yeah yeah i know this is closed but i feel my man's pain on this one. i too read post and like jimbo_3000 it did not help. not sure why this is closed.
anyway...
the problem is not with the notepad++ it is a configuration issue with XAMPP or it is a procedural issue with using the 2 together.
if anyone is having the same problem and tired of chasing your tail, please check this video out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Co-Wh-QSW8k
this video brings you through the configuration of XAMPP and shows you from beginning to end how to test PHP coding on notepad++ and see the results in a browser
follow it step by step (the password is not important i think. i just made one up and it worked)
some of the people here did try to help but to the rest of yall:
people seeking answers on PHP are obviously not experts or familiar with the jargon. these people seeking help are not idiots but obviously (well at least i thought it was obvious) you have to speak in familiar terms as the basis of communication