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* tab spacing problems in editor as well as other formatting issues. Plain Text Editor - notepad.exe and software discussed here are plain text editors. [[Image:40star.png]] [[Image:45star.png]] Metapad is the most "direct" replacement for MS notepad.exe because it looks and feels just like MS notepad.exe (no new interface shock.) It is as though someone took notepad.exe and fixed it, then improved it.Metapad is 100% free to use. If you have ever considered [http://liquidninja.com/metapad/donations.html donating money] to free software, this one deserves it. * [http://liquidninja.com/metapad/ Metapad Homepage]=== Notepad2 ===[[Image:XXstar.png]] A fast and light-weight Notepad-like text editor with syntax highlighting. This program can be run out of the box without installation, and does not touch your system's registry. Scintilla based.This text editor has an interface and functionality that should appeal to web developers and for scripting. * [http://www.flos-freeware.ch/notepad2.html Notepad2 Homepage]=== Notepad++ ===[[Image:XXstar.png]] Notepad++ is a free (as in "free speech" and also as in "free beer") source code editor and Notepad replacement that supports several languages. Running in the MS Windows environment, its use is governed by GPL License.Scintilla based just like Notepad2. This is a GPL free and open source program, which is always positive. Has not been tested and reviewed at this time.* [http://notepad-plus-plus.org/ Notepad++ Homepage]=== TextPad ===[[Image:XXstar.png]] Comes with an array of unique features that are especially useful for programming tasks such as a group of simple formatting tools such as indenting, line numbering, character transposing, and condition-based word wrapping. TextPad works best for programmers and other people who need a full-featured tool for plain text.TextPad is not freeware or shareware. The trial version is fully functional. If you keep the software the developers want you to pay $27.00. * [http://www.textpad.com/products/textpad/index.html TextPad Homepage]For those familiar with LINUX / UNIX this is the popular text editor with the added functionality that the vi editor lacks.[[Image:35star.png]] For those familiar with LINUX / UNIX this is the popular text editor with the added functionality that the vi editor lacks. Commands and functionality are different from notepad.exe, so unless you are familiar with Vim commands you may find there is a learning curve when using this text editor. Once you learn vi/vim you will rejoice in a new world of functionality you never though possible with a text editor, especially when it comes to RegEx (Regular Expressions.) * [http://www.vim.org/download.php#pc Vim for MS-DOS and MS-Windows][[Image:20star.png]]'''Alternative method - manually take ownership of notepad.exe, remove, and replace it...''''''Works on Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1''' Because of the new TrustedInstaller in Windows 7 8 and 8.1 you may have to take some extra steps to remove the old notepad.exe from your computer. Read and follow the steps in [Working Around TrustedInstaller] if you are having trouble claiming ownership of the notepad.exe file. Also, if you find that you are having difficulty finding notepad.exe then do a search for notepad.exe after you change the folder permissions to show hidden and system files.# Press CONTROL-R and type "explorer.exe" and press ENTER. # On the left pane locate and click "Local Disk (C:)" # Upper right of the file explorer window is a search box with the text inside "Search Local Disk (C:)"# Enter "notepad.exe" and search# Right click on each result that is an actual path on the C: drive. There are many results and not all are actual files, some are hive entries. We are only concerned with the files named notepad.exe which should be in the Windows folder.# For each occurrence of notepad.exe you will have to (1) manually take ownership away from TrustedInstaller, (2) change the permissions on the file to Full Control, and (3) delete the file. Do this one at a time for each occurrence of notepad.exe.# Now copy the replacement notepad.exe (metapad or whatever) into c:\windows and c:\windows\system32 This completes the alternative manual replacement method. It is a lot more work now to accomplish this thanks to TrustedInstaller which we trust to install only the crap Micro$oft forces on us!