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Windows/IE/Notepad bug

F

FatBurger

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
Aug 8, 2001
Messages
6,376
1. Create a new folder on your desktop called "Notepad"
2. Open any website in IE and go to View --> Source

Why the hell does it open the Notepad folder? :p
Anyone know how to report a bug like this to Microsoft?
 
Maybe because your internet options are set to open html in notepad :rolleyes:

notepad.JPG
 
FatBurger said:
Please read what I posted.
Click to expand...

And I see what you are saying it doesn't open " notepad " like it should it opens the folder on your desktop instead of the application
 
Weird....does it for me too. I don't have Firefox installed, so it's not Firefox that's causing it. As soon as I delete the Notepad folder, it works fine.
 
Lord of Shadows said:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;CNTACTMS

You can try to send a suggestion through that page, or send it in one of those error report pages that open when ie crashes. I seriously doubt ethier will get you a direct response, the best way to "fix" this bug is to not have a notepad named directory on your desktop =)
Click to expand...
I saw that, but I don't think that'll get me very far.

The only reason I had a Notepad directory on my desktop is because I was collecting screenshots to make a knowledge base article about a different Notepad bug :p
 
djnes said:
Weird....does it for me too. I don't have Firefox installed, so it's not Firefox that's causing it. As soon as I delete the Notepad folder, it works fine.
Click to expand...
So far out of about...60 people maybe, only one person has not been able to reproduce it. I'm trying to pin down exactly what fixed or broke it.
 
We do not have firefox here at work and i just tried it on WindowsNT boxes we have and it does not do it so far only on Winxp machines will keep you posted going to load up some other boxes here in the IT department and yes when you delete the folder off desktop it opens notepad normally for editing very wierd
 
The[H]uman said:
We do not have firefox here at work and i just tried it on WindowsNT boxes we have and it does not do it so far only on Winxp machines will keep you posted going to load up some other boxes here in the IT department and yes when you delete the folder off desktop it opens notepad normally for editing very wierd
Click to expand...
I've tested it on Windows 2000 Pro and Windows XP Pro. I'll check a Windows 2003 box as well.
 
And since it's a text document, the HTML default should have nothing to do with it.
 
FatBurger said:
And since it's a text document, the HTML default should have nothing to do with it.
Click to expand...

Well it's not even a document it's a folder called Notepad so yes the HTML default really shouldn't have anything to do with iti feel a new exploit coming on somewhere .. LOL i just have to figure out how to code it ..hehe < evil grin >
 
Forgot to mention that this works with executables as well as folders, which makes it a security risk.

Tested on two 2003 Standard machines, with identical results.
NT4 with IE6 does NOT produce this bug.
 
From a quick Googling, looks like this has been around for a long time. It has something to do with the word "notepad" being on the desktop that screws things up. I found posts about the folder issue you described, another issue where putting a shortcut to notepad on the desktop breaks "view source" altogether, as well as posts about IE opening a batch file on the desktop named notepad.bat, whether the contents of the .bat have anything to do with notepad or not :eek:

I would still try reporting it, but it looks like quite a few people reported similar issues already, and got a standard response from MS about clearing temp internet files.
 
Clearing Temporary Internet Files has no effect though, I already tried that.
 
My guess it that it has something to do with the way that your environment variables such as PATH are set up. For some reason unknown to me, perhaps when Explorer.exe runs a command, it checks the desktop before the Windows\System32 folder?

Try it with other programs, such as solitaire - make a solitaire folder on the desktop, then go to Start>Run and try it? It's an interesting bug, though.
 
From my thread on Genmay, this might clear up some specifics for a couple people:

jaofos said:
I'd assume that it's because windows searches your path for "Notepad" not "Notepad.exe" and your Desktop folder is listed in the path before the C:\Windows folder is.
Click to expand...
FatBurger said:
Yes, exactly. The problem is though, that viewing the source of a webpage should not be loading random notepad.exe files on the dekstop, it's a security risk. They should be generating an ASCII file, saving it in Temp Inet Files, and then opening it in Notepad. Instead, they're opening Notepad and importing the information, which is causing the bug and security risk.
Click to expand...


EDIT:
Never mind. Creating a Notepad directory and then going to Start -> Run -> Notepad does not open the folder, it opens the real Notepad.
 
UMCPWintermute said:
My guess it that it has something to do with the way that your environment variables such as PATH are set up. For some reason unknown to me, perhaps when Explorer.exe runs a command, it checks the desktop before the Windows\System32 folder?

Try it with other programs, such as solitaire - make a solitaire folder on the desktop, then go to Start>Run and try it? It's an interesting bug, though.
Click to expand...

This bug does exist, but it has been fixed in XP SP2.
2003 Standard does not reproduce this bug either.

Apparently only Windows XP pre-SP2 will open the Notepad folder on the desktop when typing "Notepad" in Run.
 
FatBurger said:
This bug does exist, but it has been fixed in XP SP2.
2003 Standard does not reproduce this bug either.

Apparently only Windows XP pre-SP2 will open the Notepad folder on the desktop when typing "Notepad" in Run.
Click to expand...
This laptop I'm running now has the final SP2 applied...mine still runs the folder notepad and any notepad.exe file
 
Fark_Maniac said:
This laptop I'm running now has the final SP2 applied...mine still runs the folder notepad and any notepad.exe file
Click to expand...
Someone on another forum reported this, can you tell me if you have any uninstalled Windows Updates?
 
Strange
I've never installed the HMAT CD writing update, I'll do that now and see if it re-breaks.

EDIT:
No change. Bizarre
 
I have SP2 and can do the "trick." Interestingly if you move the folder elsewhere (root of c: in my case) it doesn't do it, just the desktop.
 
Yeah, I tried it in root, system root, system32, everywhere I could think of.

Though if you delete notepad.exe in System32 and then create a Notepad directory and try it in the few seconds before Windows can re-create Notepad.exe, then it works.
 
I call bullshit:

With "Notepad" as the folder on the desktop (clicky for biggie)


And with "notepad" as the folder on the desktop (clicky for biggie)


So, you chaps who are experiencing it are obviously dealing with an issue outside of Windows or IE. You fellows may want to find out what other program(s) or plugin(s) you have installed that may be the cause of this.
 
Interesting as it *does* work as per the original OPs description on two of my systems, one being a laptop which I just recently installed a fresh install of XPSP2.

Looks like I'm going to do some "lab" work with vmware on a Sunday to try to figure this one out :p
 
It does it with any folder on the desktop.

for example if you have folder bla bla

start
run
"bla bla"
 
GreNME, Or you have something installed that fixed it...

Shadow2531, Your doing it wrong... The bug happens when you edit source in IE on an html page. It opens the 'notpad' folder on your desktop when you do this. I have several other folders on my desktop and it only does this when the folder name is notepad.
 
Does it to me on my work box. SP1 though. I'll try when I get home. MY SP2 install is still fairly new, only installed UT2K4.
 
Phoenix86 said:
GreNME, Or you have something installed that fixed it...
Click to expand...
SJC has suggested the same to me. However, I have no idea what would be "fixing" it.
 
4 systems with SP1a = doesn't open the folder
2 2003 Servers = doesn't open the folder
1 SP2 machine = does open the Notepad folder

I guess this just proves that what happens on one machine, doesn't have to happen on others, with the same software. Computing Environments are quirky like that.
 
I've tried it on my three machines running XP SP2, and it does it. I'm just wondering why you have a folder on your desktop called notepad. :confused:
 
djnes said:
4 systems with SP1a = doesn't open the folder
2 2003 Servers = doesn't open the folder
1 SP2 machine = does open the Notepad folder

I guess this just proves that what happens on one machine, doesn't have to happen on others, with the same software. Computing Environments are quirky like that.
Click to expand...
Well, the quirkiness can't be denied in this case (I mean, how freaking weird is this?), but there has got to be a logical explanation for what is causing it.

I readily admit to not knowing what it is, though :p
 
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