Notepad: Where did my text go?

[Aurora]

Hello, I have a Notepad question. When I use Notepad, how do I get back to my original work without saving that work, when I call up and begin another notepad?

On my older XP, the typed text would just become cradled in the traybar. I would then call up a new notepad and begin another item and could toggle back and forth between several, many notepad items. Presently, When I call up a new notepad, my previous work disappears and I do not know how to get back to it? Where did it go? I have never been able to go right back to it? Now I must save my notepad work to my desktop so that I do not lose it. What am I doing wrong that I can't use many instances of notepad at the same time like I use to? Thanks for all your wonderful help here!

 

[DeVandal]

Hold the shift key when clicking the icon to open multiple instances of an app.

Consider a better text editor that supports MDI/tabbed interface.

 

[Dwarf]

Hi Aurora,

You should still be able to access it. Try this as a test. Open Notepad and position it on the left of the screen. Do not maximise it. Now, open another Notepad and position it on the right. Again, do not maximise it. You should be able to click in both windows and type characters. Now mouse over the icon in the Taskbar. Do miniature previews of the notepad windows appear? If you click on one of these, the relevant window will become active.

If you really can't have more than one notepad window open at any one time, then it's strange since I've had several open at the same time without any problems.

 

[fseal]

Try notepad++

It has tabs, can (by default) reopen all your note files that were open when you closed it. Single app that can handle multiple text files. Plus spell checking and code highlighting (if your a coder). Can handle unicode files and files between platforms.

Free

 

[Aurora]

Thank you so much DeVandal! Yes, the shift key gives me mutiply instances of Notepad. I didn't have to use that before with XP? I guess
Windows 7 did not carry that automatic feature over? Yes, I have other
editors I can go to and use and did prior as I could not bring up a second empty Notepad page. I have several: Wordpad, Edit Lite, MS Word but some have nag screens. I will look for a MDI/tabbed interface. Thanks for your help!

 

[DeVandal]

Actually, the shift key is not the only way. You can also right click the taskbar icon and select Notepad to open another instance.

 

[Aurora]

Hey Dwarf, I tried to bring up 2 instances as you said but the single opened Notepad will just flash or blink as to say 'hey silly, I am already open'. And the opened Notepad is what is in the traybar and not the Notepad Icon, so again, it flashes to say I am already open. I am able with the shift key to open multiple instances. I would have never, ever figured that out by myself! I will check out all the other choices as well. I thank everyone for posting! Very helpful!

 

[Aurora]

Yes, DeVandal, I was able to open another instance through the start menu/programs. Not sure where the 'taskbar icon' is. Mine is just a full bar across the bottom screen but did not find Notepad with a right click on the bar.

BTW, as a sidebar, I did not find Notepad in the Accessories in the Programs menu?? That's odd, it had Wordpad in Accessories but not Notepad? To find Notepad, I typed it into the Search programs and files. The file location shows it in System 32, deep, deep in the bowels of the OS. I opened it from there. I can post these other questions as their own?

BTW, I think the best thing about Windows 7 is the 'Search programs and files' in the Start Menu. It is such a better searcher than XP was. Yea!

 

[DeVandal]

Once Notepad is open, the icon will appear on the Taskbar. At that point, you can Right Click the icon and select Pin To Taskbar (if you want it readily accessible at all times).

Else, once you locate notepad.exe in the bowels of Windows, you can right click the file and choose Pin To Start Menu.

note: my icon will look different than yours. I actually use two text editors. Seen here is MetaPad by LiquidNinja. It is my favorite writing tool. I also use EditPad Pro for my coding work.

And, I absolutely hate the new search method. What can you do? I can't find a copy of Windows 6.5

 

[mickey megabyte]

you can also click taskbar icon with your middle-mouse button (scroll wheel) if you have one to open a new instance.

 

[DeVandal]

you can also click taskbar icon with your middle-mouse button (scroll wheel) if you have one to open a new instance.

I had to rep that one. Awesome. Anything that eliminates ANY effort on my part is welcome. Great tip.

 

[mickey megabyte]

thanks DV - it's one of my favourites

 

[Aurora]

Yes, understood now. Right-click on the an open Notepad will bring up the Notepad Icon(gives fresh Notepad page) and a list of all recent Notepad items. Also, can brings up a fresh Notepad from the center wheel of my mouse. All very cool! I also pinned Notepad to my start menu after going after it in the belly of Windows 7. Not sure why it wasn't pinned in start menu from the beginning? but has always been pinned to my taskbar?

With this good information on how to use Notepad, it still wouldn't be considered a 'tabbed' interface? Thanks for all your help on this.
You all really, really ((((((ROCK))))))!

PS. Wish there was a way to rename this thread so it helps others directly with this Notepad problem here. Notepad: How to use many instances of Notepad at once.

 

[mickey megabyte]

all these things just don't apply to notepad...

 

[newbie3posy]

I finally got an answer to my notepad problem. Yeah

I am not computer literate. I use technology that is simple that doesn't have all the techy features because I don't understand the jargon.

I got a new Win.7 laptop. Before when I was researching a topic I would cut & paste the data into a notepad & minimize it & continue doing that. Sometimes I would have 7 or 8 notepads minimized in my taskbar.

When I changed to a new Win 7 laptop I tried to do that but I couldn't open & minimize multiple Notpads. I thought it was Firefox doing an update that changed everything. I asked on FF Forums but no one had the answer to my dilemma. They tried to help me but I was asking the wrong question.

I realized it might have started when I got the new laptop & the problem maybe started with Wind.7.
When I asked the question on Google I was brought to this post. Halleluyqh!!!

I finally had my answer & it was so simple! Right click on the Notepad icon. I had
moved it to my taskbar from the Start menu when I got the new comp. I did read here that there was a more advanced version of Notepad that will let you close the comp. & they will not disappear.

If anyone reads this & can tell me if that program can be used simply with out a lot of settings, changes etc. I would be so grateful.

newbie3posy

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Have you investigated WordPad, also included with Windows?

 

[fseal]

Or, if you do any kind of coding or looking at html or xml files, download Notepad++. Awesome multi-document notepad with syntax highlighting and proper windows/unix line ending handling etc...