Why won't NPP open .txt files

[Lee Wilkerson]

If Notepad++ will no longer be able to edit .txt files, I have no further use for it.
Is it ever going to be fixed or not?

[Claudia Frank]

Hello Lee-Wilkerson,

npp can edit .txt files. There must be something specific with your environment.
Which npp version do you use?
Which operating system? In case it is windows 10, did you try to start npp as non-admin?
How do you try to open text files, using the open file dialog or using the context menu option
from the explorer? Or drag and drop?

Cheers
Claudia

[Mike Segor]

I’ve had the same problem for about 2 weeks. I’m using 6.8.8 on Windows 8.1

When I try to open any text file with a .txt extension the program opens but the file does not appear.

When I save a text file, the “Save as type …” box indicates that it will be saved as a .txt file and it is saved with the .txt extension.

But when I try to open the file I just created, the file is not found. This happens whether I open it by double-clicking it or by right click->“Edit with Notepad++”

It does not give me a message that the file is not found, it just opens the program as though I had not specified any file to edit.

The only way I can currently open any file with a .txt extension is to change the file name by removing the .txt extension.

[Claudia Frank]

Hello @Mike-Segor

can you tell me where you saved that file? Or doesn’t it matter, regardless where you store
your file, if it has txt extension it isn’t opened.
Can you show us the debug info? (it’s located under the ? menu)

Cheers
Claudia

[Mike Segor]

This is happening in many folders on the C drive.

Notepad++ v6.8.8
Build time : Dec 10 2015 - 01:11:37
Path : C:\Program Files (x86)\Notepad++\notepad++.exe
Admin mode : OFF
Local Conf mode : OFF
OS : Windows 8.1
Plugins : mimeTools.dll NppConverter.dll NppExport.dll NppFTP.dll PluginManager.dll

[Claudia Frank]

Hello Mike-Segor,

I have setup a Windows 8.1 x64 and installed npp

Notepad++ v6.8.8
Build time : Dec 10 2015 - 01:11:37
Path : C:\Program Files (x86)\Notepad++\notepad++.exe
Admin mode : OFF
Local Conf mode : OFF
OS : Windows 8.1
Plugins : mimeTools.dll NppConverter.dll NppExport.dll PluginManager.dll

I searched for *.txt files on C drive and got 46 returned. I was able to open each of them using npp.
Either by dragging, double click or right-click edit with notepad++ all worked. So there must be something special
in the case when it doesn’t work.

Except for the NppFTP plugin and the fact, that 8.1 is running in a virtualbox, I have the same setup I guess.
Which version of NppFTP do you use. Plugins->NppFTP->About NppFTP (version is listed on the bottom)

Can you stop npp and goto to %APPDATA% directory? Would you mind renaming, not deleting, the notepad++
directory? Then start npp and do the test. Has something changed?

Cheers
Claudia

[Mike Segor]

Yes, renaming %APPDATA%\Notepad++\ makes files ending in .txt openable again in NPP.

I notice that opening NPP, after the rename, recreates the %APPDATA%\Notepad++ directory. The new directory also contains the NppFTP plugin files but with a current timestamp on them.

I closed and opened npp again, and it seems to stay fixed. I don’t use the FTP feature and don’t remember intentionally installing it.

But I think I’m back on the road again. Thanks.

\

[stu erskine]

THAT’S THE FIX !!!.. Just go in and rename the %APPDATA%\NPP directory. Then go to Windows Explorer and double click a TXT file. BANG… It opens NPP and the desired file. I hope I don’t have to do this a lot.

[wwwdeals]

This issue just happened to me and I’ve been using notepad++ in Windows 10 for a while. As much as I appreciate the workaround, it is not a real fix. I’m surprised after 5 years this issue is still around.

[Ekopalypse]

@wwwdeals said in Why won't NPP open .txt files:

I’m surprised after 5 years this issue is still around.

Unless there is a way to reproduce the cause, it is hard to fix I guess.