
3.	In the Replace with box, type the replacement text.
4.	Click Find Next, and then click Replace. To replace all instances of the text, click Replace All.

To find or replace only text that matches the use of uppercase and lowercase characters specified in the Find what box, select the Match case check box.

The text in my document runs off the right edge of the screen. How can I see all of my text without scrolling?

•	To see all of your text without scrolling, click the Format menu, and then click Word Wrap.

How do I create a header or footer?

Headers and footers are text that appears in the top and bottom margins of a document.
1.	Click the File menu, and then click Page Setup.
2.	In the Header or Footer box, type the header and footer text you want to use. You can also use any of the character combinations in the following table to create more sophisticated headers and footers.

The following table describes the different character combinations that can be used when creating headers or footers.

To	Type this
Insert the date	&d
Insert the time from your computer's clock	&t
Insert the page number	&p
Insert the name of the file, or "(untitled)" if the file has no name	&f
Insert an ampersand (&)	&&
Align the header or footer to the left, center, or right	&l, &c, or &r

You can use more than one character combination in the Header or Footer box. Leave a space or two between each combination to make the header or footer easier to read.
To align text to the left, center, or right, you must first type &l, &c, or &r in the Header or Footer box, followed by any other character combinations you want to use.
You can also combine your own text with the character combinations. For example,Page &p will print out as Page 1, Page 2, and so on.

How do I change the way my document looks when it is printed?

Click the File menu, and then click Page Setup.

In the Page Setup dialog box, do any of the following:

•	To change the paper size, click a size in the Size list.
•	To change the paper source, click a tray name or a feeder in the Source list.
•	To print the document vertically, click Portrait; to print the document horizontally, click Landscape.
•	To change the margins, type a width in any of the Margins boxes.

When you are finished making changes, click OK.

How do I go to a specific line in a Notepad document?

You can go to a specific line in a Notepad document even if the document does not display line numbers. Lines are counted down the left margin beginning at the top of the document.

1.	Click the Edit menu, and then click Go To.
2.	In the Line Number box, type the line number you want the cursor to jump to, and then click OK.