Fixed: Notepad++ Not Responding on Windows

Notepad may not open in Windows 10 owing to a competing application/malware (such as ‘WinSeven.exe’) or corrupt system files. Furthermore, the problem under discussion could be caused by incorrect registry settings.

The problem occurs (most commonly after a Windows upgrade) when the user fails to run Notepad (either through the Windows search, File Explorer, or a shortcut). Furthermore, several users complained that they were unable to open text files directly using Notepad.

When the Notepad appeared in the search results, clicking it accomplished nothing in some situations (sometimes no error message is shown). In certain cases, the Notepad.exe executable was not even found in the installation location.

Before attempting to repair the Notepad, see if you can launch it using File Explorer from the following locations (if present):

C:\WINDOWS\system32
C:\Windows\SysWOW64

Furthermore, if your machine has ever been part of a multi-display configuration, be sure that the Notepad application is not opened on the phantom display.

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How to fix Fixed: Notepad++ Not Responding on Windows

If you’re facing the issue of Notepad++ not responding on Windows, there are a few solutions you can try to resolve it:

Solution 1: Disable or remove the incompatible applications

The Notepad application might also not open if another application or process on your system is interfering with its operation. In this scenario, uninstalling the conflicting software (such as WinSeven.exe or Notepad++) may resolve the issue.

Step 1: Start your computer in safe mode and verify that Notepad is operational.
Step 2: If so, conduct a clean boot of your PC to see if the problem has been repaired.
Step 3: If this is the case, enable the processes/applications one at a time until you locate the issue application/process. The issue is known to be caused by malware dubbed ‘WinSeven.exe’ (hidden in the Winchell folder), and in rare cases, Notepad++ triggered a similar behavior.
Step 4: Once the troublesome application has been identified, you can disable it in the Task Manager’s Startup tab or entirely delete it (under Settings>>Apps). If the problem was caused by malware, do a full malware scan on your system.

Solution 2: Make use of the SFC and DISM commands

If the vital system files are corrupt, the Notepad application may fail to open. In this case, executing the SFC and DISM commands may clean the corruption from the files and therefore solve the problem.

Step 1: Run an SFC scan on your system (this may take some time, so try it when you have some free time) and see if the Notepad works properly.
Step 2: If not, see if using the following DISM cmdlet in elevated Command Prompts resolves the Notepad issue: Dism /Online /Add-Capability /CapabilityName: Microsoft.Windows.Notepad~~~~0.0.1.0
Step 3: If the problem persists, see if the following DISM instructions resolve the Notepad problem:
dism.exe /online /cleanup-image /scanhealthdism.exe /online /cleanup-image /restore health
Step 4: Once the troublesome application has been identified, you can disable it in the Task Manager’s Startup tab or entirely delete it (under Settings>>Apps). If the problem was caused by malware, do a full malware scan on your system.

Solution 3: Make use of the SFC and DISM commands

Step 1: Run an SFC scan on your system (this may take some time, so try it when you have some free time) and see if the Notepad works properly.
Step 2: If not, see if using the following DISM cmdlet in elevated Command Prompts resolves the Notepad issue:
Dism /Online /Add-Capability /CapabilityName: Microsoft.Windows.Notepad~~~~0.0.1.0copied to clipboard copied to clipboard
Step 3: If the problem persists, see if the following DISM instructions resolve the Notepad problem:
dism.exe /online /cleanup-image /scanhealthdism.exe /online /cleanup-image /restore health.

Solution 4: Make Notepad the default text editor and turn on Background Apps

If no program is configured as the default to open text files (the user cannot open text files directly by double-clicking on them) and the user has disabled background apps, Notepad may not launch (the Windows search fails to fetch the Notepad result).

This is especially true if the user installed another text editor and set that editor as the default app to open text files, but when that editor was removed, the default configuration did not return to Notepad.

In this case, making Notepad the default programme for opening text files and enabling background app activity may alleviate the problem.

Make Notepad the default app for opening text files

Step 1: Open your system’s Power User menu by pressing the Windows + X keys at the same time, and then click Apps & Features.
Step 2: Navigate to the Default Apps tab in the left pane, and then click on the Choose Default Apps by File Type button in the right pane (near the end of the screen).
Step 3: Scroll down until you find the ‘.txt’ file type, then click the option next to it (it may show some other app or Choose A Default).
Step 4: Next, select Notepad from the Choose an App menu and restart your computer.
Step 5: After rebooting, check to see if the Notepad is still operational.

Turn on Background Apps

Step 1: Press the windows key and type Background Apps into the Windows search box. Open Background Apps now.
Step 2: Toggle the switch to the ON position to activate the option Let Apps Run in the Background (just under Background Apps).
Step 3: Reboot your PC after ensuring that all of the programmes listed under Choose Which Apps Can Run in the Background are enabled.
Step 4: After rebooting, check to see if the Notepad problem has been repaired. If this is the case, you can disable the apps listed under Choose Which Can Run in the Background one at a time until you discover the troublesome one. Once the issue programme has been identified, keep it active and disable any non-essential apps.

Solution 5: Reinstall Notepad as a fourth option

If the Notepad installation is corrupt, it might not work in the system. Reinstalling Notepad (or, more properly, re-adding the Notepad feature) may remedy the problem in this case.

Step 1: Firstly, open Settings by pressing the Windows key.
Step 2: Go to Apps and then to Optional Features (just under Apps & Features).
Step 3: Next, expand Notepad and select the Uninstall option.
Step 4: Allow the Notepad uninstallation to complete before restarting your computer.
Step 5: After rebooting, navigate to the Optional Features panel (steps 1–2) and click Add a Feature.
Step 6: In the Add an Optional Feature window’s search bar, type Notepad and checkmark Notepad.
Step 7: Finally, click the Install button to finalise the Notepad installation.
Step 8: Once the installation is complete, restart your computer to ensure that the Notepad is operational.

If that doesn’t work, see if installing the Microsoft Store version of Notepad solves the problem (but this may not be available for all users).

Conclusion

There could be various causes for the Notepad++ problem. You can also solve this problem using any of the solutions listed above. We hope you found this post informative and that you were able to easily remedy this issue. Finally, if the issue remains, try installing an older version of Notepad++ or reinstalling the most recent version.