How to Open a Text File in Word Instead of Notepad
Question details
The user needs to open a document saved as a .txt file in Microsoft Word and restore correct file associations so Word documents do not default to opening in Notepad.
- Product
- Microsoft Word
- Device & OS
- Windows
- Scenario
- A document was accidentally opened or saved in Notepad resulting in a plain text file, or Windows settings have mistakenly set Notepad as the default app for Word documents.
- Observed behavior
- The document opens as plain text in Notepad without any original formatting, or double-clicking a document forces it to launch in Notepad instead of Word.
Ensure you know the exact folder location of your text document so you can easily browse to it from within your word processor.
Open the Text File in Word and Save as a Word Document
Use this method to open your plain text file directly inside Word and convert it into a fully editable, formatted document.
Plain text files (.txt) do not contain formatting. By opening the file in Word and saving it in the .docx format, you can reapply styles, fonts, and layouts securely.
Open Microsoft Word on your computer, click on 'File' in the top-left corner, and select 'Open'.
Click 'Browse' to locate your file. In the file explorer window, click the file type dropdown menu (usually set to 'All Word Documents') and change it to 'All Files (*.*)' or 'Text Files (*.txt)'.
Select your text file from the list and click the 'Open' button.
Go to 'File' > 'Save As', choose your desired save location, and select 'Word Document (*.docx)' from the 'Save as type' dropdown menu. Click 'Save'.
Change Default Windows App Settings for Word Documents
If your Word documents (.docx) are defaulting to Notepad, use this method to fix the Windows file associations so they always open in Word.
Open and Convert Text Files with WPS Office
WPS Office Writer seamlessly opens plain text files, allowing you to quickly format and save them as standard Word documents. It is a highly compatible, free, and lightweight alternative.
- 1. Open WPS Writer: Launch WPS Office and click on 'Docs' to open the word processor.
- 2. Open your text file: Click 'Menu' in the top left, select 'Open', browse to your file, and open the .txt document.
- 3. Save as a Word document: Click 'Menu' > 'Save As', and choose 'Microsoft Word Document (*.docx)' as the file type.
- 4. Reformat your document: Use the intuitive ribbon at the top to reapply any necessary styles, bold text, or layout options, then click save.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my Word document open as a Notepad file?
This usually happens if the default file association for .docx files was accidentally changed to Notepad, or if the document was intentionally saved with a .txt extension.
Can I recover the original formatting from a .txt file?
No. The .txt format is purely plain text and automatically strips out all formatting such as bolding, colors, images, and tables. Once converted back to a Word document, you must manually reapply your formatting.
How do I show file extensions in Windows to see if it's a .txt file?
Open File Explorer, click on the 'View' tab at the top of the window, and check the box labeled 'File name extensions'. This will reveal whether your document ends in .txt or .docx.
