{"id":1535,"date":"2006-07-26T23:44:45","date_gmt":"2006-07-26T18:14:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/use-notepad-to-create-log-files\/"},"modified":"2026-11-04T16:56:15","modified_gmt":"2026-11-04T11:26:15","slug":"use-notepad-to-create-log-files","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/use-notepad-to-create-log-files\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Create a Notepad Log File with Automatic Time Stamps"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Notepad<\/strong> is the simple, fast text editor that comes free with Windows, and it hides a neat trick: it can keep a <strong>Notepad log file<\/strong> that stamps the date and time for you every time you open it. I stumbled on this years ago in a Microsoft support note, still use it for quick work logs, and it works in Windows 11 Notepad today.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-66759\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/notepad-log-file-trick-1024x538.webp\" alt=\"Notepad log file trick\" width=\"1024\" height=\"538\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/notepad-log-file-trick-1024x538.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/notepad-log-file-trick-300x158.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/notepad-log-file-trick-150x79.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/notepad-log-file-trick-768x403.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/notepad-log-file-trick.webp 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> Open Notepad, type <strong>.LOG<\/strong> (capital letters) on the very first line, press Enter and save the file. Every time you open that file again, Notepad adds the current time and date on a new line at the end, ready for your next entry. To insert the time and date anywhere, press <strong>F5<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6af164f6e7b43\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6af164f6e7b43\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/use-notepad-to-create-log-files\/#How_to_create_a_Notepad_log_file\" >How to create a Notepad log file<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/use-notepad-to-create-log-files\/#Does_the_LOG_trick_work_in_Windows_11\" >Does the .LOG trick work in Windows 11?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/use-notepad-to-create-log-files\/#Insert_the_time_and_date_anywhere_with_F5\" >Insert the time and date anywhere with F5<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/use-notepad-to-create-log-files\/#Handy_uses_for_a_Notepad_log_file\" >Handy uses for a Notepad log file<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/use-notepad-to-create-log-files\/#Tips_and_limits\" >Tips and limits<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/use-notepad-to-create-log-files\/#FAQ\" >FAQ<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/use-notepad-to-create-log-files\/#Why_is_my_Notepad_LOG_file_not_adding_the_time\" >Why is my Notepad .LOG file not adding the time?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/use-notepad-to-create-log-files\/#Can_I_change_the_date_format_of_the_time_stamp\" >Can I change the date format of the time stamp?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/use-notepad-to-create-log-files\/#Does_the_LOG_trick_work_in_Notepad_or_on_a_Mac\" >Does the .LOG trick work in Notepad++ or on a Mac?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/use-notepad-to-create-log-files\/#What_is_the_shortcut_for_time_and_date_in_Notepad\" >What is the shortcut for time and date in Notepad?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_create_a_Notepad_log_file\"><\/span>How to create a Notepad log file<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>Open Notepad (press Windows key, type <em>notepad<\/em>, press Enter).<\/li>\n<li>On the first line type <strong>.LOG<\/strong> in capital letters, with the dot and nothing else on that line.<\/li>\n<li>Press Enter to move to the next line.<\/li>\n<li>Choose <strong>File &gt; Save as<\/strong>, give the file a name such as <em>worklog.txt<\/em> and save it somewhere easy to find, like your Desktop.<\/li>\n<li>Close the file and open it again. Notepad adds a time stamp such as <em>10:42 AM 15\/10\/2026<\/em> at the bottom, and the cursor waits on the next line for your note.<\/li>\n<li>Type your entry, save, and close. Repeat whenever you want to log something.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Remember to type .LOG and not .log. The trick is case sensitive; I found that out when it didn&#8217;t work the first time.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Does_the_LOG_trick_work_in_Windows_11\"><\/span>Does the .LOG trick work in Windows 11?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Yes. Microsoft&#8217;s support note originally described it for Windows 98 and Me, I used it for years on Windows XP, and it still works in the redesigned Windows 11 Notepad. One catch: the new Notepad can restore your previous session and tabs when it starts, and in that mode the file may reopen from memory without a fresh time stamp. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.windowscentral.com\/software-apps\/windows-11\/10-features-you-probably-didnt-know-about-notepad-for-windows-11\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Windows Central<\/a> found the stamp appeared reliably with the startup option set to start a new session. To change it:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>In Notepad, click the gear icon (Settings).<\/li>\n<li>Under <strong>When Notepad starts<\/strong>, choose <strong>Start new session and discard unsaved changes<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Close and reopen your .LOG file to check that a new time stamp appears.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Insert_the_time_and_date_anywhere_with_F5\"><\/span>Insert the time and date anywhere with F5<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>You don&#8217;t need a .LOG file to add a time stamp. In any Notepad file, put the cursor where you want it and press <strong>F5<\/strong>, or choose <strong>Edit &gt; Time\/Date<\/strong>. Notepad inserts the current time and date using your Windows regional format, so it shows as day\/month\/year or month\/day\/year depending on your settings.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Handy_uses_for_a_Notepad_log_file\"><\/span>Handy uses for a Notepad log file<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Work log:<\/strong> note what you worked on and when, for timesheets or end-of-day reports.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Troubleshooting diary:<\/strong> record each fix you try on a PC problem, so you know what changed.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Health or habit tracker:<\/strong> jot down workouts, medicine times or study sessions.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Call and meeting notes:<\/strong> every entry gets its time automatically. (For full transcripts of video calls, see our pick of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/11\/best-free-ai-note-taker\/\">free AI note takers for meetings<\/a>.)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Quick journal:<\/strong> a private, offline diary that opens instantly.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tips_and_limits\"><\/span>Tips and limits<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>The time stamp is only added when the file is <strong>opened<\/strong>, not when you save it, so open the file fresh for each new entry.<\/li>\n<li>Keep the file as plain text (.txt). If you save it in another format or with a different encoding, the first line must still read exactly .LOG.<\/li>\n<li>Pin the file to Start or keep a shortcut on the Desktop so logging takes two seconds.<\/li>\n<li>If you need a notepad on any device, try our free <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/tools\/online-notepad\/\">online notepad<\/a>, which runs in the browser and saves notes on your device.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Looking for more small but useful Windows utilities? See our list of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/09\/free-small-softwares\/\">best small free software for Windows<\/a>, or learn <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/10\/screen-record-windows-11\/\">how to screen record on Windows 11<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_is_my_Notepad_LOG_file_not_adding_the_time\"><\/span>Why is my Notepad .LOG file not adding the time?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Check that the first line is exactly .LOG in capitals with nothing else on it, that you closed and reopened the file, and that Notepad is set to start a new session instead of restoring the old one.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_I_change_the_date_format_of_the_time_stamp\"><\/span>Can I change the date format of the time stamp?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Notepad uses your Windows region settings. Change the short date and time formats in Settings &gt; Time &amp; language &gt; Language &amp; region &gt; Regional format.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Does_the_LOG_trick_work_in_Notepad_or_on_a_Mac\"><\/span>Does the .LOG trick work in Notepad++ or on a Mac?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>No, it is a feature of Windows Notepad only. Other editors need a plugin or a keyboard shortcut to insert the date.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_shortcut_for_time_and_date_in_Notepad\"><\/span>What is the shortcut for time and date in Notepad?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Press F5 to insert the current time and date at the cursor.<\/p>\n<p>Do you keep a log in Notepad? Tell us what you use it for in the comments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Notepad is the simple, fast text editor that comes free with Windows, and it hides a neat trick: it can&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":66759,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1535","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-computers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1535","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1535"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1535\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":69479,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1535\/revisions\/69479"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/66759"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}