Silent Bob
11-11-2005, 06:55 PM
Andrew mentioned this handy little utility in a previous post.
Well, heres the link to it, and instructions on how to replace Notepad with Notepad2 (Windows only)
The original Notepad shipped with Windows is probably the handiest program of all times, small, fast, without frills! Notepad2 tries to follow this principle, it's a small, fast and free text editor with syntax highlighting for HTML and other common languages.
Link: http://www.flos-freeware.ch/notepad2.html
Replacement: http://blogs.msdn.com/omars/archive/2004/04/30/124093.aspx
How to replace notepad.exe with notepad2.exe
Thanks to some great comments and a specific one from James (http://blogs.msdn.com/omars/archive/2004/04/30/123628.aspx#123753) I have now replaced notepade.exe with the vastly superior notepad2.exe (http://www.flos-freeware.ch/notepad2.html) and prevented Windows File Protection from replacing the new notepad.
Here are the steps (warning, process with care, no warranties etc):
Method 1
1) Rename Notepad2.exe to Notepad.exe
2) go to %windir%\system32
3) Rename Notepad.exe to NotepadX.exe
4) go to %windir%\system32\Restore
5) Turn off hide invisible files in Tools->Folder Options->View
6) Select filelist.xml and right click->Properties and uncheck Read-only
7) Edit the file
8) Add:
<REC>%windir%\notepad.exe</REC>
to:
<Exclude>
<REC>%windir%\system.ini</REC>
<REC>%windir%\tasks\desktop.ini</REC>
<REC>%windir%\win.ini</REC>
<REC>*:\AUTOEXEC.BAT</REC>
<REC>*:\CONFIG.MSI</REC>
<REC>*:\CONFIG.SYS</REC>
</Exclude>
9) copy the newly renamed notepad2.exe (now named notepad.exe) to %windir%\system32
note: it turns out that for some folks, this doesn't work. It did not work for me on my tablet pc. Thanks to Shakeel Mahate (http://blogs.msdn.com/omars/archive/2004/04/30/124093.aspx#124619) here is method #2.
Method 2
Tools->Folder Options->View uncheck Hide protected operating system files.
rename Notepad2.exe notepad.exe
copy notepad.exe %windir%/system32\dllcache
copy notepad.exe %windir%/system32
A dialog will popup hit cancel
Recheck Hide protected operating system files in the Folder Options dialog box The dllcache contains copies of the windows protected files. The dllcache isnt itself protected.
Well, heres the link to it, and instructions on how to replace Notepad with Notepad2 (Windows only)
The original Notepad shipped with Windows is probably the handiest program of all times, small, fast, without frills! Notepad2 tries to follow this principle, it's a small, fast and free text editor with syntax highlighting for HTML and other common languages.
Link: http://www.flos-freeware.ch/notepad2.html
Replacement: http://blogs.msdn.com/omars/archive/2004/04/30/124093.aspx
How to replace notepad.exe with notepad2.exe
Thanks to some great comments and a specific one from James (http://blogs.msdn.com/omars/archive/2004/04/30/123628.aspx#123753) I have now replaced notepade.exe with the vastly superior notepad2.exe (http://www.flos-freeware.ch/notepad2.html) and prevented Windows File Protection from replacing the new notepad.
Here are the steps (warning, process with care, no warranties etc):
Method 1
1) Rename Notepad2.exe to Notepad.exe
2) go to %windir%\system32
3) Rename Notepad.exe to NotepadX.exe
4) go to %windir%\system32\Restore
5) Turn off hide invisible files in Tools->Folder Options->View
6) Select filelist.xml and right click->Properties and uncheck Read-only
7) Edit the file
8) Add:
<REC>%windir%\notepad.exe</REC>
to:
<Exclude>
<REC>%windir%\system.ini</REC>
<REC>%windir%\tasks\desktop.ini</REC>
<REC>%windir%\win.ini</REC>
<REC>*:\AUTOEXEC.BAT</REC>
<REC>*:\CONFIG.MSI</REC>
<REC>*:\CONFIG.SYS</REC>
</Exclude>
9) copy the newly renamed notepad2.exe (now named notepad.exe) to %windir%\system32
note: it turns out that for some folks, this doesn't work. It did not work for me on my tablet pc. Thanks to Shakeel Mahate (http://blogs.msdn.com/omars/archive/2004/04/30/124093.aspx#124619) here is method #2.
Method 2
Tools->Folder Options->View uncheck Hide protected operating system files.
rename Notepad2.exe notepad.exe
copy notepad.exe %windir%/system32\dllcache
copy notepad.exe %windir%/system32
A dialog will popup hit cancel
Recheck Hide protected operating system files in the Folder Options dialog box The dllcache contains copies of the windows protected files. The dllcache isnt itself protected.