Adding a desktop/taskbar link to a file in Google Drive which will open N++ with the specified file for editing....

Ivan Lewis-Coker

Apologies in advance if this has been covered previously, but I didn’t see a Search option to look… :o/

As the subject says, I’d like to create a shortcut to a text file on my desktop and/or the Windows 10 taskbar which will open N++, along with the specified text file for editing.

I used to use Dropbox to store the file, which was handy as I could just right click on the Dropbox notification tray icon and open it whenever I needed to, but I’d rather not faff about with a second cloud service when I don’t have to.

What I’ve tried thus far is use Google Drive on the web to create the shortcut and then pinned this to my desktop/taskbar.

I then edited the Properties dialog of said shortcut, specifying the Target text box entry as:

“D:\Program Files (x86)\Notepad++\notepad++.exe” “H:_Google Drive(KEY STUFF TO XFER BET. PHONES)\Misc\W (Google Drive).txt”

… Where H:_Google Drive is the actual folder name under the virtual drive labelled G:\

{Note that I initially specified the virtual drive in the shortcut, but this also failed to work.)

Anyone know if what I’m trying to achieve is at all possible…?

TIA,

ivan

()

mkupper

@Ivan-Lewis-Coker, please post your Debug info per what’s at Please Read This Before Posting.

I noticed in your post that the target to get to Notepad++ is on drive D: and so I’m wondering where your copy of Notepad++ is located. The Debug info will include this.

Overall, what you tried to do should work, if, and only if, everything you showed to us about that shortcut is correct. If a detail is wrong, such as the drive letter, then it won’t work. Computers try to do what they are told, not what you want.

Coises

@Ivan-Lewis-Coker

Since I don’t use Google Drive with a mapped drive (which I think is what you are doing), I might misunderstand. Please forgive me if this doesn’t make sense.

Can you navigate to the file through Windows file explorer, so you’re looking at the folder that contains it like you would look into any ordinary folder?

If so, what happens if you hold down the Alt key on your keyboard and drag the file to your desktop? Normally, that should create a shortcut.

If it does create a shortcut, but one that opens in something other than Notepad++, you should be able to edit the properties and add the path to Notepad++, followed by a space, before the existing contents of the Target. See if that works.

If won’t create a shortcut, one other possibility is to try holding Shift, then right-click the file, then choose Copy as Path from the menu. That should give you the correct path to use to create a shortcut.

PeterJones

@Ivan-Lewis-Coker,

The other respondants are helping with your actual issue, but I thought I’d reply to:

I didn’t see a Search option to look

The toolbar of the forum has a magnifying glass, which indicates “search”, just like magnifying glasses do in many other tools (including Notepad++)

Click on the search icon, then type your search text. It’s not the world’s best search, but it will work.

And I am also assuming you actually know about Google’s advanced search syntax (which you can enter in a normal Google search bar, not just from their advanced search page). This syntax allows you to search by site, so site:community.notepad-plus-plus.org search terms here will restrict your google search to our Community.