Cant select 64-bit version as default text edit program in win 7?

Daniel Buitron

If I use the x86 exe it works, but I uninstalled and got he x64 since my PC is 64 bit. But now when I use the x64 exe it doesn’t show up in the list of programs when I select it. Whats the issue?

Claudia Frank

@Daniel-Buitron

Sorry, but it is not clear for me where you did what.
Did you use default programs from control panel or explorer context menu or something else?

Cheers
Claudia

T Q

Having the same problem here.

Had x32 installed for years.
Uninstalled x32 version
Installed x64 version

Windows now opens things like xml files in normal notepad
When I choose “Open With”, notepad++ is not one of the default options
And even when I search for a program and choose the x64 notepad++.exe file… it just ignores it as it I hit cancel.

Need some sort of registry fix when switching from 32 to 64 I guess.

T Q

Ok I found it

use regedit to goto:
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\notepad++.exe\shell\open\command]
Change this
“C:\Program Files (x86)\Notepad++\notepad++.exe” “%1”
to this:
“C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe” “%1”

Then Open With should work now and let you choose Notepad++

T Q

Actually there appears to be about 6 or 7 locations in regedit if you search for:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Notepad++

and edit each place to remove the " (x86)" part

Maksum Saidi

This fixed it for me.

It’s been bugging me for years. Ten minutes with regedit made notepad++ appear as an option in “Open with->Choose default program”.

Robert Baer

Title says Win7 – works on Windows 11 too

A bit late, but this post was the key to getting things working on Windows 11 for me. I had stuck with the 32-bit version for years and had installed it on a non-default disk. When I upgraded to the 64-bit version everything related to the right click menu stopped working.

Using regedit to insure that this key pointed at my 64-bit install got things right.
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\notepad++.exe\shell\open\command]

double click on default to see the actual key if you haven’t used regedit before.