Problem

Output listing files open in the system’s default text editor (for example, Notepad) instead of the SACS Programmer’s File Editor.

Answer

SACS uses the External Editor setting in SACS System Settings to determine which application is used to open output listing files.
If this setting is not configured to point to the SACS Programmer’s File Editor (sacpfe.exe), SACS will open listing files using the system’s default text editor.

This is a configuration behavior and does not affect analysis results or output content.

You can restore the previous behavior, where output listing files open in the Programmer’s File Editor by configuring the External Editor setting in SACS. 

Please follow these steps:

1. Open SACS System Settings.

2. Go to General Settings and locate the External Editor field.

3. Browse to the SACS installation folder and select sacpfe.exe (the Programmer’s File Editor). If sacpfe.exe is not present in your SACS 2025 installation folder, you may copy it from your SACS 16.1 installation folder and paste it into the SACS 2025 installation folder, then point the External Editor field to that executable.

Copy from SACS 16.1:  

Paste the sacpfe.exe in SACS 2025 folder:

4. Set Editor Goto Switch to: Before filename

5. Set Editor Goto Command to: /g

6. Click OK to save the settings.

7. Close and restart SACS.

After restarting, output listing files will open in the SACS Programmer’s File Editor instead of the system text editor.

 

This is the supported method in any SACS versions to control which editor is used for opening listing files via the External Editor setting. 

To configure SACS to use a different text editor (such as Notepad++), please refer to the following article: Change SACS Default Text Editor to Notepad++