Notepad++
notepad++.exe is safe. It's the main process for Notepad++, a free open-source text and code editor for Windows that's extremely lightweight and popular among developers and IT professionals worldwide.
notepad++.exe is the main executable for Notepad++, a free, open-source text and code editor for Windows. Originally released in 2003, Notepad++ has become one of the most popular text editors in the world, beloved by developers, programmers, system administrators, and anyone who needs a powerful yet lightweight alternative to Windows Notepad.
Notepad++ is written in C++ and uses the Win32 API directly, making it significantly lighter and faster than Electron-based editors like VS Code or Atom. It supports syntax highlighting for dozens of programming languages, tabbed editing, find and replace with regular expressions, macros, plugins, and much more—all while consuming minimal system resources.
Quick Fact: Notepad++ is completely free and open-source (GPL license), has no ads, no telemetry, and is a true Windows native application. It's often pre-installed by IT departments on corporate computers as a superior replacement for Notepad.
Yes, notepad++.exe is safe when it's the genuine Notepad++ application developed by Don Ho and distributed from the official website (notepad-plus-plus.org).
The real notepad++.exe is NOT a virus. It's a legitimate, widely-trusted open-source application used by millions of professionals worldwide. However, malware authors sometimes disguise malicious files by naming them "notepad++.exe" to trick users.
C:\Program Files\Notepad++\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\Notepad++\. Any notepad++.exe located elsewhere (especially in Windows\System32, Temp, or AppData folders) is highly suspicious.Red Flags:
notepad++.exe runs automatically because you (or someone) launched Notepad++ to view or edit a text file. It remains active as long as the application is open.
Reasons it's running:
Note: Unlike Windows Notepad, Notepad++ supports multiple tabs in a single window, so you might have many files open but only see one notepad++.exe process in Task Manager.
Yes, you can disable notepad++.exe. Notepad++ is a third-party application, not a Windows system process, so you can close, disable, or uninstall it without affecting Windows functionality. Windows will continue to work normally with the default Notepad application.
Note: Notepad++ has an auto-save feature and can restore unsaved changes. However, force-closing via Task Manager may result in loss of unsaved work. Use File → Save All before closing.
Notepad++ is famous for its efficiency, but in rare cases, you may experience high resource usage. Here are the most common causes and solutions:
Quick Fixes:
1. Close unused tabs to reduce memory footprint.
2. Disable syntax highlighting for large files: Language → Normal Text (N).
3. Clear the undo/redo history for massive documents: Edit → Clear All UndoRedo History.
4. Restart Notepad++ with a fresh session: File → Close All → Restart application.
No, notepad++.exe is NOT a virus. It's the legitimate executable for Notepad++, a trusted open-source text editor. To verify it's genuine, check that it's located in C:\Program Files\Notepad++\ and has a valid digital signature from "Don HO". If located elsewhere or lacking proper signature, it may be malware.
Yes, Notepad++ is completely safe when downloaded from the official website (notepad-plus-plus.org) or trusted sources like Ninite.com. It's open-source software with millions of users worldwide. Avoid downloading from random websites or file-sharing platforms, as they may bundle malware with the installer.
Notepad++ typically uses only 20-100 MB of RAM, which is very low. If you see excessive memory usage, you likely have many tabs open, very large files loaded, or plugins consuming resources. Close unused tabs and disable unnecessary plugins to reduce memory consumption.
Yes, you can delete or uninstall Notepad++ if you don't use it. It's not a Windows system file and is completely optional. Go to Settings → Apps → Notepad++ → Uninstall. Your computer will continue to function normally with the default Windows Notepad.
Yes, simply close the Notepad++ window and the notepad++.exe process will stop immediately. There are no negative consequences to closing it. You can reopen it anytime you need to edit files.
Yes, for most users. Notepad++ offers syntax highlighting, tabbed editing, find and replace with regex, line numbers, plugins, and many other features that Windows Notepad lacks. It's still lightweight and fast while providing professional-grade editing capabilities. However, Windows Notepad is simpler for quick, basic text editing.
No, Notepad++ is one of the lightest text editors available and has virtually no impact on system performance. It uses minimal CPU (1-3%) and RAM (20-100 MB typically), making it suitable even for older or low-spec computers. It only uses resources when actively running.
Yes, Notepad++ can handle large files better than most text editors, but performance degrades with files exceeding 100-500 MB depending on your computer's RAM. For massive log files or databases dumps, consider specialized tools like LogViewer or splitting the file into smaller chunks.