Saving with Notepad++ removes alternate data streams

[NotepadPlusUser]

Suppose that a file Test.txt has two alternate data stream files associated with it. When I edit the file with Notepad++, and then save it (Ctrl + S), the ADS files have been removed.

This doesn’t happen with Notepad, and with UEStudio, there is a setting to prevent it.

QUESTION: How do I save a file in Notepad++ without removing the alternate data streams?

[Claudia Frank]

@NotepadPlusUser
unfortunattely this seems to be a bug.

@devs
put the following into a batch file

@echo some text > %1
@echo hidden text > %1:ads_part.txt
type %1
@echo.
more < %1:ads_part.txt

@echo.
@echo open the file %1 with npp, change it and save it.
@echo.

pause

type %1
@echo.
more < %1:ads_part.txt

save it and call it like

ads.bat myfile.txt

It will create the file and an additional data stream(ad_part.txt) file,
writes text to both,
outputs the file content of myfile.txt and of ad_part.txt.
Then batch asks to open myfile.txt with npp and waits until enter is pressed.
If loaded within npp, change something and save it.
Press enter and batch outputs the new content but ad_part.txt isn’t there anymore.

Cheers
Claudia

[NotepadPlusUser]

Thanks, Claudia. You’ve confirmed my experiments. The three possibilities are:

• It’s a bug.
• It’s intended.
• There is a setting somewhere to prevent it, as there is in UEStudio, but neither you nor I can find it (and there is no proper Help file to search, which is often quite a problem with Notepad++).

I haven’t posted here before. Is there someone who can give a clear answer about the situation?

[Claudia Frank]

@NotepadPlusUser

Don is the authority in this case. He’s checking the forum from time to time.
What you could do is to open an issue at github.

Cheers
Claudia

[NotepadPlusUser]

This post has not been commented on, except by Claudia, who confirmed it. The issue remains with the latest version 6.9.2 released today.

• Does anyone know how to preserve ADS files?
• If it can’t be done at the moment, does anyone know whether the developers intend to provide such an option in the future?

(I’ve added a similar post to the not on GitHub.)

[dustinfineout]

This should be considered a bug. I can open a file in Notepad++, make no changes and save it, and the file is fundamentally changed as any ADS will be deleted.

[gstavi]

Hardly anyone knows what alternate stream is. I had to Google it. It is no surprise that this does not get high priority.

Out of curiosity, I maintain an npp version I build for myself with several patches.
This patch fixes an issue I had were NPP reset permissions for files saved over SAMBA.
There is a good chance that it will solve your problem as well. You can get the binary from here.