Create a Simple Reminder Tool in Notepad

If you often forget small tasks, meetings, or breaks, a quick reminder tool can make life easier.
But did you know you can actually build your own reminder tool using Notepad — no extra software needed?

In this guide, we’ll show you step-by-step how to create a simple reminder app using Notepad + VBScript, plus some optional upgrades like sound alerts and recurring reminders.

What Is a Reminder Tool?

A reminder tool is a small program that notifies you about a task at a certain time.
For example, it can remind you to:

• Take a water break 💧
• Send an important email ✉️
• Join an online meeting 🖥️
• Shut down your PC after work 💻

You don’t need Outlook or Google Calendar for that — with just Notepad and a few lines of script, you can make your computer pop up reminders automatically.

Why Use Notepad for This?

Because Notepad is:

✅ Already available on every Windows PC
✅ Lightweight and super-fast
✅ Ideal for writing plain text scripts
✅ Compatible with VBScript (.vbs) and Batch (.bat) files

That means anyone — even beginners — can make their own reminder app in minutes.

Method 1: Reminder Using VBScript

We’ll start with the easiest version, using VBScript, which shows popup alerts with your custom message.

Step 1: Open Notepad

Click Start → Notepad or press Windows + R, type notepad, and hit Enter.

Step 2: Write the Reminder Code

Copy and paste this simple VBScript into Notepad:

' Simple Reminder Tool
Dim message, delay
message = InputBox("Enter your reminder message:")
delay = InputBox("Enter delay time in minutes:")

WScript.Sleep delay * 60000
MsgBox message, 64, "Reminder"

Step 3: Save the File

1. Go to File → Save As
2. File name: reminder.vbs
3. Save as type: All Files
4. Encoding: ANSI or UTF-8
5. Click Save

Step 4: Run Your Reminder

Double-click the saved file.
It will ask you two things:

1. Your reminder message — e.g., “Drink Water!”
2. Delay time in minutes — e.g., 10

After 10 minutes, a pop-up window appears with your reminder message.

Simple, right? 🎉

How It Works

• InputBox lets you type the reminder message and delay time.
• WScript.Sleep pauses the script for a set period (in milliseconds).
• MsgBox shows your reminder message when time is up.

The formula delay * 60000 converts minutes to milliseconds (since 1 minute = 60 × 1000 ms).

Method 2: Reminder with Sound Alert

You can make the reminder speak aloud when it triggers.
Just add this line before the MsgBox:

CreateObject("SAPI.SpVoice").Speak "Hey! " & message

Now Windows’ built-in voice assistant will say your reminder aloud — for example:

“Hey! Drink Water!”

Method 3: Pre-Scheduled Reminders

If you don’t want to type the message and time every time, you can create fixed reminders in your script.

Example:

' Daily Fixed Reminders
Dim timeNow

Do
    timeNow = Hour(Now) & ":" & Minute(Now)
    
    If timeNow = "10:00" Then
        MsgBox "Time for your morning break!", 64, "Reminder"
    End If

    If timeNow = "13:00" Then
        MsgBox "Lunch Time! Step away from the screen.", 64, "Reminder"
    End If

    If timeNow = "17:00" Then
        MsgBox "Wrap up your workday.", 64, "Reminder"
    End If

    WScript.Sleep 60000 ' check every minute
Loop

💡 How to use it:
Save it as daily_reminder.vbs, then place a shortcut in your Startup folder (shell:startup).
It will run automatically every time you start Windows and show reminders at fixed times.

Method 4: Reminder Using Batch File

Prefer using the Command Prompt window? You can do that too.

@echo off
title Reminder Tool
set /p message=Enter your reminder message: 
set /p minutes=Enter delay in minutes: 
echo Reminder set for %minutes% minutes...
timeout /t %minutes%*60 >nul
echo Reminder: %message%
pause

This version uses the timeout command to wait.
After the time passes, it displays your message directly in the CMD window.

Customize Your Reminder Tool

🎨 Change Popup Icons

In VBScript, the MsgBox function supports icons:

Code	Icon	Example
16	❌ Error	MsgBox message, 16, "Reminder"
48	⚠️ Warning	MsgBox message, 48, "Reminder"
64	💡 Information	MsgBox message, 64, "Reminder"

Try 64 for a calm notification or 48 for urgent alerts.

Add Multiple Reminders

You can include several messages with different timings:

CreateObject("SAPI.SpVoice").Speak "Work started!"
WScript.Sleep 1800000 ' 30 minutes
MsgBox "Take a short break!", 64, "Reminder"

WScript.Sleep 3600000 ' 1 hour later
MsgBox "Time for another break!", 64, "Reminder"

Auto-Run on Startup

1. Press Windows + R
2. Type shell:startup
3. Copy your .vbs or .bat file into that folder

Now your reminders will start automatically whenever you log in.

Real-World Uses

• 🧠 Study reminders — “Next study session starts in 10 minutes.”
• 🧘 Health breaks — “Stretch your legs and relax your eyes.”
• 🧃 Water reminders — “Drink a glass of water now.”
• 🕐 Meeting alerts — “Team call starting soon.”
• 🖋️ Writing goals — “Finish 500 words before lunch.”

You can easily tweak the script for your own daily routine.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Reason	Solution
Reminder never shows	Wrong time format	Use 24-hour format like 13:00
Script closes instantly	Missing MsgBox or pause	Add one at the end
“File not running” error	Saved as .txt	Save as .vbs or .bat → All Files
Voice not working	Speech service disabled	Re-enable “Windows Speech” in Settings

Security Tip

When downloading reminder scripts from other sites, always open them in Notepad first to check what’s inside.
Never run unknown .vbs or .bat files from the internet without verifying them.

Final Thoughts

Creating a simple reminder tool in Notepad is an easy, educational, and surprisingly useful project.
With just a few lines of code, you can build a personal assistant that keeps you on schedule — and it works even without internet.

Start small: make one reminder for breaks or meetings.
Then, as you get comfortable, add more features like voice alerts, recurring notifications, or automatic startup.

Notepad might look simple — but it can do a lot when you know how to use it creatively.