Notepad.exe becomes "unregistered"

[Chuck]

All of a sudden, Windoes XP on our computer that we have
used for almost 2 years seems to have "unrgistered"
notepad.exe. When I click on a *.txt file from explorer,
a popup comes up stating NOTEPAD.EXE can not be found.
But this file is present in C:\Windows and C:\Windows is
on the system "Path" environment variable AND I can use
the program to open the file if I "browse" and find it
manually. I have never changed those environment
settings. Interestingly, if I select "open with" from
explorer, Notepad does not even show on the list of
available programs for the file. It seems to have
become "unregistered" for lack of a better term. Has
anyone heard of this? Thanks.

 

[Doug Knox MS-MVP]

See www.dougknox.com, Win XP Fixes, File Association Fixes, .TXT File Association Fix.

 

[SteveL]

Sounds like you have a virus, do a search for notepad.exe,
if it does not find it do a search for NOTPAD.EXE or
(not*.exe) I believe that is what the virus renames it to,
if this comes up you do have a virus, update tour
definitions and run a full scan, also check you anti-virus
website for a fix.

 

[Kelly]

Hi Chuck,

Info here:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=NOTEPAD.EXE+can+not+be+found&btnG=Google+Search

 

[Alex Nichol]

All of a sudden, Windoes XP on our computer that we have
used for almost 2 years seems to have "unrgistered"
notepad.exe. When I click on a *.txt file from explorer,
a popup comes up stating NOTEPAD.EXE can not be found.

For some reason Notepad.exe should be both in Windows and in
Windows\system32 - the file association of .txt uses the one in
system32, explicitly, the shortcut in the Start Menu - Accessories uses
the one in Windows.

So provided that All Programs - Accessories - Notepad loads
successfully, copy the one from windows down to system32.

 

[David Candy]

The reason is old programs often issued

c:\windows\notepad somefile

for various purposes.

 

[Alex Nichol]

The reason is old programs often issued

c:\windows\notepad somefile

for various purposes.

Which does not really explain why it also need be in system32; nor why
the start menu shortcut and the file association for TXT use different
ones

 

[David Candy]

Possibly it's a NT thing v's a 3.x/9x thing. But System32 is searched before Windows.
Windows is the one file protection protects.