notepad++ doesn't open up automatically

LittleZockerBrownie

I have a problem and that is when I want to open a file using Notepad++. The first is that Notepad++ no longer automatically recognizes the files and opens but I have to search each time in the context menu the .exe, which then does not work. It does not matter if it is a .txt file or a file of any other format.

I have to open Notepad++ separately each time and then open the file in question in the course of a new file in Notepad++ itself. Now I wonder what is the reason for this. For example, I can’t set Notepad++ as the default app because I don’t see Notepad++ listed in the windows menu.

I hope someone can help me.

PeterJones

@LittleZockerBrownie ,

Sorry that the Windows OS is fighting against you trying to use Notepad++. That’s really annoying when it happens.

If Windows is not saving the “Open With” setting for Notepad++ – or worse, like you describe, it doesn’t seem to give Notepad++ as an option – that often means that at one point, you had a 32bit version of Notepad++, but now you have a 64bit version of Notepad++ installed; or that you had Notepad++ installed in location X, but now it’s in location Y, so the registry is confused. If the registry still points to the old location in either of those scenarios, then it won’t run, and if the old location no longer exists, Windows probably won’t list Notepad++ among the “Open With” choices, no matter how many times you browse-to it in the Open With dialogs.

Unfortunately, the only solution I’ve seen for this is for you to be brave enough to use the registry editor (regedit)

Make sure you know where your “real” copy of Notepad++.exe is: probably c:\program files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe .
Check through other folders (especially c:\program files (x86)\Notepad++) to see if you’ve got a second copy someplace else. If so, you might want to delete all but your “real” copy, unless you know what you’re doing.
Run regedit.
Search for keys/values/data = notepad++.exe
As you go through each match (F3 or Edit > Find Next), make sure they all point to the “real” copy, not some old copy. So in my example, any time it says c:\program files (x86)\Notepad++\notepad++.exe, change it to c:\program files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe

After following that sequence, please restart Windows (maybe with a full reboot), at which point it will hopefully allow you to pick Notepad++ for an “Open With” – either from the main list, or once you browse-to notepad++.exe once, it will remember it from then on.

(In the old days, I would have given you some other registry hints to be able to assign a way to have “Edit with Notepad++” be in the registry for all file types; but if you’ve moved to Windows 11, those old ways won’t work any more, because Microsoft thinks they need to control everything, and fight against the desires of users and the apps that they’ve chosen.)

LittleZockerBrownie

@PeterJones ,

Thanks for your reply. I have good and bad news. First the good news, Notepad++ now shows up propperly in the Open With dialogs and Windows Standard App selection but now it just starts itself. So the file content is missing. Same as before if i open up the file manually through Notepad++ itself it works fine.

PeterJones

@LittleZockerBrownie ,

Then you don’t have %1 or equivalent in the file associations.

LittleZockerBrownie

@PeterJones ,

Again, thanks a lot for your help. Now everything runs as it should.