Restore 'New .rtf file" to menu on desktop of Win 11

Fielder · Jul 9, 2023

How to add RTF Rich Text Document to the New menu in File Explorer

In previous Windows versions before 11, right click the desktop brought up the NEW RTF FILE choice in the menu. This choice is missing in Windows 11.

The link above is how to restore it.

In the article where it says " 2. Navigate to the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.rtf key " , well his way to navigate there may not work well. So instead, just Search in REGEDIT for RTF . This will accomplish navigating to this key easier. i.e. this key: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.rtf.

glasskuter · Jul 11, 2023

OR a simpler option is, if you don't want to make your context menu longer or for anyone who is not comfortable messing with the registry:
you can associate file type .txt with wordpad.

Open settings>Apps>Default Apps>scroll to bottom
select 'choose defaults by file types'
find .txt in the list and select it. Choose Wordpad from the list.

Going forward, when you bring up the "new" right click menu and click on "new text document," (that is already there) you get wordpad rather than notepad.
Any old .txt files you have will also automatically open with wordpad.

ruudtes · Nov 20, 2024

this does NOT work in Windows 11 24h2
because wordpad is no longer there after a fresh install of Windows 11 24h2

OAT · Nov 20, 2024

ruudtes said:
this does NOT work in Windows 11 24h2
because wordpad is no longer there after a fresh install of Windows 11 24h2

Windows 7 Games for Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, and Windows 8.

Download Windows 7 Games for Windows 11, Windows 10, and Windows 8. Classic card games from Windows 7.

win7games.com

Wordpad is in the link above.

Edwin · Nov 20, 2024

Follow @OAT 's link..., and don't forget to make WordPad the default.

ruudtes · Nov 20, 2024

Maybe I was a bit unclear, OAT, my apologies for that, what I mean is: The instructions about getting back the right click context menu, and then the submenu "New"" to create a new rtf file anywhere you want does not work in a freshly installed Windows 11 release 24h2.
No one has given this a try yet.
All over the web is this "right click submenu new" instruction from before 24h2.
B.t.w., for your information, I can't open an rtf file with Word, for I hate Word and I will never ever install it anywhere.

I know about Wordpad and already installed Wordpad, thanks for the link.

Edwin · Nov 20, 2024

ruudtes said:
No one has given this a try yet.

The instructions are in the link in post #1

ruudtes · Nov 20, 2024

they don't work in Windows 11 release 24H2

OAT · Nov 20, 2024

ruudtes said:
they don't work in Windows 11 release 24H2

It does.

- Did you merge this?

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00


; Created by Sergey Tkachenko
; Tutorial: How to add RTF Rich Text Document to the New menu in File Explorer
; URL: https://winaero.com/how-to-add-rtf-rich-text-document-to-the-new-menu-in-file-explorer/


[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.rtf\ShellNew]
"NullFile"=""

Edwin · Nov 20, 2024

ruudtes said:
they don't work in Windows 11 release 24H2

It should..., I just installed Canary 27754 and it works.

ruudtes · Nov 20, 2024

I did and it does not work. I however have Windows 11 Home, downloaded from Microsoft last week and did a fresh install with Rufus (old computer) on November 17, 2024.

Edwin · Nov 20, 2024

ruudtes said:
I did and it does not work. I however have Windows 11 Home, downloaded from Microsoft last week and did a fresh install with Rufus (old computer) on November 17, 2024.

Did you Restart, or Sign out/in or, at least restart Explorer?

ruudtes · Nov 20, 2024

yes ofcourse
I think it is the fact that Microsoft has removed all traces from Wordpad that were in the release prior to 24H2

Edwin · Nov 20, 2024

ruudtes said:
yes ofcourse
I think it is the fact that Microsoft has removed all traces from Wordpad that were in the release prior to 24H2

Well, if you installed the WordPad app from Winaero, edited the Reg and restarted, it should work!

OAT · Nov 20, 2024

ruudtes said:
yes ofcourse
I think it is the fact that Microsoft has removed all traces from Wordpad that were in the release prior to 24H2

You are suffering from confirmation bias; you believe and therefore it is.
Please you need to read what follows carefully:
1- Download the .zip that contains the wordpad installer here: Windows 7 Games for Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, and Windows 8.
2- After unzipping it, Run the installer using the default settings. (no need to check 'learn more about this package')
3- Download the .zip file here: https://winaero.com/downloads/2023/02/add_rtf_to_new_menu.zip
4- After unzipping it, run Add_RTF_to_New_menu.reg, confirm merge 'yes'
5- Restart your system or explorer.
6- Create a 'new' .rtf, name it whatever your heart desires.
7- Right click that very file and select open with.
8- Select Choose another app (bottom)
9- Go to C:\Program Files\wordpad and select wordpad.exe.
10. Done

It works.

Result:

ruudtes · Nov 20, 2024

I'm off now, I will be here again Friday, sorry for that, and I will message the result that day
thanks VERY much for now !

Edwin · Nov 20, 2024

ruudtes said:
I'm off now, I will be here again Friday, sorry for that, and I will message the result that day

Try it now, takes like 5 minutes!
I'm dying to know if it's gonna work or not! :wink:

ruudtes · Nov 23, 2024

no, it does not work
I think someone here is suffering from whatever...

this is the printscreen(s) immediately after I installed Windows 11 24H2, yesterday, November 22, 2024, on a formatted drive, single drive system:

take good notic: there is ONLY the PersistentHandler sub key !

rtf in the registry RIGHT AFTER installing Windows 11.webp

and this is the prinstcreen(s) after installing Wordpad and merging the reg file

rtf in the registry AFTER Wordpad install and merged reg file.webp

and this is the result:

Right clicking and then clicking New does NOT allow creating a RTF file

Now let's stop writing about people suffering, let's dive into this: please help me out, for I have a lot of rtf files and I refuse to install that spyware program called Word

greetings from Holland, peace

& thanks for your attention and help so far

(p.s. I did a restart after every step: after installing Wordpad, after setting it to the default program for rtf files and after merging the reg file)

.

OAT · Nov 23, 2024

ruudtes said:
no, it does not work

let's dive into this: please help me out.

I went through the process and the result was as above. I do not even use Wordpad , as I have Office, but I installed it just to test it and to help you out.
You are either doing something wrong or you cannot follow simple directions, or both.
I am done here as I can't replicate your issue.
Good luck.

Video Proof: https://1drv.ms/v/s!Ai1R0Hoaemv-goNmGlmwkEvA-KgeDQ?e=aLFkd2

ruudtes · Nov 23, 2024

I have done exactly what you wrote, and I followed your directions exactly.
I think you can't replicate my issue, for you start without installing the latest Windows 11 24h2.

Restore 'New .rtf file" to menu on desktop of Win 11

Member

My Computer

aka Mama Glass

My Computers

Active member

My Computers

Pragmatic Member

My Computers

♦ ♦

My Computers

Active member

My Computers

♦ ♦

My Computers

Active member

My Computers

Pragmatic Member

My Computers

♦ ♦

My Computers

Active member

My Computers

♦ ♦

My Computers

Active member

My Computers

♦ ♦

My Computers

Pragmatic Member

My Computers

Active member

My Computers

♦ ♦

My Computers

Active member

My Computers

Pragmatic Member

My Computers

Active member

My Computers

Similar threads