REG file, alert when opened with text editor

When ever I do a full registry backup and then "Edit" with Metapad (text editor), I get this alert ...
Metapad 3.6 (not LE) version



Metapad has always been OK for small "reads" of keys, but it has always irritated me when I want to look at the full registry list in REG file. Searching REG is much faster in text format, but if ANSI characters are lost the reg file is then worthless..
I have an automatic Ctrl+S reflex ...

MS Notepad does not falter. But it is too clunky, I think it is pre 1995 since MS even looked at Notepad.

Can you recommend another text editor (or Registry editor) that I can use.

One extremely useful feature in "Metapad 3.6" is the option to display URLs as links.
Makes topic research very compact

Any ideas appreciated :)

Have you tried Notepad2? The Portable Freeware Collection - Text - Notepads

Notepad++ is top notch. I use it for everything. Text, C++, Python, HTML. It handles non-ASCII ccharacters without barking at you, too. It's very flexible.

Notepad++ Home

Thanks Jacee :) and Mellon Head :) for your feedback.

Years ago I looked at Notepad++ ... but had just fallen in love with Metapad.
Over the years I have tweaked the SaveAs "FileFilters" string to include REG files.
Time to let it go. Makes sense to have default edit for REG files as Notepad++

Alan10 :)
I tried your idea to export Registry in Win9x mode,
but when I edited the reg file in Metapad, still the same warning "lose non-ANSII characters".
In fact Metapad file format can be optioned to:- DOS Text, UNIX Text, Unicode, Unicode BE, UTF-8
But for some reason it is not working ... and it is not worth the risk with REG stuff
Thanks was worth a try

I will keep Metapad going even just for 2 of its options:- hot URL links + always on top .. for research
And roll Notepad++ into service for REG files

Thanks to all