2
When I'm logged in as a user that is not member of the administrator group the entry to create a new text file is missing from the right click "New" menu.
If I give the user administrator rights or start Explorer with admin rights the New → Text document menu entry magically appears.
As far as I can see the registry entries are correct.
What's the solution for the side effect of being a normal user in Windows 7?
6
I found several references to solutions to this problem. They all involve registry hacks -- most suggest to add some new entries to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT or HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Classes/ (which I believe are equivalent).
Specifically, the following reg hack seems to solve the problem for most folks:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.txt]
@="txtfile"
"Content Type"="text/plain"
"PerceivedType"="text"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.txt\PersistentHandler]
@="{5e941d80-bf96-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.txt\ShellNew]
"ItemName"="@%SystemRoot%\system32\notepad.exe,-470"
"NullFile"=""
Cut and paste into a new .reg file to auto-merge it into your registry. I recommend first checking each of the values/keys shown here in regedit to see what changes (if any) you are making.
However, this did not work for me, as I had a conflicting empty entry in HKEY_CURRENT_USER. In fact, the keys/values were all already in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, so the first set of changes didn't do squat. So... I also merged in an identical version of this using HKEY_CURRENT_USER, which worked:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\.txt]
"PerceivedType"="text"
@="txtfile"
"Content Type"="text/plain"
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\.txt\PersistentHandler]
@="{5e941d80-bf96-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}"
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\.txt\ShellNew]
"ItemName"="@%SystemRoot%\system32\notepad.exe,-470"
"NullFile"=""
Mike Simpson
Posted 2010-10-13T14:14:53.667
Reputation: 424
1The second reg file also worked for me. I never knew how much I depended on this feature until it was gone! – Chris Fletcher – 2013-06-27T15:33:35.743
1
In my case, Windows XP Pro SP3, the New Text Document disappeared a little while back. I tried to use PowerToys TweakUI Templates, but even though it was selected to be on, did not cause Text Document to show up any more.
So I used this article as a "hint" and looked into HKCR and found a strange entry which I fixed. This worked for me. Details below:
Regedit
My Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.txt
change the "(Default)" value from String "txt_auto_file" to "txtfile"
Close Regedit. Done.
(how it got messed up as txt_auto_file, don't know)
Bruce
Posted 2010-10-13T14:14:53.667
Reputation: 11
try using Ctrl+Shift+N, you may like it :D – Dzung Nguyen – 2011-05-18T00:59:37.280
@nXqd that creates a new directory. – Stijn – 2011-11-20T14:16:30.767