.txt files not opening on the desktop with notepad.

[balloonshark]

I'm running Windows 8.1. A week or two ago my text files quit showing up on my desktop when opened with notepad. I can see the icon in the taskbar and notepad.exe is running in task manager but they aren't showing up where I can see the text file. It happens with more than one file and I can open them with wordpad. It may have started after a forced shutdown (which isn't normal SOP) is the only coincidence I can think of. Everything else is working perfectly fine. Any ideas as how to fix this issue?

 

[VirtualLarry]

System Restore? Or possible, an Microsoft Fix-It, to restore the Native Shell Associations.

 

[balloonshark]

System Restore? Or possible, an Microsoft Fix-It, to restore the Native Shell Associations.

Do you mean file associations? If so that is correct and showing notepad. When I look at my restore points I forgot that I had an old version of TomTom Home I installed for my sisters GPS. I uninstalled it on the 23nd which might be close to when the problem started.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Do you, or did you, have multiple monitors? Is it possible that it IS opening, just on a (non-visible) display window? Do you have the chipset/CPU iGPU also enabled, for some reason?

 

[balloonshark]

Do you, or did you, have multiple monitors? Is it possible that it IS opening, just on a (non-visible) display window? Do you have the chipset/CPU iGPU also enabled, for some reason?

Wow, nice call! It was opening on the 2nd monitor but I didn't see it because it's off 99% of the time. I moved it to the first and it's working fine now. Thank you!

To the best of my knowledge I'm using my graphics card. Both monitors are plugged into my card. I did finally update the card drivers 2 or 3 months ago though. I also have one dell monitor so I'm using their display manager. How do I check if the iGPU is enabled?

 

[VirtualLarry]

How do I check if the iGPU is enabled?

Should show up under Displays in Device Manager.

 

[balloonshark]

Should show up under Displays in Device Manager.

Everything looks good in device manager. Thanks again and have a great weekend

 

[Iron Woode]

hi,
try changing the default program that opens text files. Click start, default programs; and in there you should be able to tell text files to open with notepad. If that does not work post back and we can go from there.

The "problem" was dual monitors with the txt file opening on the second monitor. It had nothing to do with file associations.