Where Did WordPad Store Settings on Windows?
Where WordPad keeps its options in the registry on Windows, and what happens now that it is removed.
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WordPad stored its handful of options in the registry, not in files: window position, ruler and toolbar toggles under the Applets Wordpad key. Documents always lived wherever you saved them, usually Documents.
Microsoft removed WordPad from Windows 11 starting with 24H2, so new installs lack both the binary and fresh keys. Leftover keys on upgraded machines do nothing. Migrate the documents, not the settings.
Where WordPad stores this, by platform
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Wordpad
Window and view options in one registry key. Absent on fresh Windows 11 24H2 installs where WordPad is removed. Documents were never stored here.
Frequently asked questions
How do I migrate WordPad to a new PC?
No. WordPad never kept a recent list worth migrating, and documents live wherever you saved them. Move the .rtf and .docx files themselves; settings were five checkboxes in the registry at most.
WordPad is gone after an update. What do I use now?
Use Word, LibreOffice Writer, or Notepad for plain text. Windows 11 24H2 and later remove WordPad entirely, and the Store offers no replacement. Old documents open fine in Word.
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