What Is Notepad++

Notepad++ is a free, open source source-code editor and the most direct replacement for the built in Windows Notepad. It runs on Windows, is built with C++ and the Scintilla component, and the installer is only about ten-plus MB, so it launches almost instantly and uses very little memory. The official repo, notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus, has roughly 29.8k stars on GitHub and is licensed under GPL.

Its biggest selling point is not a flashy interface but stability. Syntax highlighting for dozens of languages, code folding, regex search and replace, macro recording, and a plugin ecosystem cover the daily needs of anyone who writes code or edits config files, and its operation logic has barely changed in over a decade, so veteran users pick it up with zero cost. For the occasional text tweak, the system Notepad is fine; but the moment you touch code, config files, or batch text processing, Notepad++ is basically the first tool to install on Windows. If you want to do serious coding on Windows and also set up a Linux environment, see Install and Set Up WSL2 on Windows to Run Linux.

Key Features

  • Syntax highlighting and folding. Built in support for C/C++, Python, Java, HTML, JSON, and dozens more; it detects the language on open and folds blocks, so even long files stay readable.
  • Multi-document and split view. Multiple tabs at once, plus vertical or horizontal split, which makes comparing two files painless.
  • Macros and autocomplete. Record a macro to replay a repetitive sequence in one go, plus function autocomplete and bracket matching so you type less.
  • Regex search and replace. Perl compatible regular expressions let you search and replace across many files, which is great for logs, bulk renaming, and data cleanup.
  • Plugin ecosystem. Through Plugins Admin you install NppFTP, Compare, PythonScript, and more, covering file diffing, remote editing, and scripting.
  • Encoding and formats. Convert between UTF-8, UTF-16, and various ANSI code pages, and show invisible characters and line endings, which rescues garbled files copied from elsewhere.

How to Install

  1. Open https://notepad-plus-plus.org/downloads/, pick the latest version, and download npp.*.Installer.exe for 64 bit or 32 bit depending on your system.
  2. Double click the installer, allow it to run when Windows prompts, and follow the wizard to finish.
  3. You can also grab the build from GitHub Releases at https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/releases.
  4. Prefer a package manager? Run winget install Notepad++.Notepad++ in a terminal.
  5. Launch it from the Start menu or desktop shortcut; it is ready to use on first open.

How to Use It

  1. After launch, use the File menu to create or open a file; the language dropdown at the top switches syntax highlighting, and the colors are only correct once the language matches.
  2. Hold Ctrl and scroll the mouse wheel to zoom text quickly; Ctrl+F opens find and Ctrl+H opens replace, the two most used shortcuts.
  3. Record a macro: in the Macro menu choose Start Recording, perform your steps, Stop Recording, then Save Current Recorded Macro and bind a hotkey to replay it.
  4. Install plugins: open Plugins > Plugins Admin, search and tick what you want, then install and restart.
  5. Diff two files: with the Compare plugin installed, open two files and click Plugins > Compare > Compare; differences highlight side by side, which is great for code or config review.

Things to Watch

  • Saving encoding. For non ASCII content like Chinese, save as UTF-8 and tick Encode in UTF-8 without BOM, or other tools may show garbage.
  • Permissions. Editing system files such as hosts requires running Notepad++ as administrator, otherwise you can open but not save.
  • Plugin sources. Only install plugins from the official Plugins Admin or trusted channels; unsigned third party plugins are a security risk.
  • Auto backup. In Settings > Preferences > Backup, turn on session auto save so an accidental close does not lose your work.
  • License. The software is under GPL, and redistributing it requires keeping the license and copyright notice.

Download

  • Official download https://notepad-plus-plus.org/downloads/
  • GitHub Releases https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/releases

Official Site

  • https://notepad-plus-plus.org

Getting Started

Do not rush to install a pile of plugins right after installing. Master syntax highlighting, find and replace, and macro recording first, and your daily efficiency already doubles. When editing hosts or config files, right click and open as administrator, or the edits will not stick. Regex replace looks scary, but knowing .* and () is enough for most bulk text cleanup. For comparing files, the Compare plugin alone suffices; do not install everything Plugins Admin offers, or startup gets slow.

FAQ

Notepad++ shows Chinese as garbage. What do I do? Almost always the encoding is wrong. In the Encoding menu, try Encode in UTF-8 or the matching ANSI code page; once it displays correctly, immediately Save As as UTF-8 without BOM to fix it for good. Files copied from another machine are especially prone to this.

How do I compare two files in Notepad++? Install the Compare plugin, open both files, and click Plugins > Compare > Compare. Differing lines highlight side by side, and the line numbers line up on the left, which is handy for code or config diffs.

Can Notepad++ replace an IDE for projects? For light scripts and single file edits, absolutely. But it remains an editor, not an IDE, with no smart completion or project wide indexing. For real development, VS Code or a WSL2 based environment is the more comfortable choice.