sticky notes: switch from Windows Sticky Notes
sticky notes: switch from Windows pinned notes when you want dedicated always-on-top pins, GPL-2.0 source, and a named PinnyNotes-Setup-*-x64.msi door. Built-in Sticky Notes text does not import automatically, so plan a quiet half hour to paste reminders into new pinned notes.
Install first
Take PinnyNotes-Setup-*-x64.msi from GitHub Releases for 63BeetleSmurf/PinnyNotes, or run the verified winget id. Finish Setup before you delete Windows Sticky Notes so you are never without a reminder pad mid-migration.
winget install -e --id 63BeetleSmurf.PinnyNotesCopy note text by hand
Open each Windows Sticky Notes card you still need. Select the text, copy it, create a new PinnyNotes note card, and paste. Confirm the pin control so important reminders stay above other windows.
- List Windows Sticky Notes you still need. Screenshot or copy text you cannot lose.
- Install PinnyNotes from Releases or winget. Prefer PinnyNotes-Setup-*-x64.msi on the current non-prerelease tag.
- Paste into new sticky notes. Pin the ones that must stay visible.
- Retire the built-in pad when ready. Keep a text backup if your team requires rollback.
What does not transfer
Microsoft account sync, Insight suggestions, and Windows Sticky Notes layout history do not migrate into PinnyNotes. Rebuild only the reminders your desk actually uses. If you need phone sync through a Microsoft account, keep Windows pinned notes for that sync job and use PinnyNotes for pinned desktop sticky notes.
Compare feature posture on the vs page without inventing scores. This page is the cutover checklist for pinned reminders: switch from Windows Sticky Notes.
Honesty about Windows Sticky Notes strengths
Windows Sticky Notes still wins when you want a built-in pad with Microsoft account sync and zero extra installers. PinnyNotes wins when you want stronger always-on-top pin behaviour, local auto-save, and an official Setup MSI plus winget doors under GPL-2.0. Choose based on the job, not a slogan.
Related: sticky notes vs Windows pinned notes, for this computer, installed, home.
Cutover checklist
- Install PinnyNotes from Releases or winget
- Copy text from each Windows Sticky Notes card you keep
- Prove pin always-on-top on one reminder
- Rebuild only needed colours and tray habits
- Stop using the built-in pad when the prove step passes
Lab images should document which PinnyNotes client is standard. Keep brew NONE honesty if Mac volunteers ask during a Windows-first PinnyNotes migration.
Download safely notes: download safely. Releases: releases. Safety: is sticky notes safe.
Desk habits after cutover
Write the MSI filename and winget id on the machine card. Prove auto-save once after reboot. Avoid running two PinnyNotes clients fighting for the same reminder without a written standard. Shared desks need one documented owner for the tray session.
When a teammate asks why you left Windows Sticky Notes, answer with the pin job: always-on-top reminders on a Windows PC you control, with stranger-safe PinnyNotes install doors you can write on a ticket.
More migration guides: sticky notes: switch from Stickies, pinned notes: switch from Simple Sticky Notes. Guides hub: guides.
Imaging notes
Freeze classroom images only after a reboot with PinnyNotes sticky notes pinned once. Prefer the same PinnyNotes-Setup-*-x64.msi tag across the lab. Do not invent a second download portal during SmartScreen friction.
How we verify package ids: editorial policy. About Cork Latch: about.
Imaging without weekend chaos
Classroom and helpdesk images should freeze only after a reboot test with PinnyNotes open in the tray and one note pinned always on top. Prefer the newest non-prerelease tag that publishes PinnyNotes-Setup-*-x64.msi. Keep brew NONE written on the card so Mac volunteers are not sent hunting for a cask that does not exist.
winget id 63BeetleSmurf.PinnyNotes is YAML-verified against the same Setup MSI family. Note App Installer availability in the image so offline labs still succeed with a cached installer. Write the filename beside the OS build on every machine card.
Desk habits that keep pins honest
Keep one default colour per desk when you juggle reminder types. Write the notes folder on the machine card so a substitute does not invent a second Downloads path during a SmartScreen scare. Shared apartments should document which Windows user owns the tray session for pinned reminders.
Travel laptops benefit from a single documented installer door. Lab images drift when someone installs a Softonic-style wrapper that only ranked for pinned reminders searches. Prefer returning to the same Releases URL or winget id instead of inventing a new download mid-flight.
Related install and migration routes
Pillar: home. Releases: releases. GitHub: GitHub. Download safely: download safely. For this computer: for this computer. Installed: installed. Guides: guides. Switch: sticky notes: switch from Windows pinned notes. Compare: sticky notes vs Windows pinned notes. Safety: is sticky notes safe. About: about. Editorial: editorial policy.
When PinnyNotes is the wrong tool
Long-form notebooks, shared team wikis, and phone-first Microsoft sync belong elsewhere. PinnyNotes shines for short pinned reminders on a Windows desk. If you need Linux Wayland always-on-top, upstream README states that path is not planned. If you need Microsoft account sync, stay on Windows Sticky Notes for that sync job.
Writers who only wanted a quick pinned reminder still benefit from the same stranger-safe doors. Start small, pin once, then tune colours. That rhythm is how shared clubs avoid weekend outages when someone pastes a random mirror into the group chat for pinned reminders.