Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n (Proceed directly to the RECOMMENDED method<\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n If you want Notepad++ to open whenever you double-click a text file, and whenever Whereas if you follow Note:<\/strong> This is the RECOMMENDED<\/strong> method. It doesn’t need a 3rd party program or script.<\/em><\/p>\n Run the following command to replace Notepad with Notepad++.<\/p>\n Note that you may need to use “ Windows 11 comes with the modern\/UWP Notepad Store app, which replaces classic Notepad (using the “ You’ve now replaced Notepad with Notepad++. Launching text files or running Notepad.exe manually will now start Notepad++.<\/p>\n If you wish to undo (reverse) the changes, use the following command:<\/p>\n NotepadReplacer<\/a> software from Binary Fortress<\/em> lets you replace Notepad the easy way! No registry edits are needed; the program does that automatically.<\/p>\n Download the NotepadReplacer program and run it.<\/p>\n Choose the Notepad alternative (say, Notepad++) by browsing and selecting the executable, click Next, and click Install.<\/p>\n This program sets the debugger for Notepad automatically, redirecting it to “NotepadReplacer.exe,” a proxy program that in turn starts Notepad++ and passes the file name arguments to it.<\/p>\n Here is a tiny script that intercepts the file name argument(s) used with Notepad.exe and automatically passes it on to Notepad++. This script can be set as the redirector\/debugger for Notepad.exe via the registry.<\/p>\n to the following:<\/p>\n For many users, simply associating the text files with Notepad++ will be enough. This way, Notepad is not blocked or redirected, and you can open it manually at any time.<\/p>\n\n
\n
Which of the Methods below should you use?<\/h4>\n
notepad.exe<\/code> is executed, follow one of the options under Method 1<\/code>. This also means that you can’t run Notepad as long as the setting is in effect. This method uses the debugger<\/code> registry value to redirect a program to another program. Once you redirect a program using this method, when you launch Notepad by running notepad.exe<\/code> directly or double-click a text file, Notepad++ starts instead of Notepad. This method works in Notepad++ 7.5.9<\/code> and higher.<\/p>\nMethod 2<\/code> (which is a traditional file association modification), you can still launch Notepad as usual; you can start Notepad via shortcut, the Run dialog, Open with dialog, etc.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\nHow to Replace Notepad with Notepad++<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Method 1<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Option 1: Using Notepad++’s new command-line<\/h4>\n
\n
Enter<\/code>:\nreg add \"HKLM\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows NT\\CurrentVersion\\Image File Execution Options\\notepad.exe\" \/v \"Debugger\" \/t REG_SZ \/d \"\\\"%ProgramFiles(x86)%\\Notepad++\\notepad++.exe\\\" -notepadStyleCmdline -z\" \/f<\/pre>\n
%ProgramFiles%\\Notepad++\\<\/code>” to substitute for “%ProgramFiles(x86)%\\Notepad++\\<\/code>” if you have Notepad++ 64-bit installed, or use the appropriate path if Notepad++ is installed in a non-default location.<\/p>\ndebugger<\/code> registry value looks like this:<\/div>\n![\"notepad](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/debugger-notepad-plus-switch.png\")
<\/p>\nregedit.exe<\/code>) if you don’t prefer the command-line method.<\/em><\/div>\nWindows 11 – Additional Steps needed<\/h4>\n
AppExecutionAliasRedirect<\/code>” registry setting) by default. To replace Notepad with Notepad++ in Windows 11, you’ll need to restore the classic Notepad,<\/a> or uninstall the modern Notepad app<\/a> via Settings \u2192 Apps & Features. Also, run the following command-line if required<\/strong>:<\/p>\nreg add \"HKLM\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows NT\\CurrentVersion\\Image File Execution Options\\notepad.exe\" \/t REG_DWORD \/v \"UseFilter\" \/d 0 \/f<\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
reg delete \"HKLM\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows NT\\CurrentVersion\\Image File Execution Options\\notepad.exe\" \/v \"Debugger\" \/f<\/pre>\n
<\/a>Option 2: Use NotepadReplacer program<\/h4>\n
![\"notepadreplacer](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/notepad-replace-1.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"notepadreplacer](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/notepad-replace-2.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"Replace](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/notepad-replace-3.png\")
<\/p>\n<\/a>Option 3: Using a Custom VBScript<\/h4>\n
\n
Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject(\"WScript.Shell\")\r\nIf wscript.arguments.count <2 then\r\n\tWshShell.run \"notepad++.exe\"\r\nElse\r\n\tsCmd = \"notepad++.exe \" & \"\"\"\" & wscript.arguments(1) & \"\"\"\"\r\n\tWshShell.run sCmd\r\nEnd If\r\n<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
npp.vbs<\/strong><\/code><\/li>\nC:\\Windows<\/code> directory.<\/li>\nHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows NT\\CurrentVersion\\Image File Execution Options<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
notepad.exe<\/code> key, create a string value (REG_SZ) named Debugger<\/code><\/li>\nc:\\windows\\system32\\wscript.exe \"c:\\windows\\npp.vbs\"<\/pre>\n
![\"Replace](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/notepad-replace-4.png\")
<\/li>\nHKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\\txtfile\\shell\\open\\command<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
(default)<\/code> and change the value data from:\n%SystemRoot%\\system32\\NOTEPAD.EXE %1<\/pre>\n
%SystemRoot%\\system32\\NOTEPAD.EXE \"%1\"<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
<\/a>Automate Methods (Options 1 & 3) Using registry files:<\/h4>\n
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undo.reg<\/code> file provided if you want to reverse the changes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n<\/a>Method 2: Associate Text Files (.txt) with Notepad++<\/h3>\n
\n
\n![\"open](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/notepad-replace-5.png\")
<\/li>\n
\n![\"notepad++](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/notepad-replace-6.png\")
<\/p>\n