Open with Notepad - Context Menu option for all files

If you are like me then a lot of times you want to use notepad to quickly open and look at files. Some files you can choose the Open With > Notepad but not all file and particularly not for files with no extension. My solution is to add a context menu option "Open with Notepad" to all file types including files with no extension.

To do this you need to add the following keys to your registry:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\opennotepad]
@="Open with Notepad"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\opennotepad\command]
@="C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\NOTEPAD.EXE %1"

 Disclaimer: Modifying the registry can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. I cannot guarantee that problems resulting from modifications to the registry can be solved. Use the information provided at your own risk.

If you are interested in customizing your context menu for specific file types then you can have a look at this msdn article.