How to replace the Windows Notepad with AptEdit?

Here's an AptEdit Launcher which allows you to replace the Windows Notepad completely by AptEdit.  It makes AptEdit as an excellent Windows Notepad replacement.  It must work with AptEdit Pro, AptEdit, or AptEdit Lite.  If there is no AptEdit installed, please restore the Windows Notepad using the backup copy.
Info    There is a command ("Advanced | Replace Windows Notepad" menu) used to replace the Windows NotePad with AptEdit Launcher in the latest AptEdit (Pro) 5.3.  This command does require administrative or "power user" privileges.  The command would backup the Windows Notepad on the backup directory "<AptEdit Installed Directory\notepad\>", such as "C:\Program Files\Brother Technology\AptEdit Pro 5\notepad\".
You can replace the Windows Notepad with AptEdit Launcher manually.  Providing a seamless replacement of notepad can be difficult, though, due to Windows XP's and Windows 2000/2003's Windows System File Protection (SFP) security feature.  What this means is that when you replace a Windows system file with another file, SFP will automatically replace it with the original.  So it is important to follow these instructions exactly.
Before you do anything, please enable the viewing of hidden system files by following the instructions in the tutorial below:
Windows 2000
  1. Close all programs so that you are at your desktop.
  2. Double-click on the My Computer icon.
  3. Select the Tools menu and click Folder Options.
  4. After the new window appears select the View tab.
  5. Under the Hidden files and folders section select the radio button labeled Show hidden files and folders.
  6. Remove the checkmark from the checkbox labeled Hide file extensions for known file types.
  7. Remove the checkmark from the checkbox labeled Hide protected operating system files.
  8. Press the Apply button and then the OK button and shutdown My Computer.
  9. Now your computer is configured to show all hidden files.
Windows XP and Windows 2003
  1. Close all programs so that you are at your desktop.
  2. Double-click on the My Computer icon.
  3. Select the Tools menu and click Folder Options.
  4. After the new window appears select the View tab.
  5. Put a checkmark in the checkbox labeled Display the contents of system folders.
  6. Under the Hidden files and folders section select the radio button labeled Show hidden files and folders.
  7. Remove the checkmark from the checkbox labeled Hide file extensions for known file types.
  8. Remove the checkmark from the checkbox labeled Hide protected operating system files.
  9. Press the Apply button and then the OK button and shutdown My Computer.
  10. Now your computer is configured to show all hidden files.
Windows XP and Windows 2003
  1. Close all programs so that you are at your desktop.
  2. Click on the Start button.  This is the small round button with the Windows flag in the lower left corner.
  3. Click on the Control Panel menu option.
  4. When the control panel opens you can either be in Classic View or Control Panel Home view:

    5. If you are in the Classic View do the following:
    • Double-click on the Folder Options icon.
    • Click on the View tab.
    If you are in the Control Panel Home view do the following:
    • Click on the Appearance and Personalization link.
    • Click on Show Hidden Files or Folders.
  5. Under the Hidden files and folders section select the radio button labeled Show hidden files and folders.
  6. Remove the checkmark from the checkbox labeled Hide extensions for known file types.
  7. Remove the checkmark from the checkbox labeled Hide protected operating system files.
  8. Press the Apply button and then the OK button and shutdown My Computer.
  9. Now Windows Vista is configured to show all hidden files.

1. Making a backup of Notepad.exe

To replace the Windows Notepad with AptEdit Launcher, the first important thing is make a backup of Notepad.exe.  Without the backup copy, you will have no easy way of restoring the original Notepad.
Make a backup copy of notepad.exe from one of the following directories:
  • C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386\notepad.exe
  • C:\Windows\system32\dllcache\notepad.exe
  • C:\Windows\System32\notepad.exe
  • C:\Windows\notepad.exe
Important: It is important that you copy Notepad, and do not move it.  Leave the original Notepad in place, so you can overwrite it later.

2. Downloading the new Notepad.exe

Download AptEdit Launcher.

3. Make sure that Notepad is not running

4. Replacing Notepad

To replace the Windows Notepad, you need to do the next series of steps.  These steps should be done fairly quickly in order to beat SFP at its game.  If you go too slow, then SFP may replace notepad.exe with the original Windows notepad.
The following steps should be done in this exact order and as fast as possible to bypass SFP.
Copy the new Notepad.exe to all the following directories (in given order) and overwrite the notepad.exe that is there.
  • C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386\notepad.exe
  • C:\Windows\system32\dllcache\notepad.exe
  • C:\Windows\System32\notepad.exe
  • C:\Windows\notepad.exe
If Windows will issue an alert stating that the new notepad.exe is not the correct one and if you would like to correct.  Press cancel at this prompt and then press Yes as we want to keep the new notepad replacement.  Now AptEdit is your default Notepad.
In last, please hide your files again.
    
Designed for Windows
2000/XP/2003/Vista/7
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