Win7Tip: No Command Prompt Text Editor in Windows 7

One of the utilities I have used a lot since the days of MS-DOS is the edit command line editor. It is like vi for Unix, its the editor that is always there on any system.



Well with Windows 7 64 bit, its gone. After Googling around for it and such, I finally ran across a definitive statement on the subject. In Windows 7 64 bit, a number of DOS utilities have been discontinued and Microsoft has created a list here.



So this begs the question, is there something I can use as a command line editor? Well so far, the only thing I can find is a 64 bit version of VI Improved (VIM). I have not had a chance to try it out yet, but it looks promising. And of course, if you are not a Unix person, this editor is not for the faint of heart. :)  But it looks like the best option available at the current time.



Update: There is a Windows version of the Nano editor. It is quite a bit easier to use than VI. Get Nano for Windows here.