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How to Compare Differences Between Two Text Files With Windows Notepad

Comparing differences between two text files can be very useful in many situations. For example, you may need to check changes made between two versions of a document, find coding errors by comparing code files, check for plagiarism, etc.

While Windows Notepad doesn’t have a built-in compare feature, you can still easily compare two text files using Notepad++, a popular free text editor for Windows. In this article, I will guide you through the whole process of comparing two text files using Notepad++ step-by-step.

Why Compare Text Files

Here are some common scenarios where comparing text files comes in handy:

  • Compare revisions of a document – When a document goes through multiple revisions, you may need to see the differences between versions to understand what has changed.
  • Find coding errors – When developing software, comparing code files helps developers spot errors introduced between versions.
  • Check for plagiarism – Teachers often need to compare student assignments to check for plagiarism by matching content against online sources.
  • Review changes in configuration files – Comparing configuration files helps system administrators understand changes made to servers and ensure proper configuration.
  • Analyze differences in log files – Comparing log files enables analyzing differences between system states to identify potential issues.

Prerequisites

To follow this guide and compare text files with Notepad++, you will need:

  • Windows OS (Windows 7 or higher)
  • Notepad++ (Free text editor for Windows)
  • Two text files to compare

Step 1: Install Notepad++

If you already have the latest version of Notepad++ installed, skip to Step 2.

Otherwise, download and install the latest version of Notepad++ from notepad-plus-plus.org. Make sure to uncheck any bundled additional software during installation to avoid unwanted programs.

Step 2: Open Files in Notepad++

Launch Notepad++ on your computer and open the two text files you want to compare. You can open files in several ways:

File > Open – Select files through the Open file dialog box

Drag and drop – Drag text files from File Explorer into Notepad++

Once both files are open in Notepad++, you are ready to start comparing.

Step 3: Install Compare Plugin

Notepad++ doesn’t have a built-in compare feature. So you need to install a plugin called “Compare” to enable comparing text files.

To install the Compare plugin:

  1. Click Plugins > Plugin Manager > Show Plugin Manager
  2. Type “compare” in the search box
  3. Select “Compare” plugin and click Install
  4. Restart Notepad++

Step 4: Compare Text Files

Once Notepad++ restarts, open the two text files again if they are not already open.

To compare them:

  1. Click Plugins > Compare > Compare
  2. The files will now open side-by-side with the text differences highlighted

The differences are color coded as:

  • Green – Added text
  • Red – Deleted text
  • Blue – Modified text

Step 5: Analyze Differences

Carefully analyze the text differences highlighted between the two files.

You can click on the differences to jump between them. Some helpful keyboard shortcuts are:

  • Ctrl + Shift + Up – Previous difference
  • Ctrl + Shift + Down – Next difference

If needed, you can also edit the text directly in Notepad++ to fix errors.

Step 6: Merge Differences

In some cases, you may need to merge the differences between two text files into one file.

To merge text:

  1. Click Plugins > Compare > Merge
  2. Select the output file location
  3. Click Merge
  4. The output file will contain text from both files with conflicts highlighted

You can now manually edit the resulting file to resolve any conflicting text.

Conclusion

Comparing text files in Notepad++ is very simple with the Compare plugin. The side-by-side view makes analyzing differences between two text files much easier.

You can also use Notepad++ to directly edit and merge differences between text files. This comes in very handy for developers, writers, and anyone who needs to frequently compare text documents.

I hope this guide was helpful in showing you how to effectively compare two text files using Windows Notepad++. Let me know if you have any other questions!

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