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    Unable to see Data in the Notepad++

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    • mkupperM
      mkupper @Goff Fred
      last edited by

      Thank you @Goff-Fred. Those screen shots were helpful. I’m fascinated and puzzled by the bottom one. I had always thought that files/tabs were always “full screen” within the Notepad application. Your Notepad++ seems to have a windowed look within the application though it’s also only showing one open tab. I’m wondering if you are using either a Notepad++ plugin or an external application to allow multiple document windows within Notepad++.

      This is the screen shot I’m writing about:
      Notepad++ screen shot

      Alan KilbornA 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • Sabin PopescuS
        Sabin Popescu @Goff Fred
        last edited by

        Hello there.
        I have the same issue as @Goff-Fred, when using the installed npp 8.7.7 .
        If I use the portable version of npp 8.7 , everything seems to be fine

        Sabin PopescuS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • Alan KilbornA
          Alan Kilborn @mkupper
          last edited by

          @mkupper said:

          I’m wondering if you are using either a Notepad++ plugin

          His debug info showed no odd plugins…

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • xomxX
            xomx @Goff Fred
            last edited by

            @Goff-Fred said in Unable to see Data in the Notepad++:

            Command Line : “C:”

            ?!
            I noticed this debug info cmdline param - if I’m not mistaken, it means that the OP tried to open all the files on the C: drive in N++!

            Anyway, because it’s about graphics, I’d try to play with the Preferences > MISC. > DirectWrite checkbox setting.

            Brad MartinB S 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 3
            • Brad MartinB
              Brad Martin @xomx
              last edited by

              @xomx This fixed it for me. Thank you!!!

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
              • Sabin PopescuS
                Sabin Popescu @Sabin Popescu
                last edited by

                I’ve noticed that I only have the issue on my secondary display.
                On the primary display of my laptop, the data/file contests are displayed properly:
                933a7275-1168-4c5f-9ef1-f83d23b24f43-image.png
                On the secondary display , the data gets “lost” :
                e8a1d527-cd95-4359-8a22-1c29aaaa475b-image.png

                Hope it helps

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                • S
                  sergiodevelop78 @xomx
                  last edited by

                  @xomx said in Unable to see Data in the Notepad++:

                  @Goff-Fred said in Unable to see Data in the Notepad++:

                  Command Line : “C:”

                  ?!
                  I noticed this debug info cmdline param - if I’m not mistaken, it means that the OP tried to open all the files on the C: drive in N++!

                  Anyway, because it’s about graphics, I’d try to play with the Preferences > MISC. > DirectWrite checkbox setting.

                  Thanks, changing DirectWrite to GDI it fixed the problem for me.

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                  • bombitupB
                    bombitup Banned @Satya Sriharsha Buddha
                    last edited by

                    @Satya-Sriharsha-Buddha said in Unable to see Data in the Notepad++:

                    I am able to open the notepad++ and i am able to see that i can type or open new files but i am unable to see the data.

                    I tried all the settings and options in the notepad++ but still can not figure it out.

                    Is any one else having similar issue? any help would be appreciated.

                    Version 8.7.

                    Hey,
                    That sounds like a rendering issue — especially if the file opens, typing works, but the content isn’t visible. A few things to try:

                    Toggle “Enable Global Font”: Go to Settings → Preferences → Style Configurator and check if “Enable global font” is selected. Sometimes incorrect font rendering can cause invisible text.

                    Change Theme: Switch to a different theme (like Default or Obsidian) under Style Configurator. Some themes might cause text to appear the same color as the background.

                    Disable Hardware Acceleration: In Settings → Preferences → MISC, try disabling “Use DirectWrite” or any rendering-related settings.

                    Delete/Reset config file: Close Notepad++, go to your config directory (usually in %AppData%\Notepad++) and rename config.xml to force a reset.

                    Also, do you see the same issue with all files or just certain ones? Let us know — happy to dig deeper.

                    PeterJonesP 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote -1
                    • PeterJonesP
                      PeterJones @bombitup
                      last edited by PeterJones

                      That sounds like a rendering issue — especially if the file opens, typing works, but the content isn’t visible. A few things to try:

                      “Rendering” is a catch all for putting any of the information on screen. So of course, if the information available in the file or typed isn’t being shown, it’s a “rendering issue”.

                      Toggle “Enable Global Font”: Go to Settings → Preferences → Style Configurator and check if “Enable global font” is selected. Sometimes incorrect font rendering can cause invisible text.

                      NEVER recommend Global Font unless someone has asked to get rid of syntax highlighting in all files. For you to recommend that makes it obvious you have no clue what you’re talking about.

                      Change Theme: Switch to a different theme (like Default or Obsidian) under Style Configurator. Some themes might cause text to appear the same color as the background.

                      This is the only sentence you’ve written in the forum yet that would surprise me and impress me if it were written by Generative AI. But it’s still essentially my advice from Oct 2024 recommending checking the Style Configurator for accidental corruption. But this was one of the early reports of the DirectWrite issue that’s cropped up, and is not something I’d recommend after 6 months of learning about it.

                      Disable Hardware Acceleration: In Settings → Preferences → MISC, try disabling “Use DirectWrite” or any rendering-related settings.

                      The Direct Write suggestion was already made by @xomx in February. And it’s not “hardware acceleration”.

                      Delete/Reset config file: Close Notepad++, go to your config directory (usually in %AppData%\Notepad++) and rename config.xml to force a reset.

                      Horrible advice. Telling someone to delete all their settings without first making a backup – in case they want to go back to the original settings – borders on malicious behavir.

                      Also, do you see the same issue with all files or just certain ones?

                      And that’s just another rip-off of my October advice.

                      Let us know — happy to dig deeper.

                      Based on the quality of your answer here, and the AI-generated nature of your previous post, I am not convinced any digging you did would be meaningful; further, @xomx already did the digging, and got the right answer, as any human who read this entire discussion would easily grasp.


                      Admin update: that individual has been banned for spam posts, in addition to their AI nonsense posts. Sorry for their waste of bandwidth, and any replies they sparked.

                      mathlete2M 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                      • xomxX
                        xomx
                        last edited by

                        I’d like to ask the affected users here, for which switching the DirectWrite OFF helped - what OS, graphics card and version of its drivers are they using?

                        E.g. post: Windows 10, Nvidia GeForce xyz, 2/24/2023 30.0.14.7430

                        (you can find such info e.g. by WinKey+R, type there devmgmt.msc -> OK, and check the Display Adapters > doubleclick on an adapter > Driver tab)

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                        • mathlete2M
                          mathlete2 @PeterJones
                          last edited by mathlete2

                          @PeterJones said in Unable to see Data in the Notepad++:

                          Delete/Reset config file: Close Notepad++, go to your config directory (usually in %AppData%\Notepad++) and rename config.xml to force a reset.

                          Horrible advice. Telling someone to delete all their settings without first making a backup – in case they want to go back to the original settings – borders on malicious behavior.

                          FWIW, the Delete part was misleading; the actual instructions say to rename the config file, which backs it up.

                          PeterJonesP 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • PeterJonesP
                            PeterJones @mathlete2
                            last edited by

                            @mathlete2 said in Unable to see Data in the Notepad++:

                            FWIW, the Delete part was misleading; the actual instructions say to rename the config file, which backs it up.

                            You are right, they gave conflicting instructions, saying to “delete/reset” the config file, but then “actually” only saying to rename it. But in general, their advice was bad – and elsewhere, in posts that another moderater had already deleted, that person spammed with links to their own website, which I confirmed had nothing to do with Notepad++, despite claims in the spam posts that going to their website would help solve a N++ problem. They were a spammer, probably assisted with generative AI posts, both of which are forbidden here and grounds for immediate banning.

                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 3
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