Markdown cheatsheet · Open .md on Windows
Opening .md files on Windows
Windows 11's Notepad picked up a markdown mode, so the old answer to this question, that Windows has nothing, is now out of date. What it handles, what it doesn't, and what to use instead.
Does Windows have a built-in markdown viewer?
Sort of, now. That answer changed recently and most pages you'll find still say "no".
Notepad on Windows 11 gained a markdown mode: it renders headings, bold, italic, lists and links, with a toggle between formatted and raw view. For glancing at a README, that's genuinely enough, and it's already installed.
What it doesn't do is everything past the basics. No live-rendering workflow, no wikilinks between files, no export, and its handling of larger documents is a reading tool rather than a writing one. It's a viewer that got a formatting coat, not a markdown editor.
Your options on Windows
| App | Renders markdown | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Notepad (Win 11) | Basics only | A quick look, zero install |
| Notepad (Win 10) | No | Raw text only |
| WordPad | No | Nothing. It's gone from Windows 11 anyway. |
| Your browser | No, without an extension | Raw text |
| VS Code | Yes, in a preview pane | Developers, already installed |
| maxdown | Yes, in place as you type | Reading and writing .md properly. Free. |
| Typora | Yes | Same idea, $14.99 one-time |
Opening a .md file right now, no install
- Right-click the file, choose Open with, then Notepad.
- On Windows 11, look for the formatting toggle to switch between rendered and raw.
- On Windows 10 you'll see raw markdown. It's readable, just ugly.
If Open with doesn't list what you want, choose Choose another app at the bottom of the menu.
Making .md open in your app of choice, permanently
- Right-click any
.mdfile. - Choose Open with → Choose another app.
- Pick the app you want.
- Tick Always use this app to open .md files, then confirm.
From then on, double-clicking any .md file goes straight there. You can undo it the same way; nothing is permanent.
notes.md or notes.md.txt, open File Explorer, go to View → Show, and turn on File name extensions. This is the cause of a surprising share of "my markdown file won't open properly" problems.The SmartScreen warning, if you install something
Windows shows a blue "Windows protected your PC" box for any app whose developer hasn't paid for a signing certificate. It's a statement about the certificate, not about the app. Click More info, then Run anyway. Do this only for software you actually meant to download, from the site you meant to download it from.
Common questions
Why does my .md file open in Notepad?
Because Windows doesn't ship a markdown app and falls back to a text editor. Change the default with the steps above.
Can I preview markdown in File Explorer?
Not out of the box. The preview pane (Alt+P) shows plain text for .md files.
Is Notepad's markdown mode enough?
For reading a README once, yes. If you're writing markdown regularly, its lack of export and its basics-only rendering will start to hurt quickly.