How to Make a Text File on Windows 10 (4 Easy Ways)

The quickest way to make a text file on Windows 10 is to right-click an empty spot on your desktop or in a folder, choose New > Text Document, type a name, and press Enter. Double-click the new file to open it in Notepad, type your text, and press Ctrl + S to save. You can also open Notepad first, write your text, and use File > Save As to pick a name and location.

Below are both methods, plus how to make a text file from Command Prompt or PowerShell, how to see the .txt extension, and how to change a file’s encoding or type.

Method 1: Right-click and choose New > Text Document

1. Go to your desktop, or open the folder where you want the file in File Explorer.
2. Right-click an empty area (not on a file or icon).
3. Choose New > Text Document.
4. Type a name for the file, such as notes, and press Enter.
5. Double-click the file to open it in Notepad, type your text, and press Ctrl + S to save.

When you rename the file, only change the part before .txt. If you delete the extension, Windows may not know how to open the file.

Method 2: Create and save a file in Notepad

1. Click Start, type Notepad, and open it. Or press Windows key + R, type notepad, and press Enter.
2. Type your text.
3. Click File > Save As, or press Ctrl + Shift + S.
4. Choose a location, type a File name, and leave Save as type set to Text Documents (*.txt).
5. Click Save.

This method is handy when you already have text to paste, such as notes copied from a website or email.

Method 3: Make a text file with Command Prompt or PowerShell

These are useful for scripts or when you need to make a file quickly in a specific folder.

Command Prompt

1. Click Start, type cmd, and open Command Prompt.
2. Go to the folder you want, for example cd %USERPROFILE%\Desktop.
3. To make a file with one line of text, type echo Hello world> notes.txt and press Enter. To make an empty file, type type nul > notes.txt.

PowerShell

1. Right-click Start and choose Windows PowerShell.
2. Type New-Item -Path $env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\notes.txt -ItemType File and press Enter for an empty file.
3. Or type Set-Content -Path $env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\notes.txt -Value "Hello world" to create the file with text in it.

Be careful: > in Command Prompt and Set-Content in PowerShell replace a file’s contents if a file with that name already exists. Use >> or Add-Content to add to the end of a file instead.

How to see the .txt extension

Windows hides file extensions by default, so your file might show as notes instead of notes.txt.

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Click the View tab.
3. Check File name extensions.

Seeing extensions helps you avoid mistakes like naming a file notes.txt.txt.

Save a text file as a different type

Text files can hold code, settings, and data. To save as another plain-text format:

1. In Notepad, click File > Save As.
2. Change Save as type to All files (*.*).
3. Type the full name with the extension you want, such as index.html, data.csv, or script.bat, and click Save.

Only open or run .bat or other script files if you know what’s in them.

Choose the text encoding

In the Save As window, the Encoding menu next to the Save button lets you choose how characters are stored. UTF-8 is the default in recent versions of Windows 10 and works best for most uses, including accented letters and emoji. Change it only if a program specifically asks for another encoding, such as ANSI.

Troubleshooting

• No “Text Document” in the New menu. Make sure you’re right-clicking an empty space. If it’s still missing, open Notepad and use Method 2 instead.
• Access denied when saving. Some folders, like C:\Program Files and C:\Windows, need administrator permission. Save to Documents or the desktop instead.
• The file opens in the wrong app. Right-click it, choose Open with > Choose another app, pick Notepad, and check Always use this app to open .txt files.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between a text file and a Word document?

A text file (.txt) holds plain text only, with no fonts, colors, or pictures. A Word document (.docx) supports formatting. Text files open in almost any program on any device.

Can I make a text file in WordPad?

Yes. In WordPad, click File > Save as > Plain text document. Microsoft has removed WordPad from newer versions of Windows 11, though, so Notepad is the more reliable choice.

Where does Notepad save files by default?

Usually in your Documents folder, or the last folder you saved to. You can change the location in the Save As window each time.

Are the steps the same on Windows 11?

Almost. In Windows 11, right-click an empty area and choose New > Text Document, or click the New button in File Explorer’s toolbar.