How do I change the default html editor (Notepad in my case)? This is usually changed via Internet Options > Programs.
Currently the only option in the dropdown menu is Notepad, but on a previous PC, I had both Notepad and Word in the menu.
Not sure how they were added unless its because they are both MS programs ?

Anyway I want to ad Metapad (a notepad replacement).

Thanks.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/163606/en-us

HTH

Thanks Peter. I managed to add metapad to the Edit button but Notepad is still the default when I click it. Any idea how to make Metapad the default or remove Notepad altogether? The KB info seems to say add " %1" to the end of the path to make it the default, but that hasn't made any difference for me (XP).

You mean the editor for View Source, don't you? "Edit" and "View Source" are different things with IE. There used to be registry hacks, but I don't know if they would work and be safe on XP. Let's be lazy and do it the easy way.
http://iconico.com/viewSourceEditor/

I mean the button that has the word "Edit" below it on the EI toolbar, which I thought revealed the same source as the menu option "View Source"?

The thing is, I already have an alternate text editor to notepad (metapad) and want IE to allow me to use this as the default (selectable from the IE toolbar Edit button).

Currently I have metapad available via the IE toolbar Edit button, but it isn't the dafault - so clicking the button still opens notepad. I can select metapad from the Edit dropdown menu, but I'm currently look for how to make this extra step uneccessary.

I've never managed to figure out what the difference is between Edit and View Source, but there is a difference. For eaxmple, I sometimes get binary characters when I use Edit. When i View Source on the same document with the same editor I do not.

OK, the tool I linked to lets you switch between several View Source editors. For the Edit button, the editor that's shown in the combo box at Internet Options | Programs becomes the default. So select Metapad from the drop down list and hit Apply. If you have already done that, I don't know.