Calculator has a Keep on top button that Microsoft documents. Task Manager has an Always on top setting in recent Windows 11 builds. Notepad has no such switch in anything we could find, so it needs a pinning tool. The steps for each are below.

Illustration: three small glass panes in a row, the middle one raised and glowing violet.

Calculator: Keep on top

Microsoft's support page for Calculator (checked in October 2026) describes the steps:

  1. Open Calculator.
  2. Switch to Standard mode.
  3. Select the Keep on top button, or press Alt+Up arrow.

To turn it off, select the button again or press Alt+Down arrow. The page names Standard mode for this feature. If you do not see the button in another mode, switch back to Standard.

Task Manager: Always on top

We did not find a Microsoft page that documents this setting, so the steps below come from third-party guides such as How-To Geek, and your build may differ.

  1. Open Task Manager, for example with Ctrl+Shift+Esc.
  2. Open Settings, the gear icon at the bottom left of the window.
  3. Under Window management, tick Always on top.

That guide says the setting stays on until you turn it off. If you cannot find it, your Windows build may be older or the layout different. Look through the menus and the Settings page of Task Manager for an entry with that name. If there is none, use a pinning tool.

Task Manager is a good test case for another reason: it can run with elevated rights, and a tool running as a normal user is often unable to change such a window. See our troubleshooting guide if a tool cannot pin it.

Notepad: use a pinning tool

We checked Microsoft's documentation and did not find an always-on-top setting for Notepad. If your version has one, use it. If not, a pinning tool works on a Notepad window like on any other:

  • PowerToys Always On Top: click the Notepad window and press Win+Ctrl+T. One caution from Microsoft's documentation: its exclusion list matches partly, so an entry named Notepad also excludes Notepad++.
  • An AutoHotkey script: ^!t::WinSetAlwaysOnTop -1, "A" toggles the active window.
  • Pin Windows, where you click the window or choose it from a list. It is being prepared for Microsoft Store and is not available there yet.

Our main guide compares these options in more detail.

Other built-in apps

Windows has no general list of which built-in apps offer a keep-on-top switch, and it changes between versions. Look in three places: a View or Window menu, the title bar menu (right-click the title bar), and the app's settings page. If the app has nothing, use a tool that works on any window.

Frequently asked questions

How do I keep the Windows Calculator on top?

Open Calculator, switch to Standard mode and select Keep on top, or press Alt+Up arrow. Alt+Down arrow turns it off.

Does Task Manager have an always on top option?

Recent Windows 11 builds are reported to have an Always on top checkbox under Window management in Task Manager settings. We found no Microsoft page that documents it, so check your own version.

Can I keep Notepad on top?

We found no built-in setting. Use a pinning tool such as PowerToys Always On Top, an AutoHotkey script or Pin Windows.

Why can a tool not pin Task Manager?

Task Manager can run with administrator rights, and a tool running as a normal user is often unable to change such a window.