XP-type Batch file to tame Vista?

masonite · 14th October 2008

For many years I've been using EditpadLite to replace notepad.exe in XP.

The replacement batch file is fairly simple and reads like this:

copy /-y notepad.exe C:\WINDOWS\System32\dllcache
copy /-y notepad.exe C:\WINDOWS\System32
copy /-y notepad.exe C:\WINDOWS

(Beforehand, one prepares a copy of Editpad renamed notepad.exe)

Sometimes notepad is found in other locations so the batch file can be edited accordingly.

But Vista is a whole different ballgame, even with UAC turned off.

Anyone know how to do this could be done? Like, I can't even FIND notepad.exe in my Vista Ultimate version :-(

**Steve R Jones** · 14th October 2008

Just like in XP did you turn off HIDE system files?

**Steve R Jones** · 14th October 2008

Now that I'm on my Vista machine...I found notepad.exe in the
C:\Windows
C:\Winodws\System32 folders.

davehc · 14th October 2008

I'm missing something. Why do you need the batch file?
If you install editpad lite and associate it with , for example, .txt files, would that not be enough?

masonite · 16th October 2008

Thanks for the responses Steve and Dave. Sorry about tardy reply:

Yes Steve, show all files is ON. And UAC is OFF. After I read your post I did umpteen more searches for the file and finally found notepad.exe only when I told Blista to look in C. It couldn't see the file when I searched the entire 'Computer', all it found was my renamed copy of EditPad, sitting in a temp folder. Odd........

It also found other 'copies' of notepad.exe in C - five of 'em actually, with very esoteric and obscure pathnames, but I assume that these are due to some obscure requirement of the OS.

As you noted, notepad.exe is indeed in Windows and system32, so I amended the above batch file and ran it several times, but without success. Actually, I also emailed the guy who created Editpad, and asked him how to do it, but all he said was that 'he hadn't tried the replacement process in Vista', which I thought was curious, as he used to be a vociferous advocate of the forced swapping in XP. Perhaps he got knuckle-rapped by Mr.Gates...

Dave, no reason to run the batch file-replacement process other than I've always done it successfully in XP and didn't stop to consider any other method. I shall attempt, forthwith, to see if it'll work in Vista just as a regular application.

Cheers :-)

**Steve R Jones** · 17th October 2008

I haven't used it yet, but Vista has ROBOCOPY (Robust File Copy for Windows) that might be worth you looking into.

masonite · 17th October 2008

You mean use Robocopy to overwrite notepad.exe with my own file, rather than with the batchfile?

davehc · 18th October 2008

Sorry to but in again!! Notepad takes up a massive 148 kbs! Where are you going with this thread, or is it merely a matter of curiosity?
EditPadlite installs and runs in Vista without hiccup. You could, from then on, run it without even being aware that notepad ever existed.

masonite · 21st October 2008

Heads-up: You were right Steve, Editpad runs OK in Vista, and allows you to nominate it as the default text editor, which effectively disables the native notepad.exe.

Cheers.