Cannot open "Notepad"

[jonnyD]

I recently read about adding website names in the hosts file to prevent access on them on my home computer. I went to: start>my computer> local disk c:> Windows> system32> drivers> etc > hosts. A dialogue box asks which program I want to use to open the hosts file with. I chose Notepad (which I read somewhere was the correct program). I get an error essage which says: "Windows cannot access the specified device, path or file. You may not have the appropriate permissions to access the item." Now since I have a stand-alone desktop computer, why would I not have permission to access my hosts file? I get the same error message when I just try to open Notepad from start>all programs>accessories>notepad. I have Windows XP Pro version 2002 with SP2, AMD Athlon XP 2400+, 1.99GHz, 1.5 gigs RAM.

[Comp Guy]

You are the admin, right? Then again, you shouldn't have to be an admin to access notepad. Maybe you should get a notepat replacement program.

[Spero-T]

Make sure that the target is correct in the shortcut...right click >>
properties >>target should be "%SystemRoot%\system32\notepad.exe" or
"C:\windows\system32\notepad.exe"without quotes

[jonnyD]

The target is correct.  Can I just download another copy of Notepad and re-install it?  I also read somewhere that there is a program Notepad++.  Do you know about that?

[kbm292]

Go through your control panel and go to Windows Components section.  Has notepad been removed for some reason?  If it has just put it back on.

[jonnyD]

When I open my control panel there is no icon called Windows Components.  Could it be called something else? or be inside a different icon?

[Deerpark]

Select Add or Remove Programs
There you got Add/Remove Windows Components

[kbm292]

Yea sorry about that.  I should have been more clear.   

Go into control panel, then into add/remove programs.  Then on the left hand side you will see a button for Add/Remove Windows Components.  It's in there that you want to make sure notepad is installed on your machine.

[jonnyD]

Ok, so I don't see Notepad in the choices for add/remove Windows components. How do you add it - I don't see it as a choice to be clicked on?

[Comp Guy]

I don't think that you can remove notepad like that.

There are notepad replacement programs, such as notepad++, but they are not as simple as notepad. They are more for fancier webpage editing.

[Fed]

Is the notepad.exe file on your computer, it should be in the system32 directory.

[jonnyD]

I downloaded another copy of Notepad onto my desktop.  I was able to look into my hosts file.  You have to make a copy of the hosts file  and add a .txt extension before you can look at it in Notepad.  Once you edit the text inside - if you do - remove the .txt extension.

[Deerpark]

It shouldn't be necessary to add a file extension to open it. Just double click it and Windows should present you with a list of possible programs to open it with. If notepad isn't on the list just browse to notepad.exe.

But anyway good to hear you got it working.

[jonnyD]

Yeah, I can get into my host file now, but if you read my first post, you'll see I initially tried to open it as you suggested, but I get an error message saying I don't have permission to access it.  I've since gone through different actions to try to fix it including:

Download notepad.exe
Delete all notepad.exe and copy the new one here: (Order is significant)

- %root%/WINDOWS/system32/dllcache (hidden folder)
- %root%/WINDOWS/system32
- %root%/WINDOWS

Which I tried but I can't open Notepad when I go to Start>all programs>Notepad.  Now nothing happens.

[Comp Guy]

You need to make sure that the shortcut is linked to the right location. Open the shortcut's properties, and see if it's linked to the right file.