How to Replace Windows Notepad with Free DocPad

DocPad is a free text editor for Windows. It comes with many advanced features is certainly much better than the plain old Windows Notepad. The most exciting feature of DocPad is its ability to use skins and make it look very pleasing to the eyes. You can use it for editing TXT files, for editing programming language files, and other plain text files. It comes with a macro recorder using which you can repeat your frequently repeated tasks. This tabbed file editor comes with a built-in calculator which is useful for the programmers.

DocPad can be easily associated with the files that are usually associated with Windows Notepad such as TXT files. This way you can replace Windows Notepad with DocPad so that you can double-click on TXT files to open them in DocPad. Here is how:

  1. Launch DocPad from its desktop shortcut and click on Associate.Replace Notepad with DocPad
  2. A small window will open up. Click on the Extension drop-down list and select TXT from there. Click on the OK button to proceed.Replace Notepad with DocPad
  3. If TXT file extension is already associated with some other application then it will show you a warning, you can click on the OK button to continue replacing that application with DocPad.Replace Notepad with DocPad
  4. DocPad will be relaunched and you will be informed that TXT files are now associated with DocPad. You can click on the OK button to dismiss this and close DocPad window.Replace Notepad with DocPad
  5. In Windows 10, you have one more step to go. For this last step, just double-click on any TXT file. Windows will show “How do you want to open this file?” selection box. Select DocPad from the list, select the checkbox labeled Always use this app to open .txt files and click on the OK button.Replace Notepad with DocPad

In the same manner, you can associate other files types such as CFG, DAT, INI, LOF, MANIFEST and NFO with DocPad. There is no way to associate custom file extensions with DocPad.

You can download DocPad from https://www.gammadyne.com/docpad.htm.