I love Unofficial Windows 98 SE Service Pack, but it removed Notepad.exe from the Windows dir.
So I decided to get Notepad.exe from the Windows .CAB files and add any hacks (available on the net) that are useful. It's nothing special, just a patch for Notepad.exe but I thought someone doesn't have time to hack notepad could like it.

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Update --> This was the initial idea, but some people requested patches for Windows 98 First Edition and Windows ME. So I created two more Patches.
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What is changed:
- Added easy to remeber shortcut keys like in Windows XP (Ctrl+S, Ctrl+A, Ctrl+F, etc.)
- Made Notepad to open > 64 kb files directly in Wordpad without prompting.

Used tools:
- Hex Workshop
- Resource Hacker
- Lucersoft's Patcher

Used guides:
- Hacking Notepad ( http://www.geocities.com/thestarman3/hack/notepad.htm )
- Adding shortcut keys to Notepad ( http://wint.virtualplastic.net/showtweak.php?tweak_id=139 )

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11-12-2005 --> Made a small fix for > 64 kb files to open with %WINDIR%\metapad.exe
16-12-2005 --> Created patches for Windows 98 First Edition and Windows ME

The patches are attached to the message.

Click to view attachment -> Windows 98 Second Edition Notepad Patch,
Click to view attachment -> Windows 98 First Edition Notepad Patch,
Click to view attachment -> Windows ME Notepad Patch.

Thanks, But just for clarification: SP doesn't remove NOTEPAD.EXE, it only and optionally replaces NOTEPAD.EXE with METAPAD.EXE.

Yep! But I don't like Metapad. And I'd still like to use my Ctrl+S and Ctrl+F keyboard shortcuts

I like Notepad2 (Ctrl+S and Ctrl+F work plus many more like Alt U for transparent mode )
http://www.flos-freeware.ch/notepad2.html
BTW, there are many localized versions ...

Roman

there are more Notepad replacements than you can shake a stick at (shakes stick)

i like Metapad and was using it as Notepad 'drop in' before it was added to the SP (that and Textpad),
but there's not much point in getting into it, as its going to be removed anyway as i understand it.

just use what suits you best.

the hacks are nice enough though (if that's what your after).

Be a shame if Metapad were no longer included, it's probably the one absolute must-have app for me. Still, I can understand why this might be done.

New version of Metapad, incidentally.

Unless I've missed some setting it doesn't seem to launch urls anymore which is a pity as this was (for me) its greatest feature.

seem to work fine on my end (remeber hyperlinks don't work in the LE version)
maybe your firewall is blocking the new version ?

Thanks, that was the reason.

@ my spelling

I made a small fix to work with Metapad for larger files. Cheers

um, where is the link to the new version of MetaPad??

I use the plain ol' Notepad to open small .TXT files; many of them I work with.

wiSHmaKeR, can you make a patch for the Windows ME version of Notepad.exe?

all you have to do is type (or cut and paste) MetaPad into Google . . . .

http://www.liquidninja.com/metapad/

http://welcome.to/metapad/

What about adding a line number display to Notepad?

http://www.woodmann.com/fravia/razzcripp.htm

More of a reverse-engineering exercise than basic instructions, but who doesn't like line numbers??

The patch wiSHmaKeR made also worked with the Win98 FE version of Notepad.exe. heck, both Win98 1st and 2nd editions contain version 4.10.1998 of Notepad.exe. so the patch works for all versions of Win98.

thanks miko for the link to the metapad program.

whoops. spoke too soon! I take it back. wiSHmaKeR's Notepad patch does NOT work under win98 1st edition as I have tested it on a 98fe computer. it only worked under 98se and not 98fe. pathetic!!

I'd better ask MDGx to make an unofficial Win98 Notepad.exe v4.10.1999 patch.

OK, guys! Now we've got two more patches - one for Windows 98 First Edition and one for Windows ME. And of course the two of them open > 64 Kb files with metapad.exe. See the updated post on the first page. Please test the patches and report any incompabilities

alternate sites to view "Hacking Notepad" page (just in case the Geocities site doesnt work):

http://mirror.href.com/thestarman/hack/notepad.htm

http://thestarman.pcministry.com/hack/notepad.htm

almost forgot to thank wiSHmaKeR for making the notepad patches for win98fe and winme. they both
worked great!

maybe I'll try modifying the win95 version of Notepad manually.

Need a Windows 95 patch?...
http://www.geocities.com/thewmk/

not really. I checked and tested the win95, 98 & ME versions of the original, unmodified Notepad.exe files.
Note that only the Win98 and WinME versions of Notepad had a feature of changing the Font; the Win95 versions of Notepad did NOT have this feature.

so adding the Font command in Win95 notepad wont do anything. it'll be useless to add the Font command in the 95 versions of notepad.

that's because the Win98/ME versions of Notepad have the "ChooseFontA" function (the Win95 versions of notepad does not have "ChooseFontA" function; view Notepad.exe with the Quick View tool and you'll see whether or not ChooseFontA is listed. one would need a VB [visual basic] editor to add that function onto the 95 versions of notepad.

so if the 95 & 95 sr2 patches for notepad add the Font command, they will need to be revised to exclude the Font command as clicking on the Font command will do nothing as I've tested the modified 95 notepad.exe files for myself.

The 95NP_181205.exe & 95osrNP_181205.exe notepad patches for all versions of Win95 did NOT work at all, wiSHmaKeR. Double-clicking on them did absolutely nothing. Looks like the Win95 patches DO need to be revised immediately.

I have found out that the notepad patches were created from Lucersoft patcher AND looking at the Lucersoft web site, Lucersoft patcher requires Win98, 2000, ME or XP. Lucersoft's patcher does NOT work under Win95 & NT4.

so, wiSHmaKeR, you will have to use something else to patch the notepad files under Win95.

I have also found out why the notepad patches for Win95 original & Win95 osr2 do not work and how to solve this problem.

All versions of Win95 use comdlg32.dll version 4.00.950 or 4.00.951. Lucersoft patchers dont work at all with those versions of the comdlg32.dll file. Win95 users will need to replace the COMDLG32.DLL file with either version 4.72.3110.2 (from Win98 gold) or version 4.72.3510.2300 (from Win98 SE) to make the Win95 notepad patches work as I've tested for myself. The comdlg32.dll file must be overwritten in DOS mode outside Win95 because the comdlg32.dll file is always in use.

search for COMDLG32.DLL version 4.72 at some search sites, download & save the file, exit Win95 into msdos mode and move the newer comdlg32.dll file into the Windows\system folder. then reload Win95 and run the Win95 notepad patches again.

Thanks much for the notepad patch.

As for METApad, I've found "editor2" more comfortable as a free-as-beer replacement.

http://www.netez.com/2xExplorer

There is a normal and a UNiCode version of it available.

I have done even more further testing of the win95 patches and they BOTH need version 4.72 of both the comdlg32.dll AND shell32.dll file. To install v4.72 of shell32.dll file, install IE 4.01 SP1 or higher and install the IE Desktop Update for Win95. The win95 notepad patches will still NOT work when using 4.72 of comdlg32.dll file but using v4.00 of shell32.dll file. Update the shell32.dll file first, then replace the comdlg32.dll file on Win95.

so far, wiSHmaKeR has not responded to my latest posts about needing v4.72 of the comdlg32.dll and shell32.dll files under win95 to make the win95 notepad patches work. I will try to contact him personally.

I've conducted even more further testing with the 95NP_181205.exe & 95osrNP_181205.exe notepad patches
for all versions of Win95. BOTH of them requiring version 4.72.xxxx of the comdlg32.dll and shell32.dll files from Win98 in order for them to really work. Tested each one on a Win95 original and Win95 OSR2 systems.

95osrNP_181205.exe worked as expected in patching original Notepad.exe file dated 8/24/1996 in Win95 OSR2.
95NP_181205.exe did NOT work at all even though original Notepad.exe file dated 7/11/1995 in Win95 original/osr1 was installed AND was using v4.72 of comdlg32.dll file and v4.72 of shell32.dll file after installing IE4.01 SP1 w/ IE Desktop Update. Kept on saying "Sorry this file cannot be patched!" message. Looks like 95NP_181205.exe will need to be re-worked to patch the original Notepad file under Win95 original.

use copylock to replace files and nice detective work erp.

your welcome, timeless

I have sent an email to wiSHmaKeR several days ago and have not gotten a response from him. maybe not yet. I'll try sending him a personal IM.

three weeks and counting and still no response. has wiSHmaKeR disappeared off the face of the earth? heh, it's a figure of speech.

Here's the site for Notepad++
http://notepad-plus.sourceforge.net/uk/site.htm
may be better than the patched Notepad.

I just tried the 98SE patch [NotepadPatch (98seNp_111205).exe], and found it is faulty.

It patched my Notepad.exe alrighty, and the patched file had modified shortcut keys as advised, but it would not open Wordpad for files > 64 kb as claimed (displaying an error message to the effect). Maybe some other Micro$oft file has been altered in recent Windows Updates which stuffs it up.

Anyways I did apply the Notepad patch wiSHmaKeR linked to for 'Wordpad for files > 64 kb' which is not currently downloadable from the given link but is from a mirror here:
http://mirror.href.com/thestarman/hack/notepad.htm
This patch worked nicely.

I haven't tried the 'menu shortcuts' patch since I don't want that hack enough to spend time learning it, but I assume it would work since it worked in wiSHmaKeR's patched Notepad.exe.

Anyways thanks heaps, wiSHmaKeR, if you're reading this - 1 less MS annoyance

BTW I'm running 98SE fully patched with all MS updates except the recent buggy KB918547. My OS is too tweaked for me to risk installing the Unofficial Service Pack, but I discovered this chatboard coz Mr Google revealed it to be the *only* site that has solutions for MS's more esoteric Win98 stuffups. So keep up the good work pls peoples!

bigbadsteve
Melbourne, Australia

Its been fixed here
http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=46581

bigbadsteve, the Notepad patch wiSHmaKeR made is supposed to make files 64Kb or bigger open in Metapad, NOT Wordpad. If Metapad.exe is not installed in the \WINDOWS\ folder, then you will have that error message.

I have the "fixed" Notepad.exe file version 4.10.1999 that will automatically launch Wordpad when trying to open files > 64kb in Notepad. email me or send me a PM [personal message] if you need the modified Notepad.exe file for Win98.

no bigbadsteve! no other MS update messed up the modified Notepad.exe file. wiSHmaKeR's Notepad patches modify Notepad.exe in Win95/98/ME to open files bigger than 64Kb to open in Metapad.exe, not Wordpad. wiSHmaKeR made them that way. plus wiSHmaKeR's Win95 Notepad patches do NOT even work under clean installs of Win95 unless certain Win95 DLL files are replaced by Win98 versions in order for the Win95 Notepad patches to work.




EVEN BETTER! I've created unofficial Notepad patches for Win95, 98 & ME that will update the Notepad application and will properly and automatically open files 64kb and bigger in Wordpad and not Metapad. All of them will update Notepad by one build number (ex. my Win95 Notepad patch will update Notepad to v4.00.951, the Win98 Notepad patch will update it to v4.10.1999 and the WinME Notepad patch will update it to v4.90.3001).

If anybody wants my unofficial Notepad fixes, let me know.

BTW - Metapad can be found here:
http://www.liquidninja.com/metapad/

Oops! My mistake, people.

For the record, that leaves 2 minor bugs (which will probably be of too small import for anyone to fix):

(1) If Notepad.exe is unpatchable by the patcher [mine had been patched with a different patch], the patcher asks again for the Notepad.exe pathname, but does not close the open Notepad.exe - so that u can't replace Notepad.exe at that pathname manually straight away (so the patcher can patch it), but must first close the patcher, then replace Notepad.exe with the patchable (original Windows) version, then run the patcher again.

[All the 'patches' and 'patchers' above make this sound like some geek nursery rhyme; hopefully u get my drift <lol>.]

(2) The patched Notepad.exe displays an error message for over 64Kb files if Metapad is not present, but the message is 'There was a failure in launching Wordpad.' This of course should be 'Metapad'.

bigbadsteve
Not patching the patch that Jack patched.

Both of those problems have been fixed by my Notepad patches. I will send them to MDGx so that he may post them up on his web site. All of them should update Notepad whether it is running or not. If the older Notepad program is open and you have ran the update, you have to restart the computer in order for Windows to replace the older Notepad app that is running with the newer version. The updated Notepad files included in my Notepad patches should automatically launch Wordpad (not Metapad) when you try to open a file that is 64kb or higher in size in Notepad. These patches I've made are created from IExpress, not the one that wiSHmaKeR used. the patcher wiSHmaKeR used is incompatible with Win95 which was why his Win95 Notepad patches did not work at all.

and speaking of Notepad, take a look at this problem for the Win2000/XP editions of Notepad in this article:
http://bink.nu/Article7429.bink
good news is the Win95/98/ME editions of Notepad do not have that problem.

Thanks for the original NotePad.exe fix but i have a small ?
Can Notepad.exe be automated to open in full screen with the MAXIMIZE NOTEPAD tweak
from MDGx site? If so can it be added.

My vote is still for METAPAD. Unlimited capacity and all sorts of options for technies. But what I like most about it is that typing in an url or a mailto automatically makes it into a usable hyperlink!
btw, where is wiSHmaKeR?

Is there any way to hack the standard notepad in Win98SE so it can open txt files larger than 64kb?

The WinXP notepad can open larger text files... could it be possible to use/modify it for Win98SE?

I don't want other features, rich text editing, syntax highlighting... just plain old boring Notepad to open larger files.

i read about that some where you need to edit some stuff in a hexeditor but i dont remember the site i saw it on

Maybe it's thegun you want as a notepad replacement then : http://www.movsd.com/thegun.htm

You little ripper!

That is EXACTLY what I was looking for!!!

And it's only 6K!!!!!

Wow, that's really neat. I would use it, but I can't miss the handy Replace feature of NotePadEx anymore.

I'm loving it


I completely replaced Notepad with it, and it is performing spectacularly!

It can open all the large html files I often have to edit and it has drag and drop!!!

Why O why didn't I find this earlier!

eidenk I owe you a beer! (or coke if you don't drink beer!)

I really hated the Metapad that ships with the Auto-Patcher, so I downloaded NotepadEx, changed the icon to the Vista Notepad icon and replaced all occurrances of "NotepadEx" with "Notepad" in a hexeditor. So it basically looks like vanilla notepad but with some extra features.

In case anyone wants it: http://rapidshare.com/files/66506716/NOTEPAD.EXE.html

I find that it blends in very well with RP7.

mufunyo
I've done the same, but i've hacked it to use Lucida Console, 10 font by default.
I'll upload it if someone wants.
NotepadEx is a really good application beside some minor problems (it does not ask to create non-existent file passed, and does not detect encodings reliably).

Where is wiSHmaKeR?