Microsoft Write#Atari ST

{{Short description|Basic word processor formerly included with Microsoft Windows}}

{{Distinguish|Windows Live Writer}}

{{Redirect|write.exe|the version included since Windows 95|WordPad}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2018}}

{{Infobox software

| name = Microsoft Write

| logo = Windows Write icon.png

| logo_size = x64px

| screenshot = Windows Write.png

| screenshot_size = 300px

| caption = Screenshot of Windows Write

| developer = Microsoft

| released = 1985

| replaced_by = WordPad

| operating system = Microsoft Windows

| genre = Word processor

}}

Microsoft Write is a basic word processor{{Cite web |last=Nistor |first=Codrut |date=2024-10-08 |title=Another one bites the dust: Microsoft buries WordPad, but there is an afterlife |url=https://www.notebookcheck.net/Another-one-bites-the-dust-Microsoft-buries-WordPad-but-there-is-an-afterlife.898769.0.html |access-date=2024-12-06 |website=Notebookcheck |language=en}} included with Windows 1.0{{Cite web |last=Gilang |first=Rafly |date=2023-11-20 |title=ON THIS DAY: Windows 1.0, Microsoft's first major release and longest-supported OS to this day, launched to the market |url=https://mspoweruser.com/windows-1-0-released-on-this-day-november-20-1985/ |access-date=2024-12-06 |website=MSPoweruser |language=en-US}} and later, until Windows NT 3.51. Throughout its lifespan, it was minimally updated. "Microsoft Write" also shares the name of a commercial retail release of Microsoft Word for the Apple Macintosh and Atari ST which is otherwise separate from this program.{{Cite web |date=2024-12-05 |title=A quick look back at WordPad, the free word processor that Microsoft just killed |url=https://www.neowin.net/news/a-quick-look-back-at-wordpad-the-free-word-processor-that-microsoft-just-killed/ |access-date=2024-12-06 |website=Neowin |language=en}}

Early versions of Write only work with Write Document (.wri) files, which are a subset of the Rich Text Format (RTF). After Windows 3.0, Write became capable of reading and composing early Word Document (.doc) files. With Windows 3.1, Write became OLE capable. In Windows 95, Write was replaced with WordPad;{{Cite web |last=Rashid |first=Dua |date=2024-01-06 |title=RIP Microsoft WordPad. You Will Be Missed |url=https://gizmodo.com/microsoft-wordpad-gone-windows-11-1851144100 |access-date=2024-12-06 |website=Gizmodo |language=en-US}} attempting to open Write from the Windows folder will open WordPad instead. The executable for Microsoft Write (write.exe) still remains in later versions of Windows, however it is simply a compatibility stub that launches WordPad.

Being a word processor, Write features additional document formatting features that are not found in Notepad (a simple text editor), such as a choice of font, text decorations and paragraph indentation for different parts of the document. Unlike versions of WordPad before Windows 7, Write could justify a paragraph. Write is comparable to early versions of MacWrite.