QuireHow to open .md files on Windows
Short answer: a .md file is plain text, so Notepad opens it. In recent versions of Windows 11, Notepad also shows simple Markdown formatting such as headings, lists, bold, italic and links.
For tables and code you need something more: the free PowerToys preview in File Explorer, VS Code, or a Markdown viewer in your browser.
Updated 15 October 2026. PowerToys and Default apps steps follow Microsoft’s documentation. We have not tested these steps on a Windows PC.
The quickest way: Notepad and PowerToys
- Open it in Notepad
Right-click the .md file, choose Open with and pick Notepad. You see the text, and in recent versions of Windows 11 basic formatting too.
- Turn on the PowerToys Markdown preview
Install PowerToys, open its settings, go to File Explorer add-ons and switch on the Markdown preview.
- Show the preview pane
In File Explorer, choose View › Preview pane and select a .md file. The formatted file appears on the right.
- Pick a default app
Open Settings › Apps › Default apps, type
.mdin the search box, select it and choose the app you want.
About Notepad’s Markdown support
Microsoft added “lightweight formatting” to Notepad in 2025, with Markdown files supported. Formatting is on by default. Reviews of the release describe a View › Show Markdown Source option and a status-bar toggle for switching to the raw text. In January 2026 Microsoft began testing strikethrough and nested lists with Windows Insiders. Notepad is an editor, so be careful not to save changes you didn’t mean to make.
About the PowerToys preview
PowerToys File Explorer add-ons include a Markdown previewer. Its Show local images setting is off by default; when you turn it on, images are loaded only from the Markdown file’s own folder tree, and online images stay blocked. If the pane stays blank, Microsoft suggests checking that Show preview handlers in preview pane is ticked under File Explorer’s Options › View.
PowerToys also has Peek, which previews Markdown files in a pop-up window. Select the file and press Space (the default shortcut since PowerToys 0.95).
VS Code
If you write code, VS Code is probably the best all-round choice. Open the file and press Ctrl+Shift+V for a preview, or Ctrl+K then V to see it beside the source. The preview draws tables, Mermaid diagrams and math.
Google Drive
Since October 2026, Google Drive shows a formatted preview of a Markdown file: upload it, right-click and choose Open with › Preview. The file is then stored in your Google account.
In Chrome, with Quire Markdown
Quire Markdown is our extension, free on the Chrome Web Store. Click its toolbar icon, choose Open file and pick the .md file, or drop it onto the viewer. You get a heading outline, find, highlighted code with a copy button, and rendered, source or split views. The file stays on your PC and is never changed.
Its limits: it is a viewer, not an editor; it opens UTF-8 files up to 2 MB; images appear as blocked references; and diagrams and math aren’t drawn. We have tested it in Chrome on a Mac, not on Windows. If anything misbehaves, please report it.
Questions
How do I make .md files always open in the same app?
Open Settings › Apps › Default apps, type .md in the search box, select it and choose the app. Microsoft’s help page has the details.
Is it safe to open a .md file?
Opening it in Notepad runs nothing; it is text. See what an .md file is for what to watch for in viewers.