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Can Windows open Markdown files without additional software? Are there differences between Windows 7 and Windows 10?

I want to know if I have to convert my Markdown files to something else before sending it to non-technical Windows users but I do not have access to a Windows PC right now.

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  • What is the type (extension) of your files?
    – Máté Juhász
    Commented Apr 17, 2020 at 9:51
  • Are you trying to view rendered markdown, or just be able to open in a text editor?
    – mek363
    Commented Apr 10 at 21:53

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Can Windows open Markdown files without additional software?

Yes, you can open them in any text-editor (notepad, wordpad) or word-processor.

Markdown files are plain text, they are one of a family of file-formats known as lightweight markup languages.

These lightweight markup languages are all designed so that, as far as possible, the source form is just as readable as the rendered form.

Some people (or programs) may save markdown files with a name ending in .txt which means they will automatically† open in Notepad (or equivalent). Others save markdown files with a name ending something like .md or .mmd etc. To make things easier for other people you can just rename the file with a name ending .txt

Note that in Notepad (etc) people just see the original plaint text markup, not the rendered form (HTML, DOC, PDF etc). If you want them to easily see the better-looking form, you could convert to PDF using a markdown processor and send them the created .pdf file instead of the source .md or .txt file.

Are there differences between Windows 7 and Windows 10?

None that affect this answer.

Footnotes:

† Microsoft Windows has a feature called "file association". This allows Windows to remember that a file with a name like something.txt should be opened in Notepad. It associates the filename extension .txt with the program notepad.exe. When you install a new program, one part of the installation process is to add new file associations for the new program. For example the installer for a word-processor might cause .doc to be associated with the new program. You can use Windows Explorer to view and change these file associations. You can also open a command-prompt window and use commands such as ftype and assoc. This isn't something that I'd expect many Windows users to be comfortable doing.

If a file doesn't have an association, if you double-click on it in Windows explorer (the disk-storage folder-content graphical-viewer), Windows will prompt you to select a program to use, it will often offer some suggestions, let you pick one yourself from the full list of installed programs or let you search the Microsoft Store for a new program. You also get a checkbox option to remember this setting (i.e. add a new permanent association).

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  • Thank you for your answer! You wrote that files with a name ending in .txt will automatically open in Notepad. Do you imply that files with a name ending on .md do not? What happens instead? Would you mind specifying?
    – 303
    Commented Apr 17, 2020 at 11:11
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    @303 If you want file extension .md to open in NotePad or another text editor, you'll need to manually set its program association.
    – JW0914
    Commented Apr 17, 2020 at 13:14
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    @303 JW0914 explains this (I'll also extend my answer to cover this) but obviously you can't rely on random recipients already having a file association - hence the need to rename something.md to something.txt.
    – RedGrittyBrick
    Commented Apr 17, 2020 at 13:17

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