• ~~```
  [bolded text]()

* list item

I don’t use the installed notepad++ at work (just the portable), so I cannot confirm for sure right now. However, at home I use the installed, and I don’t remember ever seeing that entry. I don’t think Notepad++ by default adds a “new notepad++” entry to the Windows Explorer right-click menu.

I am not even 100% sure where you think that entry is. The two possibilities are in the **Right Click > New > ** submenu or in the same section of the Right Click menu as the “edit with Notepad++” entry is.

If you meant the **Right Click > New > ** submenu, where Windows lists things like Folder, Shortcut, Text Document, and Compressed(zipped) Folder.)

… Those **Right Click > New > ** menu entries are controlled by Windows, not by Notepad++, and it’s based on file type/extension. But that’s creating a new file, not opening a new Notepad++. If that’s what you mean, here are some notes I keep on how to set that (not Notepad++ specific):

• https://superuser.com/questions/34704/how-can-i-add-an-item-to-the-new-context-menu -> FileName
  • FileName = “blah.pl” => place blah.pl in %UserProfile%\Templates (mine), %AllUsersProfile%\Templates (ours), or %SystemRoot%\ShellNew (global)
  • Apparently, %UserProfile%\Templates is now a junction, and you need to access it through %AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Templates …
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/cc144101(v=vs.85).aspx
  • .EXT\ShellNew\
  • REG_SZ:Command = executes app (ie, launch wizard)
  • REG_BINARY:Data = binary/text to use as contents of new file
  • REG_SZ:FileName = raw name from %profile% locations mentioned above, or full path to template file
  • REG_SZ:NullFile = ignores value; just creates a zero-byte file
• If you have two file extensions that map to the same type (like .txt and .log both map to type=“txtfile”), you can use a different ShellNew key, but both will show up in the NEW list under the same name (based on the FileType text)

If you meant something different, like “new notepad++” showed up in the top section of the right-click menu

(I highly configure things, and the Edit with Notepad++ entry is renamed from normal naming)
… But if that’s what you meant, then I don’t think that entry was created by Notepad++ itself, so you may have to create it yourself using regedit or a registry (.reg) file.

If I am understanding the intent of your “new notepad++” desire correctly, you want it to open a file with a new instance of Notepad++, whether or not you’ve already got an instance of Notepad++ open. You could do that in the registry editor, creating new key HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\NewNotepad++, set the (Default) value to new notepad++, create new sub-key HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\NewNotepad++\command, set the (Default) value to "C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe" -multiInst "%1" . (You may have to log out or reboot for that to take effect, or you might not).