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Ed_D's avatar
Ed_D
Copper Contributor
Sep 02, 2025
Solved

Accessing wordpad ole objects in windows 11 2H24

Upgrading to a Windows 11 PC resulted in losing the ability to access embedded Wordpad objects (OLE) in documents I have-  And I have quite a few. I understand the Microsoft removed Wordpad starting...
configuration
  • Ed_D's avatar
    Ed_D
    Sep 15, 2025

    As I received no replies to my post, I thought I'd try to do this on my own.  After researching how OLE is registered in Windows registry, and comparing relevant entries in a Windows 10 PC with working Wordpad OLE,with Windows 11, I was able to get it working.  I have listed below the Registry branches that need to be exported from Windows 10 and then Imported into Windows 11.  If you want to do this on your PC..

    1. Copy Wordpad files mentioned in the earlier post and then place them in the \Program Files\Windows NT\Accessories directory.  The Registration updates refer to this Directory.
    2. Create the export .reg files on Windows 10, merge them into a WordpadOLE.reg file and place it in the same directory.
    3. I recommend you also backup any of the branches that exist in Windows 11 Registry before hand and store them there in a Restore.reg file just in case.
    4. Again, being cautious, I recommend creating a Restore point.
    5. Finally run (merge) the WordpadOLE.reg file into Windows 11 Registry.
    6. Test.

    The branches needed to support OLE. I did not experiment to see whether in fact they are all needed.

    •  Defines the AppID for Wordpad 
        [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AppID\{fd6c8b29-e936-4a61-8da6-b0c12ad3ba00}]
    • Defines the location of Wordpad.exe (Open command),  In Hex, not text
      Some of this is in my Windows 11 so save a backup
        [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\wordpad.exe]
    • Defines the "Wordpad Document" classes and It's OLE properties/methods
      Some of this is in my Windows 11 so save a backup
       [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{73FDDC80-AEA9-101A-98A7-00AA00374959}]
    • As above but for 64 bit Windows (on Windows)
        [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\WOW6432Node\AppID\{fd6c8b29-e936-4a61-8da6-b0c12ad3ba00}]
    • I believe this is also for 64 bit support as above.  Seems redundant
        [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\AppID\{fd6c8b29-e936-4a61-8da6-b0c12ad3ba00}]
    • Not sure what this is used for..
      Some of this is in my Windows 11 so save a backup
    •  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Applications\wordpad.exe]
      Not sure what this is used for..
    • Some of this is in my Windows 11 so save a backup
       [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{73FDDC80-AEA9-101A-98A7-00AA00374959}]
    • Not sure what this is used for..
       [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Wordpad.Document.1]
    • Not sure what this is used for..
       [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\WOW6432Node\AppID\{fd6c8b29-e936-4a61-8da6-b0c12ad3ba00}]
    • Not sure what this is used for..
      Some of this is in my Windows 11 so save a backup
       [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\WOW6432Node\CLSID\{73FDDC80-AEA9-101A-98A7-00AA00374959}]

     

Ed_D's avatar
Ed_D
Copper Contributor
Sep 15, 2025

As I received no replies to my post, I thought I'd try to do this on my own.  After researching how OLE is registered in Windows registry, and comparing relevant entries in a Windows 10 PC with working Wordpad OLE,with Windows 11, I was able to get it working.  I have listed below the Registry branches that need to be exported from Windows 10 and then Imported into Windows 11.  If you want to do this on your PC..

  1. Copy Wordpad files mentioned in the earlier post and then place them in the \Program Files\Windows NT\Accessories directory.  The Registration updates refer to this Directory.
  2. Create the export .reg files on Windows 10, merge them into a WordpadOLE.reg file and place it in the same directory.
  3. I recommend you also backup any of the branches that exist in Windows 11 Registry before hand and store them there in a Restore.reg file just in case.
  4. Again, being cautious, I recommend creating a Restore point.
  5. Finally run (merge) the WordpadOLE.reg file into Windows 11 Registry.
  6. Test.

The branches needed to support OLE. I did not experiment to see whether in fact they are all needed.

  •  Defines the AppID for Wordpad 
      [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AppID\{fd6c8b29-e936-4a61-8da6-b0c12ad3ba00}]
  • Defines the location of Wordpad.exe (Open command),  In Hex, not text
    Some of this is in my Windows 11 so save a backup
      [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\wordpad.exe]
  • Defines the "Wordpad Document" classes and It's OLE properties/methods
    Some of this is in my Windows 11 so save a backup
     [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{73FDDC80-AEA9-101A-98A7-00AA00374959}]
  • As above but for 64 bit Windows (on Windows)
      [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\WOW6432Node\AppID\{fd6c8b29-e936-4a61-8da6-b0c12ad3ba00}]
  • I believe this is also for 64 bit support as above.  Seems redundant
      [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\AppID\{fd6c8b29-e936-4a61-8da6-b0c12ad3ba00}]
  • Not sure what this is used for..
    Some of this is in my Windows 11 so save a backup
  •  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Applications\wordpad.exe]
    Not sure what this is used for..
  • Some of this is in my Windows 11 so save a backup
     [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{73FDDC80-AEA9-101A-98A7-00AA00374959}]
  • Not sure what this is used for..
     [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Wordpad.Document.1]
  • Not sure what this is used for..
     [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\WOW6432Node\AppID\{fd6c8b29-e936-4a61-8da6-b0c12ad3ba00}]
  • Not sure what this is used for..
    Some of this is in my Windows 11 so save a backup
     [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\WOW6432Node\CLSID\{73FDDC80-AEA9-101A-98A7-00AA00374959}]

 

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