Slow to open large files...

AndersWa

Recently, or well, maybe over the last 6 months or so, I’ve noticed that N++ has become extremally sluggish when it comes to larger files… I can remember opening a 50 MB text file took some time, but not more than some seconds, but now N++ is completely frozen for minutes opening a 50 MB file, and changing something in it will again take a few minutes before I can navigate in N++ again…

Even a 2 MB file is slow and requires several minutes to open… What can have happened…?

I have resource enough on my laptop, running Windows 11 (latest updates) and N++ 64 bit latest version.

I do run some plugins, but not something that should be used opening .txt files.

Mark Olson

@AndersWa said in Slow to open large files...:

I do run some plugins, but not something that should be used opening .txt files.

Never assume that plugins aren’t involved when there’s a performance issue. Based on how you’re describing the problem, that would be my first guess. Try disabling your plugins one by one and see if disabling one of them fixes the problem.

Lexers (the tools that apply syntax coloring to files) can be pretty slow, but not so slow that they would take 2 minutes to color a file.

Please share debug info (?->Debug info... from the main menu) so we can better assist you.

Mark Olson

I hope this goes without saying, but…

If a plugin is responsible, please let us know which one, so that the plugin maintainer can figure out what the problem was.

AndersWa

Sorry for the late reply, @Mark-Olson, other thing came in between… I appreciate the help!

So, I removed all plugins and then opening e.g. .txt or .tmp and .log files are much, much faster and I get a “snappy” editing, saving and jumping about the files. I’ve tested up to 80 MB and noticed no lag in saving or modifying them.

However, opening an XML of 40 MB is now fast, but as soon as I try to edit it or jump to the bottom N++ “feezes” (Not responding) for a few seconds (maybe 12-14 seconds). Opening a 120 MB XML file I get a “freeze” for almost 30 seconds. After that initial freeze it is “OK” to edit and save the 40 MB file, but the 120 MB one is noticeable “slow” and sluggish to jump around in and to edit.

Then I started putting plugins back in…

I had added back the below when I noticed it’s “slowing down”, but I can’t pinpoint any specifics of the below plugins as removing them one by one and adding them back gives the same result, it’s noticeable slower for XML files only with these added back:

_CustomizeToolbar
ComparePlugin
Config
NppConverter
NppExport
NppHorizontalRuler
NppSaveAsAdmin

Not by much, but say the 40 MB XML that took 12-14 seconds to “navigate” now takes maybe 16 seconds to do the same.

Adding:

urlPlugin
JSMinNPP
DSpellCheck (with auto spell check turned off)

Doesn’t change much either…

Adding back the last plugin, XMLTools, did slow it down with additional 3-4 seconds, being up to a total of about 20 seconds to be able to “navigate” the 40 MB file.

So, yes, the plugins do have some affect, but the problem is only XML files!

guy038

Hello, @anderswa, @mark-olson and All,

In addition, @anderswa, have a quick look to these two posts :

Best Regards,

guy038

AndersWa

@guy038 Thanks!
I’ve always have had the auto-check things off for the XML plugin, same as Spell Check, etc. I run them when I use them, however in my case N++ without Plugins is painfully slow editing large XML files.

PeterJones

@AndersWa said in Slow to open large files...:

N++ without Plugins is painfully slow editing large XML files.

Which is why Notepad++ has Settings > Preferences > Performance, where you can define a threshold to stop doing things like syntax highlighting if a file is large enough that it slows down your editing.