How to Add or Remove ‘Edit in Notepad’ Context Menu Option

Is the ‘Edit in Notepad’ context menu missing, or do you want to remove it? Learn how to add or remove the ‘Edit in Notepad’ option in Windows 11.

By default, when you right-click on any supported file, you will see a context menu option called “Edit in Notepad”. Selecting this option will immediately open that specific file in Notepad so you can view, edit, and save the document. In most cases, this is a pretty useful feature, as it lets you quickly edit any file you want with ease. For example, I have many .reg and script files that I often change. So, rather than opening the Notepad and selecting the file from there, I simply right-click and select “Edit in Notepad”.

As good as this option is, there might be times when the ‘Edit in Notepad’ option is missing, or you don’t need this context menu option below, if you are using dedicated software such as Notepad++ or VS Code.

Whether the ‘Edit in Notepad’ is missing or you want to remove the ‘Edit in Notepad’ from the context menu, you can do it via the Registry Editor. In this quick and easy guide, I will show you the steps. Let’s get started.

Before You Start

• The following process requires editing the registry. Please back up the registry before proceeding.
• Administrator rights are required to edit the registry.

Restore the Missing ‘Edit in Notepad’ Context Menu Option in Windows 11

1. Open the Run dialog by pressing “Windows key + R“.
2. Type “regedit” and click “OK” to open the Registry Editor.
3. Go to the following folder in the Registry. Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell Extensions\Blocked
4. Select the “{CA6CC9F1-867A-481E-951E-A28C5E4F01EA}” value on the right panel.
5. Right-click it and select “Delete”.
6. Click “Yes” in the confirmation dialog.
7. With that, the missing ‘Edit in Notepad’ context menu option is restored.

Important note: If the ‘Edit in Notepad’ option is missing even after deleting ‘{CA6CC9F1-867A-481E-951E-A28C5E4F01EA}’ or if you don’t see the value, then the reason for the missing ‘Edit in Notepad’ context menu might be that one of your installed applications is the problem. In that, case, identify the recently installed apps and uninstall them. It should fix the problem.

Remove ‘Edit in Notepad’ Context Menu Option in Windows 11

If you don’t want to see the ‘Edit in Notepad’ context menu option when you right-click a file in File Explorer or on the desktop, you need to add the ‘{CA6CC9F1-867A-481E-951E-A28C5E4F01EA}’ value to the blocked list in the registry. Here’s how to do it in simple and easy steps:

1. Press the “Windows” key to open the Start menu.
2. Type “regedit” and click the top result to open the Registry Editor.
3. Go to the following folder in the Registry. Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell Extensions\Blocked
4. Right-click the “Blocked” folder on the left panel.
5. Select the “New” and then “String Value” option.
6. Enter the new value name as “{CA6CC9F1-867A-481E-951E-A28C5E4F01EA}” (without quotes).
7. Double-click the newly created value. Or, right-click the value and select “Modify”.
8. Type “Edit in Notepad” (without quotes) in the “Value” field.
9. Click “OK“.
10. Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer.

After restarting, you will no longer see the ‘Edit in Notepad’ option in the right-click context menu. If you ever want to display this option again, follow the first section (Restore the Missing ‘Edit in Notepad’ Context Menu Option).

If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.