Remove “Edit with Notepad++” option from context menu

adminsoftware5 Comments
3 min. reading

One of the newest updates of Notepad++ has introduced new, quite annoying Edit with Notepad++, item added to many context menus. Since, there isn’t an option in Notepad++ itself, to remove it, you have to solve the problem yourself, by unregistering one of Notepad++ services.

There’s a solution that:

  • doesn’t require you to tweak with the registry or
  • download and install or run any program.

All you need is to use a command line in administrator mode and follow five quite simple steps.

Steps to follow (“execute” means “type … and hit Enter“):

  1. Hit Win + R and run cmd.exe to start command line
  2. Type cd "c:\Program Files\Notepad++" or cd "c:\Program Files (x86)\Notepad++" and hit Enter
  3. Type regsvr32 /u NppShell_06.dll (see notes below) and hit Enter
  4. Restart Explorer — either execute taskkill /F /IM explorer.exe & start explorer in command line or:
    1. Hit Ctrl + Alt + Del and click Start Task Manager
    2. Go to Processes tab, locate explorer.exe process, select it, hit Del and confirm
    3. Click File > New Task (Run...), enter explorer.exe and hit Enter
  5. Type exit and hit Enter to close command line

Adjust path in point 2., if you have 32-bit version of Windows or installed Notepad++ in different folder.

The NppShell_06.dll file is correct file name for currently most recent version of Notepad++ (6.6.9, updated today). Ajust this filename, if you have newer version and NppShell_06.dll file is not found.

If you’ll need to revert above operation, you can reinstall the extension, by following above steps, but executing regsvr32 /i NppShell_06.dll instead (the only difference is in /i switch, which stands for installing service).

If, for some reasons, you don’t want mess up with system services, there are other solutions to this problem.

This blog post isn’t an exact duplicate of this Super User answer. This is mine own edit to mentioned text. The original answer is way shorter in details. Unfortunately, Chris, original author of this answer, has no idea about SE community being able to change someone’s answer or question, and completely ruined my answer. So, I keep this copy, as a reference for me.

5 comments on “Remove “Edit with Notepad++” option from context menu”

  1. gilad905
    Reply

    Doesn’t work for me on Windows 10:
    regsrv32 says “DllUnregisterServer in NppShell_06.dll succeeded.”,
    I restart explorer.exe
    but ‘edit in notepad++’ is still in the context menu.

    1. admin
      Reply

      Sorry, but this solution was meant to and was tested under Windows 7 only. Either recent change in Notepad++ or Windows 10-specific problem. I find Windows 10 a disaster and complete mistake and I’m not going to migrate to it until forced to. Thus, don’t expect anything for this version of Windows in this blog, sorry.

  2. durrrr
    Reply

    right click edit JPG’s
    i had an old version and couldnt find the dll. then i searched my computer and found id installed maybe a new version, in the program files folder.

    Great, good idea. i always want to right click edit everythign with notepad ++ with no way oof removing this right click extra menu on my computer, especially for everything. Was there any other way during install or some other cryptic way to not of done this as it was being installed or something on my computer? Wow this set of commands for me to remove something as this that

    idk even know man are you guys stupid or something fuck

  4. Pyro
    Reply

    Just rename (if you want to be able to reenable it) or delete NppShell.dll then restart explorer.
    Hit Win + R and run cmd.exe to start command line and run one of the following based on your needs.

    ren “C:\Program Files\Notepad++\contextMenu\NppShell.dll” NppShell.dll.bak

    or

    del “C:\Program Files\Notepad++\contextMenu\NppShell.dll”

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