How to remove shell integration of Notepad++?

shell notepad++ context-menu integration

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Solution 1

If you are weary of editing the registry you can try ShellExView which is a free application that allows editing of Shell Extensions.

Shell Extensions are in-process COM objects which extends the abilities of Windows operating system. Most shell extensions are automatically installed by the operating system, but there are also many other applications that install additional shell extension components. For example: If you install WinZip on your computer, you'll see a special WinZip menu when you right-click on a Zip file. This menu is created by adding a shell extension to the system. The ShellExView utility displays the details of shell extensions installed on your computer, and allows you to easily disable and enable each shell extension.

Solution 2

Here's the non-registry, non-download way to uninstall the Notepad++ shell extension. Using the Command Prompt as an admin, run the following:

cd "\Program Files (x86)\Notepad++"¹
regsvr32 /u NppShell_06.dll²

To make this change active, you may need to restart explorer.

You can also reinstall the extension and get customization options:

regsvr32 /i NppShell_06.dll

^{1: If you use 32-bit Windows or installed Notepad++ in a different folder, the path may be different.}

^{2: NppShell_06.dll is the correct filename for the most recent version of Notepad++ (6.6.9). If NppShell_06.dll is not found, you may have a different version.}

source

Solution 3

Open the registry editor (Start->Run) and type in "regedit".

Navigate to the following key:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\ShellEx\ContextMenuHandlers

You will see the key "Notepad++". Simply delete it.

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Grumpy ol' Bear

A meta-level binary dude embedded to a multimedia proxy world! Now we are all sons of bitches. - Kenneth Tompkins Bainbridge Patria O Muerte! - Ernesto 'Che' Guevara One useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, three or more is a congress. - John Quincy Adams Information is the currency of democracy. - Thomas Jefferson Now git of me goddamned lawn!

Updated on September 17, 2022

Comments

Grumpy ol' Bear almost 2 years

I want to remove Notepad++'s annoying shell integration when right-clicking a file in Windows.

How do I do that?
- Brad Patton over 11 years
  
  It's one of the things I like about Notepad++. To each his own.
- Some_Guy over 4 years
  
  can't believe there isn't a flag for this in the program's preferences... That's pretty irritating
harrymc over 14 years

+1 but ShellExView is the name.
Patrick Szalapski over 11 years

Don't forget to restart explorer to make this change effective.
Paul over 10 years

It's NppShell_05.dll for the most recent version (v6.5.4).
trejder almost 10 years

Perfect, quick and easy solution. Thank you (+1). I updated it to current (6.6.9) version of Notepad++. Waiting until it is peer reviewed.
trejder almost 10 years

@Chris. I see that you completely misunderstand the idea of sharing knowledge and allowing others to change your own answer or question, since you destroyed my answer and put... this in place of it. These are fundamentals of Stack Exchange, so pity, that you don't get it...
Chris almost 10 years

That's a rather dramatic response, don't you think? I'm happy to explain over chat why I added further changes in addition to the ones you made, if you'd like to talk about it.
Christian about 9 years

When I run the install command I get a success message, but there is still no context menu entry after I restart explorer.exe - and when I run the regsvr32 /i NppShell_05.dll command again, there is no more tick but a filled box against the option again... Any ideas what registry keys I need to add manually to make it work for Notepad++ 6.4.5?
Chris about 9 years

@Christian not entirely sure what "no more tick but a filled box against the option again" means, but did you run it as an admin?
Christian about 9 years

@Chris: I'm not sure what I did. I think I eventually realised I had two dll files, NppShell_05.dll and NppShell_06.dll, available. In the end, it suddenly worked. The command prompt was in admin mode throughout, though...
industryworker3595112 over 8 years

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT consolidates entries from HKLM and HKCU. If there are permission issue with HKLM, it will disallow deleting the key. I worked around this, by creating same key in HKCU with different (invalid) default value.
industryworker3595112 over 8 years

Under ContextMenuHandlers the key could be named not exactly Notepad++, but some variation of it, so do the "fuzzy" matching. (e.g. "ANotepad++64")
tiaga over 4 years

I had to search to find the .dll, but it worked
John B over 3 years

NppShell_06.dll is still the correct file for the latest version 7.9.1 (as of Jan 29, 2021)