Open with Notepad - Add or Remove from Context Menu of Files

How to Add or Remove "Open with Notepad" from the Context Menu of Files​

   Information

This will show you how to add or remove Open with Notepad from the context menu of all files for all users in Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8 to easily open any file with Notepad without setting it as the file's default program.

You will need to be logged in as an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial.

EXAMPLE: "Open with Notepad" added to Context Menu of Files




Here's How:
1. To Add "Open with Notepad" to Context Menu
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 3 below.
Add_Open_with_Notepad.reg

Download


2. To Remove "Open with Notepad" from Context Menu
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 3 below.
Remove_Open_with_Notepad.reg

Download


3. Save the .reg file to the desktop.

4. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

5. When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC-Windows 7/8) or Continue (UAC-Vista), Yes, and OK to approve merging the .reg file.

6. You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.
That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Change the Default Program a File Type Opens With in Windows 7
• How to Remove or Restore the Open With Context Menu Item in Windows
• How to Clean Up and Remove Programs from the "Open with" Context Menu
• How to Add a Program to "Open with" in Windows 7
• How to Add "Open with" to Context Menu of URL Files in Windows
• How to Add "Open with" to Context Menu of BAT Files in Windows

 

[WindowsStar]

Wow I haven't seen this one in a while. Thanks for the post!

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome WindowsStar. Yeah, it's an old one all right.

 

[WindowsStar]

Does anyone still need to print the contents of a folder? That is another very old trick much like this one?

 

[Brink]

Some might. I have one for this over at Vista Forums that works in Windows 7 as well.

Context Menu - Add View and Print File Directory - Vista Forums

 

[WindowsStar]

Yep that is what I was referring to. I remember years ago I really improved it because there were some issues that users had with it....I wish I could remember where I put that code....but that was the Windows NT days.

 

[Brink]

I'm always open for improvements.

 

[WindowsStar]

I'm always open for improvements.

I will dig around in my old Windows NT stuff on the Server and see if I find something. I would like to have a Tutorial or help with one.

 

[Brink]

Sounds good to me.

 

[hannubys]

How to do it for some file extensions like .xml .nfo. .txt but not all files ?

 

[severedsolo]

How to do it for some file extensions like .xml .nfo. .txt but not all files ?

right click a file of the type you want to change, go to Open With and click Change Default Program click browse and go to C:\Windows\System32\Notepad.exe make sure "use this program for all files of this type" is checked

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/12196-open-change-default-program.html

OR

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9154-default-programs-associate-file-type-protocol.html

 

[SteveW]

Does this work in Windows 10 & if not is there a different way to achieve the same result?

 

[Brink]

Hello Steve, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Yes, this should work in Windows 10 as well.

 

[SteveW]

Hello Steve, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Yes, this should work in Windows 10 as well.

thanks. so i tried it & it shows in the context menu but when i click it i get an error saying "This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action."

 

[Brink]

Steve,

I just tested it on my 64-bit Windows 10 Pro, and it's working without issue.

What file type (ex: .reg) does this happen with? All, or a specific one?

As a test, see if this works below to open it with Notepad. If not, then there's some sort of association issue.

1. Right click on file.
2. Click on Open with.
3. Select Notepad.

 

[SteveW]

Steve,

I just tested it on my 64-bit Windows 10 Pro, and it's working without issue.

What file type (ex: .reg) does this happen with? All, or a specific one?

As a test, see if this works below to open it with Notepad. If not, then there's some sort of association issue.

1. Right click on file.
2. Click on Open with.
3. Select Notepad.

It's on all files. I did your test, and it opened in Notepad. However, when clicking Open with, then clicking Choose another app, I got the same error message. I then used the fix you wrote about at Open with "Choose default program" Error - Fix and it fixed it. The Open with Notepad is still throwing the error.

 

[Brink]

I must admit that I'm not sure what's causing this other than some sort of association issue.

Did you use some sort of registry cleaning program by chance?

If you know when you started to get these errors, you could do a system restore using a restore point dated before they started to hopefully sort it.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/700-system-restore.html