How to Convert a Text File to UTF-8 in Windows 10 and 11 Using Notepad

Before you start​

You need a plain-text file you can open in Notepad and a folder where you have permission to create a new file. The procedure works in both Windows 10 and Windows 11; the Notepad window may look different, but the Save as and Encoding choices are the same for this task.

A few checks will help prevent a misleading result:

• Know what the text should look like. Identify a few accented letters, symbols, or words in another language that you can compare after saving. If the file contains only ordinary English letters, digits, and basic punctuation, it may look identical before and after conversion.
• Keep the original. Saving a copy protects the source file, but it does not repair text that was already damaged or opened using the wrong encoding.
• Use an actual text file. A .txt file is appropriate. This procedure does not convert a Word document, PDF, or spreadsheet into a properly formatted text file.
• Check the recipient’s requirements. Some programs require UTF-8 with a byte order mark, or BOM; others expect UTF-8 without one. If the instructions specify a particular variant, follow them.

You do not need administrator rights or a restart to save a copy in a folder you can write to. If the file is on a shared or managed drive and you cannot save there, use a permitted folder and follow your organization’s rules for handling the data.

Save a separate UTF-8 copy​

The example below converts notes.txt into notes-utf8.txt in the same folder. Substitute your own file and folder names.

1. Open Notepad. Select Start, type Notepad, and open the app.
2. Open the original file. In Notepad, select File > Open, browse to the folder containing the file, select it, and choose Open. You can also press Ctrl+O to open the file picker.
   If you cannot see the file, check that you are in the right folder. For a text-based file with an extension other than .txt, change the file-type filter in the Open dialog to All Files if that option is available.
3. Inspect the text before converting it. Look at the beginning, end, and several places containing special characters. Compare them with a trusted copy or the information you expect to see.
   Stop here if the original appears garbled. For example, accented characters might appear as sequences such as é, or you might see unexpected question marks or replacement symbols. Saving that display as UTF-8 can preserve the wrong characters in the new file; it does not automatically reconstruct the intended text. Use the troubleshooting section before continuing.
4. Open Save as. Select File > Save as, or press Ctrl+Shift+S. The Save As dialog lets you choose a name, location, and encoding for the copy.
5. Choose a location and a different name. Browse to the folder where you want to save the copy. In File name, enter a name such as:
   notes-utf8.txt
   Using a distinct name makes it easier to identify both files later. You can also use the original name in a different folder, but do not save over the original while you are testing the conversion.
6. Choose UTF-8. Near the bottom of the Save As dialog, open the Encoding list and select UTF-8. For a normal .txt copy, leave Save as type set to the text-document option.
   On current Notepad versions, UTF-8 is the choice for UTF-8 without a BOM; UTF-8 with BOM is a separate choice. Select the latter only if the program or person receiving the file requires it.
7. Save the copy. Select Save.
   If Windows asks whether to replace an existing file, select No or Cancel and choose a different name. A replacement prompt means the name and location you chose already identify a file.

Notepad has now written the displayed text to the new file using the encoding you selected. The original file should still be in its original folder under its original name.

Reopen and verify the copy​

Checking the saved file is important: seeing the right text before saving does not by itself prove that you are looking at the right copy afterward.

1. In Notepad, select File > Open.
2. Browse to the folder where you saved the copy and open notes-utf8.txt, or the name you chose. Be careful not to select the original.
3. Check the same special characters you inspected before saving. Compare representative text at the beginning, middle, and end with the original or a trusted reference.
4. If Notepad displays an encoding in its status bar, check the label at the bottom of the window. The exact appearance of the status bar varies by Notepad version.
5. If another application will consume the file, open or import the copy in that application too. Verify that its accented characters and symbols appear correctly and that the application accepts the file.

The expected result is a separately named file whose text matches the original’s correctly displayed content. A status-bar label and a successful visual check are useful checks, but the receiving application’s requirements still matter. For example, an application might require a BOM or expect a particular file name.

A file containing only ASCII characters can also be valid UTF-8 without looking any different. There is no need to add characters to an important file merely to make the conversion visible.

Check the file name and extension​

Windows can hide known file extensions, making it harder to distinguish notes-utf8.txt from a file with an unintended name such as notes-utf8.txt.txt. To show extensions in File Explorer:

• Windows 11: Open File Explorer and select View > Show > File name extensions.
• Windows 10: Open File Explorer, select View, and check File name extensions in the Show/hide group.

Return to the saved folder and confirm that the original and copy have the names you intended. Showing extensions only changes what Explorer displays; it does not alter the files.

For an ordinary text file, keep the .txt extension. If you are working with another plain-text format, such as a .csv file, the receiving program may require that extension instead. In Save as, use All Files as the file type and enter the full intended name when you need to retain a different extension. Changing an extension alone does not change a file’s encoding.

Troubleshoot incorrect or unexpected results​

The original is already unreadable​

Do not treat a UTF-8 save as a repair. First close the unreadable file without overwriting the original, then determine which encoding was used to create it. The person or application that supplied the file may be able to tell you.

Some Notepad versions provide an Encoding choice in the File > Open dialog. If yours does, you can select the original file, choose its known encoding there, and open it again. This changes how Notepad reads the file; it does not change the original on disk. Only save a UTF-8 copy after the text displays correctly.

If Notepad does not offer the needed encoding, use a text editor that can reopen a file using the specific encoding supplied by its creator. If no available decoding produces the expected text, obtain a fresh export or a backup. Characters that were previously replaced and saved as question marks may no longer be recoverable from that damaged copy.

The UTF-8 copy looks wrong after reopening​

First confirm that you opened the new file, not the original or an older copy with a similar name. Then compare the original again:

• If the original is also wrong, address the original-reading problem before making another copy.
• If the original is correct but the copy is wrong, repeat Save as under a new name and explicitly select UTF-8. Reopen that new copy and check the same characters.
• If Notepad shows the copy correctly but another program does not, check that program’s import settings and UTF-8/BOM requirements. A correct-looking Notepad display does not guarantee that every application will interpret the file the same way.

Keep the original until the receiving application has accepted the copy.

A program rejects the copy​

Check the exact requirement rather than assuming every UTF-8 file must include a BOM. If the recipient specifically requires UTF-8 with BOM, return to the correctly displayed original, select File > Save as, choose a fresh name, select UTF-8 with BOM, and save. Reopen that copy and test it in the receiving program.

If the program still rejects it, check whether it requires a particular extension, file name, or text layout. Encoding is only one part of a file’s requirements; changing it does not automatically change separators, headers, or other content.

You cannot save, or you cannot find the copy​

If you receive a permission error, choose a folder where you can create files, such as your Documents folder, provided that location is appropriate for the data. Do not run Notepad as administrator simply to complete this task.

If the save appeared to succeed but the file is missing, repeat File > Save as and look carefully at the folder shown in the dialog. Search that folder for the exact name you entered. Turn on file-name extensions using the steps above if the displayed name is ambiguous.

Return to the original if needed​

Because the procedure uses a different name, rollback normally means stop using the new copy and reopen the original. Do not delete the original just because the copy appears readable once.

If you accidentally replaced the original, avoid saving further changes to that file. Look for a backup, an earlier version provided by your organization, or a fresh copy from the original sender. Once you have a trusted original again, repeat the conversion with a distinct file name and verify the new copy before using it.