Short answer: Notepad has a few genuinely useful hidden features, the built-in .LOG auto-timestamp, handy shortcuts, and encoding control, that most people never use. Here are the tricks worth knowing, plus when to switch to a more powerful free editor for bigger jobs.
The auto-timestamp log trick
Turn Notepad into an instant journal or log:
- Open Notepad, type .LOG (in capitals) on the very first line, and save the file.
- Every time you open that file after, Notepad automatically adds the current date and time on a new line.
- Just type your entry and save, a timestamped log with no effort.
Great for a quick diary, work log, or notes with times.
Insert the time and date manually
Press F5 anywhere in Notepad to insert the current date and time at the cursor. Fast for timestamping a note without the .LOG setup.
Useful shortcuts and features
| Feature | How |
|---|---|
| Insert date/time | F5 |
| Word wrap | Format > Word Wrap (fit text to window) |
| Go to a line | Ctrl+G |
| Find and replace | Ctrl+H |
Watch your encoding
When saving, Notepad lets you choose the encoding (UTF-8 is the safe default). This matters if you edit web files or documents with special characters, the wrong encoding can turn accents and symbols into garbled text. Modern Notepad also finally supports different line endings, useful for code.
Strip formatting fast
Paste rich text (from a website or Word) into Notepad and it becomes plain text, no fonts, colors or hidden formatting. Copy it back out and you have clean text. A quick way to remove unwanted formatting before pasting elsewhere.
The non-obvious tip: know when to graduate to a real editor
Notepad is perfect for quick notes and the tricks above, but for coding, large files, or heavy find-and-replace, a free editor like Notepad++ or VS Code is far more capable, syntax highlighting, tabs, multi-file search, and no slowdown on big files. Use Notepad for its speed and simplicity, and reach for a proper editor when the job outgrows it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Notepad .LOG trick?
Type .LOG in capitals on the first line and save. Every time you reopen the file, Notepad adds the current date and time, creating an automatic timestamped log.
How do I insert the date and time in Notepad?
Press F5 to insert the current date and time at your cursor, or use the .LOG trick for automatic timestamps each time you open the file.
How do I remove formatting using Notepad?
Paste rich text into Notepad and it becomes plain text with no fonts or formatting. Copy it back out for clean text to paste elsewhere.
When should I use a different editor than Notepad?
For coding, large files, or heavy find-and-replace, use Notepad++ or VS Code, which add syntax highlighting, tabs and multi-file search.
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