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Windows Central
Windows Central
Technology
Ben Wilson

Windows 11 locked me out of Notepad via Microsoft Account bugs — is the 'Thin Client' era ruining my 27 blissful years of PCs?

Microsoft Windows Ben Wilson GitHub Windows Central
Notepad icon from Windows 11 in a cartoon jail cell, generated by Gemini.

A couple of weeks ago, I found that I couldn't open Notepad on my desktop PC. It wasn't because Windows 11 had crashed, but rather, Microsoft told me it wasn't "available in (my) account". It turned out that an error (0x803f8001) with Microsoft Store's licensing service stopped me from opening a few first-party apps, including the Snipping Tool.

Yes, even the app I usually use to screenshot error messages was busted. Ironic. Now, I'm usually a fairly level-headed Windows enthusiast who can relate to users who both love and loathe Microsoft's operating system, but I couldn't open Notepad.exe — are we serious?

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