In Windows NT, you have to be careful when replacing an executable for which there are existing shortcuts. The procedure should be similar for most executables. To give you a specific example, here are instructions that came with Notepad+ on how to install it as a replacement for Notepad. I have followed the installation instructions and they worked. I have not tried the uninstall instructions. --Alan

Installation:

Upgraders from an earlier version: delete the NotePad+ key in the registry before installing. It's located at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\RogSoft\NotePad+, use RegEdit or any other Registry Editor to delete this key.

COPY the standard Notepad program file (notepad.exe) from your Windows directory into a temporary directory. Then place the executable file from the distribution archive of NotePad+ (also named notepad.exe) in your Windows directory, confirm the overwriting of standard Notepad. After that rename the old notepad.exe in the temporary directory (for example, rename it to Notepad Original) and move it back to your Windows directory (that's necessary for the uninstall).

Make sure that you COPY, not move, the old Notepad out of the Windows directory first before dropping NotePad+ in, and also not rename it before dropping NotePad+ in. Otherwise Windows will automatically change the path or name of the associated executable to the temporary directory or new name. Looks like there's is some object-orientedness in the Windows 95 GUI after all. :)

Users who have an anti-virus program running in the background ought to re-inoculate the notepad.exe file before they launch the program for the first time.

After installing, associate your preferred file types with NotePad+ (in Options/Preferences/Associations), to get the full benefits of the program. Associate at least '.txt', '.bat', '.ini' and '.reg' files by simply clicking the Defaults button, for proper operation.

Uninstall:

In case you want to return to your old Notepad, do the following:

In Options/Preferences/Associations, delete all associations with NotePad+ and click OK. This will restore the exact original Windows associations for .txt, .bat, .ini and .reg files and will delete the other File type associations you had made with NotePad+.

In your Windows directory, delete the NotePad+ executable (notepad.exe). Rename the original Notepad (which you had backed up under a name like Notepad Original) back to notepad (or notepad.exe when you have configured Explorer to show extensions).

You also might want to remove Notepad+'s user-preferences keys in the Registry, but it's not necessity. They are located at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\RogSoft\NotePad+.

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