editing html in IE6

Default editors for IE6 are notepad or msword.
I like notepad but for long file to edit, it seems limited: it requires more memory, suggesting to close other applications (which are not running.!..).
The other choice in my case is Office Word 2000 Premium, whose HTML editor is too much complex for simple text editing, requiring deep knowledge in "class ", "style ", "span ", etc.,; moreover it automatically modifies something according its own rules.
The good choice will be wordpad but I am unable to instruct IE6 to condsider it. Any suggestions??
Thanks for any help.

 

As far as I know, you'd have to do it through the registry. Something like:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\internet explorer\view source Editor\Editor Name]
@= "C:\\Program Files\Accessories\wordpad.exe "

*edit*
Found more:

1. Close any instances of IE.

2. Create this registry key if it does not already exist (chances are it does not exist):
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\View Source Editor\Editor Name]

3. Modify the Default value of the "Editor Name" to the path of the program you want to use to view source code. For example, "C:\Program Files\Accessories\wordpad.exe" or "C:\Windows\notepad.exe"

Note: If the path contains blank spaces, please do not forget to add the quotation marks. Then when you click View>Source in Internet Explorer, the program you specified will open.

Blatantly ripped from

here.

 

Another option (and good for more than just web page editing) would be to get one of the many notepad replacements and install it.

Then find all the copies of notepad.exe and rename them to notepad.exe.old (so you can undo the changes if you want) and place a copy of the replacement .exe file in the same folders and rename to notepad.exe.

I use NoteTab Light so I did this with NoteTab.exe (lots of html editing options) in the three locations on my XP PC where notepad.exe was found.
C:\windows
C:\windows\system32
C:\windows\system32\dllcache

With XP it isn't quite that simple though. Notepad.exe is a 'protected' file so you have to temporarily turn off system file protection. Fairly simple on ME and 2K but not quite so easy on XP. Still, it can be done so take a look and decide if the effort is worth while to you.

http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/Pub0009/LPMArticle.asp?ID=290

 

thank you Daizy and Newt.
to Daizy
I have tried to implement the corrections suggested, after having resd all the references given.
I have added/changed the .htm directory in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, by adding in the OpenWithList the required keys (\wordpad.exe\shell\edit\command and as value the path to wordpad.exe.
I did the same into the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Default HTML Editor (not View Source in my case).
I have also looked into the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINEMicrosoft\Internet Explorer\Default HTML Editor (still not View Source in my case) but in this case only Winword appears in the command directory: predefined: "C:\Programmi\Microsoft\Office\Office\WINWORD.EXE" /n
command: a series of 52 bytes couple.
I did not dare to change it.
As a result, in the Options of Internet explorer Tools, the choices remains notepad and Office 2000 winword. Nothing changed.
If you do not have other suggestions I will try the proposal of Newt.
Meanwhile thanks both of you.

 

Open Office
www.openoffice.org
is very functional, and Free!
I use it as my default editor, and no reg hacks required.

Johanna

 

Thank you Johanna.
I have followed the Newt (and also your suggestion). I have installed the Note Tab light and I have solved my problem.
To Newt: it is not necessary to change the name of Notepad. NoteTab does it, once you select, in the Help menù, the "Replace the MS Notepad" function. You can of course undo it "Restore the MS Notepad ".
Thanks all of you.

 

LOL - thanks for that. I've used the app for at least 5 years and never noticed that feature.