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Microsoft Edit has shipped: it is included with the Windows 11 September 2025 optional update or newer, and with Windows 11 version 25H2. Open Command Prompt, PowerShell, or Windows Terminal and type edit to start it. To open a specific file, use edit <your-file-name>. If the command is unavailable, Microsoft documents installing it with winget install Microsoft.Edit.

What is Microsoft Edit?

Edit is a lightweight, open-source command-line text editor for Windows 11. It runs in a terminal but provides an interactive text interface, rather than requiring you to edit a file with commands. Microsoft describes its design as reminiscent of the classic MS-DOS Editor, with modern input controls similar to those in VS Code.

Microsoft’s May 19, 2025 launch announcement described Edit as less than 250 kB. That is the size claim in the original announcement, not a current independent measurement. The announcement also said the project was open source; its planned Windows Insider preview was a statement about availability at that time, not the current release status.

Is Edit included in Windows 11?

According to Microsoft Learn, Edit is included with the Windows 11 September 2025 optional update or newer, and with the Windows 11 2025 Update, version 25H2. The announcement that Edit was coming to Windows 11 is therefore outdated. For the current inclusion details, see Microsoft’s Edit documentation.

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How to check for Edit or install it

Try the command first

  1. Open Command Prompt, PowerShell, or Windows Terminal.
  2. Type edit and press Enter. If Edit is available, its text interface opens.
  3. To open a particular file, enter edit <your-file-name>, replacing the example with the file’s name or path.

Install it with winget if the command is missing

If edit is not recognized, Microsoft documents this installation command:

winget install Microsoft.Edit

Run it in a terminal, then try edit again. Microsoft also links to the project’s GitHub releases from its documentation.

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What can you do in Edit?

Microsoft documents these features:

  • Modeless editing: Edit uses a text user interface without separate editor modes to learn. Menus include preconfigured keybindings.
  • Multiple files: Open several files and switch among them with Ctrl+P.
  • Find and replace: Press Ctrl+F. Search options include match case, whole word, and regular expressions.
  • Word wrap: Toggle wrapping with Alt+Z.
  • Mouse input: Use the mouse to navigate, select text, and scroll.

These features make Edit a practical option when you need to change a text file without leaving the terminal. Microsoft’s documentation does not establish that it is an IDE or that it matches the capabilities of larger editors.

Why did Microsoft build Edit?

Microsoft says modern 64-bit versions of Windows no longer included a default command-line text editor after the classic 16-bit MS-DOS Editor was retired. Its FAQ says Edit was built from scratch in Rust because existing modeless editors either lacked first-party Windows support or were too large to bundle with the operating system. This is Microsoft’s explanation of the design decision.

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Is Edit available on Linux and macOS?

Microsoft Learn says Edit is also available for Linux and macOS, but points readers to the project repository for installation instructions. The Windows steps above should not be assumed to apply to those platforms, and the available documentation cited here does not establish feature parity across operating systems.

Quick Recap

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