Any app to auto-replace Notepad ??

[Curt]

For five years or so, I have been using Metapad, and think it is fine. Now my old PC with Windows 2000 is dead, and I am looking for a replacement for Notepad for my new PC with XP Home. When I read what I did many years ago, when installing Metapad, my stomack gets uneasy and my heart pumps extra hard: did I really do all this, just to replace Notepad, back then? And now, using XP, it has gotten even more difficult! :

[28] - Windows XP

Q:  How do I replace notepad under Windows XP?

A:  System File Protection is in full effect.

You can try the following to get around System File Protection. Be very quick or XP will replace the file and it won't work. Make sure you don't have the WinXP CD-ROM in your drive!

Copy metapad renamed as Notepad.exe to the clipboard.
Go to C:\WINDOWS\System32\dllcache (NB: in XP SP2 this has changed to C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386)
Paste the file there.
Go to C:\WINDOWS\System32 (using Backspace)
Paste the file there.
QUICKLY! Go back to C:\WINDOWS (another Backspace) and paste the file there.
If you have done this correctly, a message should pop up saying that a bad version of a Windows System file has been installed. Make sure you select 'Keep this file' or a similar option. If it doesn't work, keep trying, because it will. Just do the three pastes very fast.

A variation on the method above follows (submitted by Samutz):

I found another way to replace notepad with metapad that doesn't require you to work too fast. I made a copy of metapad.exe called notepad.exe, then made a batch file with the following commands:

    copy /-y notepad.exe C:\WINDOWS\System32\dllcache
    copy /-y notepad.exe C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386
    copy /-y notepad.exe C:\WINDOWS\System32
    copy /-y notepad.exe C:\WINDOWS
   
Then I saved it as copy.bat and ran it. It prompts for overwrite for each file, but all you have to hit is Y and Enter a few times. I find it much easier than trying to flip through folders as fast as I can to paste it before Windows replaces it.

- for now, this is too confusing to me!

I know there are many editors to replace Notepad, but someone must have written some kind of auto-replacement feature as well??? 

  Speak up, please!

[iphigenie]

ConText does it, if i recall.

[Nighted]

You do know that you can just change the association of the text file to open in any other program, right? You don't have to actually replace notepad.exe. You must know that though. I also replace the default notepad with notepad2, but I permanently disable file protection before installing XP using nLite.

XPLite lets you turn off file protection although I've never used it. I think WinXP Manager lets you do it also.

[Curt]

ConText does it, if i recall.

Wow; that conTEXT sure is some fine editor!

But it may be a hole lot more than what I am seeking - and too advanced for me.

Three things I really liked about Metapad was the speed (the setup.zip is only 46 KB), the right-click option "Open with Metapad" - and the simplicity dispite many features. The only feaure I have been missing is the abillity to handle binary files (and that auto-replacement thing...). Other than that, it was perfect to me.

But that 'auto-replacement thing' has become important to me. And for some reason I also find it important that it will handle binary files (even though I wouldn't know what to do with such a file...), so I am looking for something alike Metapad that will auto-replace Notepad, handle binary files, is speedy and both simple and more advanced than Notepad, at the same time, and free and good looking as well.  

[Curt]

You do know that you can just change the association of the text file to open in any other program, right? You don't have to actually replace notepad.exe. You must know that though. I also replace the default notepad with notepad2, but I permanently disable file protection before installing XP using nLite.

XPLite lets you turn off file protection although I've never used it. I think WinXP Manager lets you do it also.

I have had this XP Home for 3 days - and knows next to zero about it   

I'll have to study this file protection before I can even imagine I know what and how to do

But thanks a lot for the directions!

[edbro]

I use Akelpad renamed to notepad. All you have to do is copy it to the dllcache directory first and you should have no problems. I have a batch file that will rename it and copy it to all the required directories automatically.

Code

copy akelpad.exe C:\windows\system32\dllcache\notepad.exe /Y
copy akelpad.exe C:\windows\system32\notepad.exe /Y
copy akelpad.exe C:\windows\notepad.exe /Y

[Curt]

All you have to do is

Thanks for taking the time to answer me, edbro! 

But first things first. I skipped Metapad because of this very same procedure, you are telling me to follow. I wouldn't know how to make a batch file, or what it is, and I don't know where to find the hidden dll cache folder.

And next there are these two things:
Akelpad won't handle binary files, as far as I understand the text,
and it is just as ugly as Notepad

But again; thanks for taking the time to answer me!

[kimmchii]

i use TED Notepad.

[Curt]

TED Notepad.

I cannot see that TED will offer to replace Microsoft Notepad.
Have you had it replace Notepad? And if Yes; How?

[kimmchii]

I cannot see that TED will offer to replace Microsoft Notepad.
Have you had it replace Notepad? And if Yes; How?

yes it has replaced Notepad on my computer, see this:

2. Follow steps displayed by the Installer. You will be able to choose, whether to install TED Notepad as a notepad replacement and as a standalone application. Additionally, you may choose to setup some basic Filters and External viewers as well. Finally, you may add a portable INI file to your installation. Installing as a standalone application will install TED Notepad into a specified directory, including the manual and all other files. This is the default installation type for a text editor. Installing as a notepad replacement will try to install TED Notepad as your default Notepad application. This may be considered as a violation by your System. Please, see File protection troubles below. The meaning and use of a portable INI file is described in chapter Portable INI file.

[CWuestefeld]

Notepad++ has some kind of shim so that, while not physically replacing notepad, N++ will be invoked for (most) uses.

[2stepsback]

Notepad++ has some kind of shim so that, while not physically replacing notepad, N++ will be invoked for (most) uses.

I second that. the latest version of Notepad++ (4.02 IIRC) is really HUGE improvement over previous versions - on the one hand it can be used as a simple notepad replacement.
But on the other, if you change certain Preferences/Settings, it should become an obvious choice for your default programming editor for markup and scripting languages. HTML, XML, CSS, PHP. Apart from those, it supports practically every programming language (at least 3 you have never heard of ) and is FAST and has some *exceptional* text manipulation plugins that help you reformat your text (upto 10s of MBs) in *one single command/click*.
The latest version has an explorer sidebar, favorites, hex editor and function list.
The Text FX Viz plugins are mighty impressive - of course, everything is free GPL. If you just want a notepad replacement and you *dislike* feature-packed software, I suggest editor2, amazing stability and several smart, quick features.
Really worth trying out.
Both have instructions on how to replace Notepad as the default system editor.

HTH,
-2stepsback

[lanux128]

Curt, try using Replacer.. i also use metapad & Replacer helps me change the default editor easily..

Replacer version 2.62 is an easy to use system file replacer for Windows 2000 and XP. It safely replaces protected or in-use system files.

[kartal]

Is there a true unicode international language supporting notepad replacement? I have turkish named files and some notepad replacements cannot open those files while notepad itself can open them.

[muntealb]

Try AkelPad, it should do the job. It is free and open source.

http://akelpad.sourceforge.net/en/index.php

[kartal]

Thanks, it looks nice but it does not have insert date-time

[Shades]

Notepad++ is a very able and handy text editor that will fulfill practically all your needs (editing text that is)...there is however one remark, don't try to autoreplace items in EDI messages with a size of 40 kilobyte or higher. It is not able to handle this, while doing the same thing on bigger files that are not EDI messages goes without any problem.

No, I'll stick with my (customized) HTML-Kit editor. 

Try EDXOR http://members.ozemail.com.au/~nulifetv/freezip/freeware/edxor.htm if you want a small and very powerful text/hex editor (50Kbyte) that is free to use.

[f0dder]

Curt: is there any real reason you want to replace notepad.exe , instead of simply changing .txt filetype association to use your other editor? That's a much simpler & cleaner way of handling things...

Shades: EDI messages? What's that?

Notepad++ is a mighty fine editor, and I use it myself. It has a limit on max line-length (at least before things become very messy), but that's a trait of the Scintilla edit control used; it's focus is handling source code well, not dealing with log files of several hundred megabytes

[johnk]

Curt: is there any real reason you want to replace notepad.exe , instead of simply changing .txt filetype association to use your other editor? That's a much simpler & cleaner way of handling things...

Changing the .txt file association will of course take care of most uses of Notepad.  The only problem is those programs that are hard-coded to call notepad.exe when they open a text file (there's a surprisingly large number -- that why I did exactly what the original poster is talking about and replaced notepad.exe with metapad.exe).

So, Curt, if you do really want to make sure that the original notepad.exe is never called by another program, then yes, there is no way around the long-winded technique described on Metapad's help pages. Or use a batch file as advised by edbro above.

[muntealb]

Kartal, you can insert date/time with AkelPad very easily.

Edit>Insert Date (Ctrl+D)

[kartal]

ahh, I had a slightly older version that did not have that. I downloaded the new version and it has the date function. Thanks

[Perry Mowbray]

PSPad has many different areas of system integration. What you're specifically asking for Curt is achieved by a small 8K exe that you can copy over the top of notepad.exe.

System Integration

Open TXT files
When checked this sets the association for .TXT files to PSPad. otherwise .TXT files are associated with notepad. Note: If Windows notepad.exe is replaced with the version of notepad.exe supplied with PSPad then this option is, effectively, ignored.

Register in System context menu
When Checked you can open any file in PSPad or PSPad HEX editor by clicking right mouse button on it and selecting corresponding item in context menu.

Link on the DeskTop
Adds or removes desktop shortcut for PSPad editor.

Link in the START menu
Adds or removes Start menu shortcut for PSPad editor.

Link in Send To menu
Adds or removes Send To item for PSPad editor in Windows Explorer context menus.

HTML Viewer in IE 5+
When checked, sets PSPad as default HTML viewer for MS Internet Explorer.

HTML Editor for IE
When checked, sets PSPad as default HTML editor for MS Internet Explorer.

HTML Viewer in OPERA
When checked, sets PSPad as default HTML editor for Opera. Note: If OPERA browser is running, this option is disabled!

Editor for Total Commander
Sets PSPad as default editor for Total Commander. Note: TotalCommander is running, this option is disabled! You must have TotalCommander shareware installed for this option to function.

[Carol Haynes]

EditPad Pro (there is a free version EditPadLite) is very good and has a built in set of options to associate different files.

[f0dder]

*shrug* - most apps that are bruteforced to use notepad.exe tend to be installers, and for those I can live with notepad... but hey, if you absolutely insist on replacing notepad.exe, that's fine with me

[mwfuss]

I have been using NoteTab Pro for some time now and it has an option to replace Notepad. I think that the free version, NoteTab Light has the same option, but I am not certain. I find NoteTab Pro to be a very fine and capable program.

http://www.notetab.com/index.php