Notepad’s Subtle Makeover

by | Sep 22, 2025 | Software

Sep 25 Notepad

Exciting new formatting tools for Notepad

When was the last time you opened Notepad and thought, “I wish I could make this text bold or add a heading”?

Probably never, right?

But Microsoft is quietly giving Notepad a little upgrade that could make a surprising difference. Especially for those of us who use it to jot down quick notes, meeting minutes, or even team checklists.

Notepad has always been the simplest of simple tools. It opens instantly, saves fast, and doesn’t get in your way. That’s exactly why so many people love it.

What’s Changing?

Now, Microsoft is testing a light touch of formatting features. Things like bold and italic text, hyperlinks, headings, and even basic bullet points.

The idea is to give us just enough control to make our notes clearer, without turning Notepad into a full-blown word processor.

The formatting is based on something called markdown. That’s a widely used, no-fuss way to add structure to plain text using simple symbols. For example, putting a couple of asterisks around a word makes it bold.

It’s neat, clean, and doesn’t add any of the heaviness you’d associate with Word or other big editing tools. And if formatting isn’t your thing? No problem. It can be turned off completely.

Can I switch it off? 

Some people worry that adding features like this risks bloating the app and making it slower. But in this case, the changes are minimal and optional. It’s more like giving your notebook a nicer pen. Not turning it into a printing press.

And with WordPad now officially retired, there’s definitely a gap for a tool that sits somewhere between “plain text” and “full document.”

For businesses, especially smaller ones without complex systems for documentation, this could be a handy middle ground. Being able to better structure your notes can save time and make your messages clearer.

It’s not flashy, but it’s thoughtful.

How can I get it?

It’s another small sign that Microsoft is modernising even the most basic tools in Windows 11 without losing what made them useful in the first place.

Keep an eye out for the update if you’re using Windows 11 – it is due very soon. And maybe give those bold headings a try next time you’re scribbling a to-do list.

What next?

One of my passions is helping businesses to succeed and if I can help you save some money as well – even better. You can fill out our contact form, phone us or click on the appointment button below and let’s start a conversation to see if I can help your business. Our guarantee:

  • There are no hidden charges – this is a 100% free 15 minute consultation with no hidden charges.
  • We will never spam you or sell on your contact details.
  • We will treat your information with absolute confidentiality.
Book Now
AI, Productivity
A professional working at a laptop showing an Excel spreadsheet with charts beside the words "Excel is learning your rules", illustrating Copilot learning a firm's formatting and reporting preferences.

Excel Is Learning Your Rules: What Copilot’s New Memory Means for Regulated Firms

Most people think AI in Excel is about faster number crunching. The latest Copilot update is quietly more significant: Excel is starting to learn how your firm actually works, remembering how you format figures, structure reports and apply your team's conventions. For regulated firms, that promises genuine consistency, but it also raises a governance question. This post explains what is changing, where the real value sits, and why human oversight still matters.

Read More

AI
A professional at a desk reviewing AI-drafted client communications, illustrating the balance between automation and the personal, human service regulated firms depend on.

AI Can Save Your Firm Hours, But It Must Never Replace the Human Voice Clients Trust

Have you noticed how many firms' websites, emails and letters are starting to sound identical? Professional, polished and completely forgettable. As AI becomes part of everyday professional practice, the firms that stand out are the ones that still sound human. This post explains where AI genuinely saves regulated firms time, where it quietly erodes the trust clients pay for, and how to keep the efficiency without losing your voice.

Read More

AI
A smiling man holding up a bright yellow sticky note marked "A.I." with a downturned mouth drawn beneath the letters, beside the headline "Do you know which AI tools your team uses?" and the Absolutely PC logo.

Do You Actually Know Which AI Tools Your Team Is Using?

AI may not be the biggest risk in your firm. The bigger risk might be that nobody is talking about it. Many regulated firms are convinced they have not adopted AI, yet their people are quietly using public tools to draft client emails and summarise sensitive documents. This post explains why unmanaged AI spreads so quickly, where the real compliance exposure sits, and how an open conversation turns a hidden risk into a governed one.

Read More

AI
A robotic hand reaching down toward an open human hand on a hot pink background, with bold text reading "AI: Who's helping who here?" and the Absolutely PC logo.

When Your People Become the Glue Between Systems: The Hidden Compliance Cost of “Human Middleware”

AI was supposed to make regulated work simpler. Instead, many firms find their people quietly acting as the glue between disconnected systems, copying client data by hand, re-checking outputs and bridging tools that will not integrate. It can feel productive while it happens, but each manual handoff is an unlogged, unaudited control gap. Here is how to spot "human middleware" in your firm and why a governance-first review of your technology matters.

Read More