Install sticky notes on Windows

Install PinnyNotes with winget

PinnyNotes on Windows via PinnyNotes installs cleanly when App Installer is present. Use the verified package id below so fleet images stay honest.

winget install -e --id 63BeetleSmurf.PinnyNotes

Install PinnyNotes with the Setup MSI

When package managers are blocked, open GitHub Releases for 63BeetleSmurf/PinnyNotes and take PinnyNotes-Setup-*-x64.msi from the current non-prerelease tag. Run the MSI, approve UAC, and finish the wizard.

Confirm the tray and pin one note

Launch PinnyNotes after Setup. Confirm the tray icon appears. Create a note card, type a short reminder, and use the pin control so the note stays always on top. That prove step matters more than collecting every colour on day one.

Portable zip alternative

Some locked-down desks cannot run MSI installs. The same release tag publishes PinnyNotes-Portable-*-x64.zip. Extract it and run the portable executable when your imaging rules allow zip-based sticky notes. Prefer the MSI when you want Start Menu registration and simpler updates through winget later.

What to write on the machine card

Record the tag name, the exact PinnyNotes-Setup-*-x64.msi filename, and whether you used winget or MSI. Substitutes can then recreate PinnyNotes without inventing a Softonic-style mirror. Keep brew NONE honesty printed so Mac volunteers are not sent hunting.

Common PinnyNotes install mistakes

Avoid download portals that only ranked for pinned reminders searches. Skip unknown-mirror renames of the MSI. Do not assume a Homebrew cask exists. Do not change every colour before you prove pin always-on-top once. Related: download safely, releases, home.

After Setup checklist

Follow the eight-step path on installed and the first-run guide first run. For pin behaviour detail see pin always on top. Safety notes live on is pinned notes safe.

Updates and uninstall

Upgrade with winget upgrade -e --id 63BeetleSmurf.PinnyNotes or a newer MSI from the same Releases door. Uninstall from Windows Settings Apps or winget uninstall -e --id 63BeetleSmurf.PinnyNotes. Longer notes: update and uninstall.

Imaging sticky notes for a lab

Freeze images only after reboot with one pinned note card visible. Prefer one MSI tag across the lab. Document the winget id 63BeetleSmurf.PinnyNotes in the runbook. Editorial process: how we verify. About Cork Latch: about. Guides hub: guides.

When Windows pinned notes is enough

If you only need Microsoft account sync and never need always-on-top pins, the built-in pad may be enough. Compare honestly on sticky notes vs Windows pinned notes. Switch checklist: sticky notes: switch from Windows pinned notes.

Desk workflow that survives a reimage

Write the install door on the machine card before you change colours. Reminder work fails when a substitute invents a second Downloads mirror during SmartScreen friction. Prefer returning to GitHub Releases for PinnyNotes-Setup-*-x64.msi or the verified winget id 63BeetleSmurf.PinnyNotes every time.

Shared apartments and classroom desks should document which Windows user owns the tray session. Two people sharing one profile will collide on pin defaults and note colours. Separate OS accounts keep maps honest and make uninstall tickets shorter.

Travel laptops benefit from a single documented installer door written beside the notes folder. Lab images drift when someone installs a Softonic-style wrapper that only ranked for reminder-pad searches. Prefer the named Setup MSI filename on the ticket.

PinnyNotes features worth proving early

Prove pin always-on-top first. Then prove auto-save by typing a line, restarting the app, and confirming the text returned. Only after those two prove steps should you explore colours, transparency, dark mode, and right-click tools such as Base64, Hash, JSON, Case, and DateTime.

Spell checking on current releases uses Windows APIs, which improves performance versus older approaches. Tray bring-to-front helps when note windows are buried under browsers. Block minimizing helps when Show Desktop would otherwise hide reminders you still need.

Honesty about rivals

Windows Sticky Notes remains the right choice when Microsoft account sync is the job. Stickies remains a long-running freeware option with its own habits. Simple pinned notes and Notezilla serve other feature sets, including paid tiers on some rivals. This guide does not invent scores; it maps stranger-safe PinnyNotes install doors.

Cutover from any rival means paste text by hand. There is no documented importer in the PinnyNotes README for rival databases. Plan a quiet half hour. Keep a text backup if your team requires rollback.

Package honesty for fleets

winget id 63BeetleSmurf.PinnyNotes is YAML-verified in microsoft/winget-pkgs against the same MSI and portable zip URLs on GitHub Releases. Homebrew has no PinnyNotes cask. Linux binaries are not published on verified tags, and upstream README states Linux is not planned for this client.

Write brew NONE on printed cards. Write Windows-only on the standard. That prevents weekend chat storms when a volunteer hunts for a package that does not exist.

Security posture without invented audits

Prefer official GitHub Releases assets and the verified winget id. Skip claiming third-party audits the README does not publish. Licence is GPL-2.0. Security contact surface is the GitHub security page for 63BeetleSmurf/PinnyNotes. Note text lives locally on the Windows PC you manage after install.

Links that keep work on one host

Pillar: home. Releases: releases. GitHub: GitHub. Download safely: download safely. For this computer: for this computer. Installed: installed. Guides: guides. About: about. Editorial: editorial policy. Safety: is it safe.

Closing checklist

Confirm the tag, the MSI filename, the winget id if used, one pinned note, and auto-save after reboot. That five-box checklist outperforms a three-page essay nobody finishes under stress.