Problem running a macro without any associated key combination

Paolo Linx

Hi all,
Yesterday I did some cleaning on my laptop with CCleaner v6.39.
Maybe it cleaned a little too much… or maybe that’s not the reason.
Today, when I try to run a macro via the “Macro” menu, I previously recorded in Notepad++, I get this message:
“Security Warning
The security information for shortcuts.xml is missing in config.xml.
For security reasons, the integrity of shortcuts.xml will be checked. To run your customized command, please review the opened shortcuts.xml. If the file content is OK, use “Validate shortcuts.xml” from the menu to confirm it.”
Everything seems legitimate, shortcuts.xml pops up and its content is ok (no &#x…, no CR/LF issue), I just can’t find the indicated menu item to confirm it.
Can you help me?
Thanks in advance
Paolo

M Andre Z Eckenrode

@Paolo-Linx

I got the same message in NPP yesterday when I attempted to run an often-used Python script for which I’d created a key combo last year, and used without any issue until now. However, my getting that message was not preceded by any use of CCleaner, which I haven’t used in a long time, so that’s probably not related. My script lives, for key combo launching purposes, at menu Plugins > Python Script > ADM, with an assigned key combo of Ctrl+Alt+Numpad1. You should post your debug info (menu ? > Debug Info…) here. My own is:

Notepad++ v8.9.7   (32-bit)
Build time: Jul 14 2026 - 01:11:31
Scintilla/Lexilla included: 5.6.4/5.5.1
Boost Regex included: 1_90
pugixml included: 1.16
nlohmann JSON included: 3.12.0
Path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Notepad++\notepad++.exe
Command Line: "C:\Program Files\ArdfryImaging\PNGOUTWin\PNGOUTWin Reg Codes.txt" 
Admin mode: OFF
Local Conf mode: OFF
Cloud Config: OFF
WinGUp: present
disableNppAutoUpdate.xml: absent
Periodic Backup: ON
Placeholders: OFF
Scintilla Rendering Mode: SC_TECHNOLOGY_DIRECTWRITE (1)
Multi-instance Mode: monoInst
asNotepad: OFF
File Status Auto-Detection: cdEnabledNew (for current file/tab only)
Dark Mode: OFF
Display Info:
    primary monitor: 1920x1080, scaling 100%
    visible monitors count: 1
    installed Display Class adapters: 
        0000: Description - Intel(R) HD Graphics 620
        0000: DriverVersion - 31.0.101.2140
        0001: Description - NVIDIA GeForce 940MX
        0001: DriverVersion - 30.0.15.1169
OS Name: Windows 10 Enterprise (64-bit)
OS Version: 22H2
OS Build: 19045.7548
Current ANSI codepage: 1252
Plugins: 
    BetterMultiSelection (1.5)
    ColumnsPlusPlus (1.3.1)
    ColumnTools (1.4.5.1)
    ComparePlus (3)
    DSpellCheck (1.5)
    ExtSettings (1.3.1)
    HTMLTag_unicode (1.6)
    mimeTools (3.1)
    MultiClipboard (2.1)
    MultiReplace (6.0.0.36)
    NppCalc (1.5)
    NppConverter (4.7)
    NppExport (0.4)
    NPPJSONViewer (2.2)
    NppTextFX (2.0.3)
    NppXmlTreeviewPlugin (2)
    PreviewHTML (1.4.5)
    PythonScript (2.1)
    RegexTrainer (1.2)
    Search++ (0.6)
    SessionMgr (1.4.4)

Possible v8.9.7 bug?

M Andre Z Eckenrode

@Paolo-Linx

Forgot to add: You can find Validate shortcuts.xml at menu Run > Validate shortcuts.xml.

Paolo Linx

@M-Andre-Z-Eckenrode said:

@Paolo-Linx

Forgot to add: You can find Validate shortcuts.xml at menu Run > Validate shortcuts.xml.

Thank you very much. My problem is solved.
Paolo

PeterJones

@M-Andre-Z-Eckenrode said:

Possible v8.9.7 bug?

I wouldn’t call it a bug. v8.9.7 intentionally made sure that running a Macro performed the same HMAC check as running a Run menu entry. If your PythonScript runs a menu command (either a macro or a run-menu command, especially), it would also trigger that check. Or, if you hadn’t used any of the intervening v8.9.6.2-4 subversions, then your HMAC would never have been updated, and Notepad++ would demand a single validate to your custom shortcuts, becaus of your PythonScript shortcut.

M Andre Z Eckenrode

@PeterJones said:

[…] Notepad++ would demand a single validate to your custom shortcuts, because of your PythonScript shortcut.

I’m either missing something, or the shortcuts.xml security feature doesn’t work as described (or at least, as interpreted by me) here or in the user manual. I’ve had to re-do Validate shortcuts.xml half a dozen time since my previous post in this topic, but I haven’t made any changes to shortcuts.xml since then, nor changed the version of NPP used. It sounds to me like I should only be required to validate once, until/unless I make further changes to shortcuts.xml. Am I misinterpreting?

M Andre Z Eckenrode

Update: My having to repeatedly utilize Validate shortcuts.xml appears to be related to my common use of multiple instances of NPP. If I’ve used the shortcut for my PythonScript macro at least once during a session in one of my NPP instances, I have to re-validate the first time I try to use it in the other instance the next time I run NPP. I know this isn’t the official place for bug reports/feature or improvement requests, but is there any merit in my bringing it up?

PeterJones

@M-Andre-Z-Eckenrode said:

Update: My having to repeatedly utilize Validate shortcuts.xml appears to be related to my common use of multiple instances of NPP. If I’ve used the shortcut for my PythonScript macro at least once during a session in one of my NPP instances, I have to re-validate the first time I try to use it in the other instance the next time I run NPP. I know this isn’t the official place for bug reports/feature or improvement requests, but is there any merit in my bringing it up?

What do you mean by mutliple instances? Do you mean, “I have mutiInstance mode on, and I am running the same c:\program files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe executable multiple times”, or do you mean, “I have multiple portable editions of Notepad++, and if I run PythonScript from c:\portable1\notepad++.exe, it will somehow cause c:\portable2\notepad++.exe to need to re-validate.” ?

Unfortunately, your description is too vague for me to understand exactly what you’re doing.

To be able to help you, I would need to understand exactly your sequence, and what’s going on. The best thing to do is find the smallest possible script for PythonScript that triggers this bug (that’s safe to share and run on someone else’s computer), and then give a detailed sequence of the settings and setup you are using, and the sequence of events that causes you to need to re-validate.

M Andre Z Eckenrode

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