Windows content is blank on remote notepad++ sessions
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Hello all,
I’m using Notepadd++ at office remotely from my home using Remote Utilities.
I don’t know if this problem is related to RU or not, but once connected to my remote host and I open Notepad++, all current tabs display as blank pages.
I can’t see the text (but I can select/copy/edit it…).
What can I do to solve this?
I’ll post the same question on RU forum.
Thanks in advance for any suggestion, in the meantime.
Ciao
Tony -
I don’t know Remote Utilities, though I assume it’s a third-party remote-desktop utility (similar to Windows’ built-in Remote Desktop – which works with no problem with Notepad++ – or the third-party VNC Server + VNC Viewer combination – which works with no problem with Notepad++).
You don’t tell us whether the invisible text is invisible because the text area is white-on-white, or black-on-black, or something else. If it’s the black-on-black, it should be noted that one of the fixes in v8.4.5 RC2 is supposed to address some Dark Mode glitchy-ness for certain panels; it may be that the fix for that also fixes the oddity you are seeing when tunneling through Remote Utilities.
However, it should be pointed out that there are known problems that other applications sometimes inject into Notepad++, that to be solved require code in the other application to be changed (for example, the Slack collaboration software will cause Notepad++ to render strangely, and the only permanent fix is for Slack to change its code). So it might be, as you guessed, that Remote Utilities would have to change something to properly interact with Notepad++ – but I cannot say that’s the problem for sure, nor do I know what they would have to fix.
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@PeterJones
Hi Peter,
thanks for your reply.
I use the Obsidian theme in notepad++, so the background should be dark.
But when I connect the notepad++ background is white (and I think text too is white). Even the selected tect color is white, so, at the end you cannot say you are doing something in that window until you select all, copy and paste on another application.
I’ll try to update Notepad++.
Thanks anyway.
Tony -
Hello Tony,
Thank you for your post. Remote Utilities tech support here.Could you please let us know what OS is running on the machine where the issue occurs? We will try to reproduce issue in our environment.
In addition, please try the following solutions:
- Try enabling the Capture alpha-blending windows feature in the Connection Properties window -> Additional properties tab.
- Try enabling the Use legacy capture mode feature in the Host Settings -> Other tab. After enabling the feature, please make sure to restart Host in order for the changes to be applied. If you enable the legacy option using the Remote Settings feature, Host will be restarted automatically when you submit the changes.
Hope that helps.
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I am using remote desktop using chrome browser… it displays blank content on Notepad++ only, when there is no monitor associated to the remote machine. I am using Windows 11.
The moment, I enable display by opening my laptop lid, the content displays again.
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Could you please create new Notepad++ GitHub issue and put there your description with details, steps to reproduce and info from the N++
menu > ? > Debug Info...? How to do it FAQ.If you cannot, put please the requested Debug Info here and try to elaborate more on the details of your RD connection to I be able to reproduce it.
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@Sweet-Man
I have the exact same issue,
while using Notead++ remotely using AnyDesk. -
I believe I have found the culprit and I hope notepad++ devs can figure this out.
Using a Lenovo device whatever its a Think mini desk or a laptop.
If you are logged in via remote, it does not matter if its anydesk, rdp, vnc or whatever.
The issue is when the LID is closed on or no monitor added notepad++ will just show a white page.
I hope something can be done.
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Since @Jagadesh-Rachakonda didn’t ever put in the GitHub request (as far as I can tell from searching the existing Issues), then could you please follow @xomx’s advice and put in the official bug report at GitHub, including all the information that @xomx mentioned in his post.
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@wazerstar said in Windows content is blank on remote notepad++ sessions:
The issue is when the LID is closed on or no monitor added notepad++ will just show a white page.
I understand “when the lid is closed on” (I think), but I’m not sure at all what “no monitor added” means. If you are going to create an issue, make sure you are clear so that people that might help actually can.
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@Alan-Kilborn Hi it means when there’s no monitor hooked up with HDMI/DVI/VGA/DP etc.
I believe this is kinda a bug either in the the way notepad++ renders on screen, but strangely enough a normal notepad from windows works fine.
I also tested AutoIT Scite script writer and same thing applied like notepad++ blank screen.
So perhaps autoit scite uses a same technique as notepad++ or its just a bug in general on windows.
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@wazerstar said in Windows content is blank on remote notepad++ sessions:
I also tested AutoIT Scite script writer and same thing applied like notepad++ blank screen.
So maybe it is a Scintilla library editing component issue.
I see that the mentioned AutoIt SciTE has also the DirectWrite rendering technology default preset, could you re-test N++ using its Settings > Preferences > MISC. > “Use DirectWrite” checkbox unchecked and let us know the result?
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@xomx This worked ! woooooooh
edit:
I managed to fix autoit as well editing this file
%localappdata%\AutoIt v3\SciTE\SciTEUser.propertiesand adding
technology=3I tried with values 0,1,2 nothing worked, 3 worked.
So what is the conclusion, is this a windows bug? more importantly how and what do we do from here?
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@wazerstar said in Windows content is blank on remote notepad++ sessions:
This worked ! woooooooh
Very good, thanks for the test.
and adding
technology=3
I tried with values 0,1,2 nothing worked, 3 worked.
That “3” means the Scintilla
SC_TECHNOLOGY_DIRECTWRITEDCmode. I am a little bit surprised that the “0” (good old GDI mode on Windows) isn’t working for your older SciTe too but ok.So what is the conclusion, is this a windows bug?
Probably not but rather a Scintilla library standard rendering modes incompatibility with some remote SW (remember that @PeterJones mentioned that the Windows built-in Remote Desktop or VNC works ok for him).
more importantly how and what do we do from here?
If you don’t need the Scintilla DirectWrite rendering mode, just stick to that disabled DirectWrite.
If you need it, just wait for the next N++ version (probably v8.7.8) and then use the “DirectWrite (draw to GDI DC)” rendering mode there (it is an equivalent for your “3”). Luckily for you, I submitted a N++ PR #16145 few days ago that addresses exactly this.
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@xomx said in Windows content is blank on remote notepad++ sessions:
@wazerstar said in Windows content is blank on remote notepad++ sessions:
This worked ! woooooooh
Very good, thanks for the test.
and adding
technology=3
I tried with values 0,1,2 nothing worked, 3 worked.
That “3” means the Scintilla
SC_TECHNOLOGY_DIRECTWRITEDCmode. I am a little bit surprised that the “0” (good old GDI mode on Windows) isn’t working for your older SciTe too but ok.So what is the conclusion, is this a windows bug?
Probably not but rather a Scintilla library standard rendering modes incompatibility with some remote SW (remember that @PeterJones mentioned that the Windows built-in Remote Desktop or VNC works ok for him).
more importantly how and what do we do from here?
If you don’t need the Scintilla DirectWrite rendering mode, just stick to that disabled DirectWrite.
If you need it, just wait for the next N++ version (probably v8.7.8) and then use the “DirectWrite (draw to GDI DC)” rendering mode there (it is an equivalent for your “3”). Luckily for you, I submitted a N++ PR #16145 few days ago that addresses exactly this.
I just did a retest with 0 it seems to be working with 0 as well, maybe It did not save properly at first glance, thanks for letting me know, so 0 & 3 works.
Also thanks for doing the submit.
Ok I did another test on another machine also being remote with lid closed.
the TECHNOLOGY=0 did not work until it actually had been applied as TECHNOLOGY=3 first, then I could swap back to 0, I could not let it go because I was sure that I saved it at first.
Oh well maybe thats another bug for SCITE, anyways thats not for notepad++ but if anybody finds this thread then the answer is in here.
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I made an account just to mention this might be an issue with the display driver for windows 11. While the solution of changing the rendering technology works, I have had issues with other programs not rendering correctly due to Windows 11 not knowing what to do when the lid of the laptop is closed with remoting in.
The solution I am using for my job on remote machines is to add a virtual display adapter. Method 3 uses a display driver which once installed renders windows previously having issues. This is the method I have been using with much success. Here is the link to the explanations and files:
https://itproexpert.com/windows-server-vm-screen-resolution-fix/
