# MS Notepad character/text limitations?



## selectblend (Nov 22, 2004)

Hello,

I am trying to download a address list from some POS software. I obtain the list through the software, and then download it as a .txt file to the A: drive. (that's the only option the POS software allows). 

The problem I'm having is that after it goes to the A: drive and I open the text file in Notepad it only shows a portion of the address list. It's showing approximately 2650 lines of addresses (with more info that just addresses) even though in the POS software there is between 5000 - 20000 lines of addresses.

Is there a limit as to how many characters can be placed in Notepad? Or do you see any other problems with my situation? Any help or advice would be appreciated.

Thank you.

Kyle


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## Guest (Nov 22, 2004)

I did not find the actual size limitation of a notepad file, but I successfully created one with 20000+ lines. Perhaps it's a limitation of your "POS" software.


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## jbcalg (Oct 29, 2001)

think there is a limit is, sounds like you've hit that wall if there is 

do you have wordpad? i'd try that first
C:\Program Files\Windows NT\Accessories\wordpad.exe
(probably also in the accessories menu in start programs etc)

this is one alternative notepad program i've seen on a lot of sites, used it for a while before the last reformat, works fine
http://www.flos-freeware.ch/notepad2.html

make sure you read the FAQ about replacing notepad with notepad2 in XP, a couple minor changes need to be made
http://www.flos-freeware.ch/np2faq.html

*edit*: have you tried copying/moving the file from A:\ to your hard drive? sounds like you're accessing it from the floppy?


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## kiwiguy (Aug 17, 2003)

Notepad has a 64 kB file size limit.
Use Wordpad as suggested


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

Hi and welcome.

If you have Word or WordPerfect installed, use that instead.


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## selectblend (Nov 22, 2004)

Wow, thank you for the quick responses. I do have Wordpad available to use. However, the POS software saves it as a .txt file and it goes directly to Notepad. Is there a way I can get it point to Wordpad or Word instead? (it does not ask how and where I want to save the address list....it just asks if I want the customer.txt file to be saved to the A: dive. If I say no, it prints the file.) This maybe be a problem with the POS software as someone suggested, so I may need to follow up with that vendor. But if you have some suggestions in the meantime I'd be happy to give them a try.

Thanks.

Kyle


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

Find the file via windows explorer, right click on it and choose open with. Depending on what operating system you have, you may have to hold the shift key down to get that option.


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## ChuckE (Aug 30, 2004)

If I am reading your post correctly, your POS software simply saves the file as .txt, and you are not using any Windows copy and paste functions to get that text into Notepad. Please correct me if I am wrong.

If that is true, then you are NOT using the Windows copy buffer, to copy into a blank Notepad window to save the file. And if that is true then there is nothing that Notepad can do to have limited the quantity of characters put into the file. It is your POS software that created the file, with no interaction of any other program.

Notepad used to have a 64k limit, but that is no longer true, at least not in WinXP. Unless you are given some warning about a size limit when you attempt to double-click, and open with Notepad, then you are not using some version of Notepad that has that limit. Don't worry about that. Also that older, limited, version of Notepad would warn you if you tried to save a file larger than 64k. So, again, if you don't see the warning then that is not your issue.

Just because when you double-click on some .txt file to open it, which by default uses Notepad to open the file, does not limit you to only using Notepad to work with the file. The is nothing to stop you from opening some large .txt file with the editor of your choice, such as WordPad, or Word, or whatever. You can either use the Shift-Right-click "Open With" command as already suggested and select whichever editor you want, or you could just open your editor of choice and use that programs File>Open command to select the large .txt file.

So, if my assumption is correct, that the .txt file is created via your POS software, with no further actions by you to create the file, then it must be your POS software that is causing the missing characters.


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## selectblend (Nov 22, 2004)

Thank you all for your help. The problem was indeed the POS software in that in only allows me to save the data to the A: drive. The data was too large to fit on the floppy, hence I was losing much of the data. I was able to manipulate the data into sections of smallers sizes and save to the floppy, then transport to excel on my hard drive, erase the floppy and get the next set of data. Thanks for you help.

Kyle


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## ChuckE (Aug 30, 2004)

Hummmm, if it was too large to fit on a floppy, and assuming you had a blank floppy to begin with, then that means it was more than ~1.4MB. Weren't you getting some kind of error message when the floppy became full? 
I find it odd that the >1.4MB file could even partially be saved to the floppy. 
In my experience, if you try to put a (example) 2MB file to floppy, it will go through the initial attempt, and that the requisite ~1 minute to write out the file. But when the "wall" gets hit, the floppy runs out of space, an error message would result AND what was written is removed from the floppy. In other words none, of the file will be on the floppy.

While Notepad, the current version, can handle 1.4MB, it is really clumsy to do so. Notepad takes a relatively long time to open such large files (*especially from a floppy, YUK!*). It would be much faster and better to use another editor to open such a file, at least use WordPad. In fact even before you try, first copy the file to your hard drive, then work on it from the hard drive.

When you go to save the data, from your POS software, are you sure there is NO WAY to direct it to another drive? like the C: drive? 
Even if you can't pre-name and direct the saving to a sub-directory, at least by getting it on to your C: drive would be MUCH QUICKER. It takes at least a minute to write 1.4MB to floppy! and only a second or less to write it out to the hard drive. (I think you could possibly use a drive re-lettering to make another device  like another hard drive, a Zip drive, or even a USB flash drive, to appear as youre A: drive. They are much quicker than a floppy, plus you would not be limited to just 1.4MB.)


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

For what it's worth, with Win98, think it's something like like 60K for Notepad. Just tried to create a 62 K file and notepad wouldn't open it. Just under that and it worked ok.


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## ChuckE (Aug 30, 2004)

Well, I said the newer versions of NotePad handle more than 64k. The NotePad in WinXP, the one I did mention, is about 5 years newer than the one in Win98.

I've used NotePad, in WinXP, to open 3MB files with no problems. It just takes a while.

I also just found that on Win98, the version of NotePad I have, will not open a file larger than 59,202 bytes. On another Win98 machine the limit was 58,530 bytes.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

ChuckE, Relax, was just doing this as a bit of an exercise out of curiosity. And pretty much all versions of NT have huge file size limit for Notepad. That's why I didn't bother including it.


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