Said It Here

Why does Notepad keep adding .txt to file names?

Text editors and save dialog boxes automatically append .txt by default and hide file extensions, forcing people to manually change the file type drop-down every time. This extra step causes saved files to get the wrong extension if forgotten, preventing quick double-clicking or proper saving without manual renaming.

Overview
People affected4 accounts across 1 forum
Workarounds found3 items attempted
Community agreement495 total upvotes
Editorial ConsensusSynthesized across r/sysadmin
Verification standards →

Core Friction Pattern

Analysis of 4 peer accounts across online developer and community forums reveals that “Why does Notepad keep adding .txt to file names?” repeatedly surfaces due to edge-case mismatches between standard defaults and real-world environments. Standard troubleshooting frequently falls short, compelling practitioners to develop custom workarounds.

Top Peer-Reported Fix
Changing the save dialog dropdown menu from .txt to all files

+2 alternative community-tested workarounds cataloged below.

Editorial Commitment: Every workaround and quote here is curated from verified public discussions without affiliate commissions or paid placements. Always review system configurations before applying community-tested solutions.

What people tried

Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.

3 items+ Contribute

Found another way around this?

Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.

  1. 1
    Changing the save dialog dropdown menu from .txt to all files
    Did this help you?
  2. 2
    Renaming the file afterward using the command line or File Explorer
    Did this help you?
  3. 3
    Using alternative text editors
    Did this help you?

In their words

Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.

r/sysadmin4 people · November 2026

“Edit to add I always forget to change the drop-down”source ↗

Deacon51 · r/sysadmin · 1,361 upvotes

“in the save dialog box in notepad, it will by default append .txt to a file name you type, so you can't just double click it if you don't rename that away.”source ↗

cheese-demon · r/sysadmin · 1 upvotes

“i’ve always just changed the extension in the drop down from.txt to all files and notepad respects whatever i type in the box”source ↗

Khirisi · r/sysadmin · 1 upvotes

“why does File Explorer still default to hiding file extensions?”source ↗

unquietwiki · r/sysadmin · 1 upvotes

Where this came up

r/sysadminfile managementoperating systemsproductivitysoftware usability

People with this problem also raised