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When you click the View Source command in Internet Explorer 8, it uses the built-in viewer, which is part of the Developer Tools in Internet Explorer 8. The built-in viewer lets you dynamically refresh the view source window, increase or decrease the text size and lists other standard options.
The new viewer does not allow editing the source though. Previous versions of Internet Explorer use Notepad as the default source editor, which lets you modify the source before saving. To set Notepad as the default view source editor in Internet Explorer 8 (and previous versions), use the instructions below.
Changing the View Source Editor in Internet Explorer
Method 1: Using the Built-in Option in IE8
Internet Explorer 8 includes a built-in option to change the default view source editor. The setting is provided in the Developer Tools.
1. Open Internet Explorer
2. Press the F12 button to start the Developer Tools
3. From the File menu, click Customize Internet Explorer View Source
4. Select one of the following options:
- Default Viewer
- Notepad
- Other…
If you choose Other…, you’ll be prompted to select the executable file of your preferred text editor. Use this option to set your third-party text editing program (e.g. Notepad+) to set as the default source editor.
Method 2: Manual Registry Edit
1. Launch Regedit.exe and navigate to:
2. Create a subkey named View Source Editor
3. Under View Source Editor, create a subkey named Editor Name
4. Select the following key:
5. Double-click (default) and set Notepad.exe as its data
Note: If you prefer a third-party text editor (such as Notepad+, Notepad Lite etc), type the full path to the executable.
6. Exit the Registry Editor.
Registry Fix
Download viewsrc_ie8.zip, unzip the file and extract the contents to a folder. Double-click the file viewsrc-notepad.reg to set Notepad as the default View Source editor. To restore the original setting (built-in viewer as the default), run the file viewsrc-default.reg.
Note: The above REG files can be used with previous versions of Internet Explorer as well.
(Last Updated on March 22, 2009. Article modified for IE8 Final.)
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Thanks. This was a suprise to me too.
Thanks for that.
Thanks indeed for that! I always use View Source for editing and the shock of losing the ability to edit without a lot of fiddling around for source files was almost too much for my old bones.
If you only rely on the entry under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE hive, it will be of no avail for the standard user (when you are not elevated nor the built-in administrator). You have to create the value under HKEY_CURRENT_USER as well (as it is shown in the .reg files).
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Man this worked !!!….thanks
Thank you! Was completely taken aback by this little discovery and am thrilled that the fix was so simple.
Yea method worked for me… thanks
@David: FYI, the path seems to have changed again in IE8 Final.
For me this did not work – not exactly. I’m using IE8 RC1. (8.0.6001.18372). I had to create the View Source Editor key as you mentioned. However, I had to create a string value within that key named “Editor Name” and assign that new value the path to my editor. Having Editor Name as a sub key to View Source Editor did not work. Thanks though, you got me thinking.