Community
    • Login

    Rare Null Write Glitch

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Help wanted · · · – – – · · ·
    19 Posts 7 Posters 10.3k Views
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as topic
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
    • Samuel CoolS
      Samuel Cool
      last edited by

      I was just working on a css file, and I think I hit ctrl+shift+s for a save all, and suddenly the file blanked out, and I quickly found out that it had cleared everything somehow, then saved, or something like that. But the end result: I lost the entire file, no getting it back. I have a backup, but it’s pretty old, I might as well rewrite it all.

      If anyone can find the bug that caused this, and save others from the same fate, I’d be grateful.

      -Samuel

      Alan KilbornA 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
      • chcgC
        chcg
        last edited by

        Unfortunately this is seems to be a not to seldom problem, see e.g.
        https://notepad-plus-plus.org/community/topic/14512/crash-then-current-file-empty
        https://notepad-plus-plus.org/community/topic/14623/np-7-5-1-version-crashed-and-data-lost
        https://notepad-plus-plus.org/community/topic/14463/i-have-lost-my-html-file-data-after-notepad-crashed-while-i-am-unable-to-find-the-any-backup-file-of-that-date-of-my-file-in-notepad-backup-directory
        https://notepad-plus-plus.org/community/topic/14313/how-can-i-restore-my-old-backup-files
        https://notepad-plus-plus.org/community/topic/14294/notepad-crashed-i-lost-all-data-in-a-file

        , but typically that happens in relation with a N++ or OS crash.

        Claudia FrankC 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • Claudia FrankC
          Claudia Frank @chcg
          last edited by

          @chcg

          I guess this needs to be divided into, at least, two different issues.
          One which causes the file to be erased and the other resulting in a NULL-filled file.

          If the file is completely empty this could lead to the assumption that the file
          was opened and before flushing the content the write operation was interrupted.
          Either by os shutdown, process dying etc…
          This kind of issue cannot be prevented in a 100% guaranteed way.

          The other issue where a file is filled with NULLs is a little bit strange as it is not clear
          why this happens at all. I’m suspecting backup functionality but because I haven’t found a
          way to prove this it still could mean I’m wrong.

          Recently I started investigating what could be done to find out under which circumstance
          a file will be filled with NULLs but, unfortunately, haven’t yet found a secure way for monitoring
          this.

          Cheers
          Claudia

          Samuel CoolS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 3
          • Alan KilbornA
            Alan Kilborn @Samuel Cool
            last edited by

            @Samuel-Cool said:

            rare null write

            suddenly the file blanked out,

            cleared everything somehow

            What is “null write”, “blanked out”, “cleared everything”? Such a serious thing deserves a better bug report if it is to get addressed.

            And a backup that is “pretty old” is no backup at all. That’s on you, not Notepad++.

            Sorry to be brutal…facts are facts.

            Samuel CoolS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
            • Samuel CoolS
              Samuel Cool @Claudia Frank
              last edited by

              @Claudia-Frank To be clear, the file became 0kb. It literally has nothing int it.

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
              • Samuel CoolS
                Samuel Cool @Alan Kilborn
                last edited by

                @Alan-Kilborn I realize having only an old backup is my fault. I assure you, I won’t be making that mistake twice.

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                • Samuel CoolS
                  Samuel Cool
                  last edited by

                  The current file blanked out while I was looking at it when I tried to save all, so it’s definitely notepad++'s fault.

                  Claudia FrankC 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                  • Claudia FrankC
                    Claudia Frank @Samuel Cool
                    last edited by

                    @Samuel-Cool

                    may I ask, you used save all to save all open files or just save to save the current file or
                    you used save all but only one file was opened at that time?

                    If you used save all for all open files, were additional files affected or only this one?
                    Btw. do you use npp’s backup functionality and if so, what is the configuration?

                    Cheers
                    Claudia

                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                    • Samuel CoolS
                      Samuel Cool
                      last edited by Samuel Cool

                      @Claudia-Frank I had two files opened, css file was the one deleted, and an html file on the tab to the right, which was unaffected.

                      I use the plugins Autosave and Autosave 2, but only after this happened, no other backup functionality is set up.

                      Claudia FrankC Scott SumnerS 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • Claudia FrankC
                        Claudia Frank @Samuel Cool
                        last edited by

                        @Samuel-Cool

                        … and you used save all or just save in this case?
                        Was there anything to save for the html file or was it not modified at that time.

                        Btw. could you post the debug-info? (available under ? menu)

                        Cheers
                        Claudia

                        Samuel CoolS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • Scott SumnerS
                          Scott Sumner @Samuel Cool
                          last edited by Scott Sumner

                          @Samuel-Cool said:

                          I use the plugins Autosave and Autosave 2

                          Maybe it is Autosave’s fault…somehow…?
                          Saving right at the instant the user does…maybe an interaction?
                          Hmmm…
                          Just a thought…

                          Samuel CoolS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • Samuel CoolS
                            Samuel Cool @Claudia Frank
                            last edited by

                            @Claudia-Frank Notepad++ v7.5.3 (32-bit)
                            Build time : Dec 5 2017 - 10:45:46
                            Path : C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe
                            Admin mode : OFF
                            Local Conf mode : OFF
                            OS : Windows 7 (32-bit)
                            Plugins : AutoSave.dll autosave2.dll DSpellCheck.dll mimeTools.dll NppConverter.dll NppExport.dll NppFTP.dll PluginManager.dll

                            I used save all, the html file likely hadn’t been modified recently.

                            By the way, this happened before updating, I think I was in 7.4. I think it’s worth noting that the 7.4.1 release log says “The opened zero length file not saving bug.” was found, possibly related.

                            Claudia FrankC 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • Samuel CoolS
                              Samuel Cool @Scott Sumner
                              last edited by

                              @Scott-Sumner I didn’t have those plugins installed at the time.

                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                              • Claudia FrankC
                                Claudia Frank @Samuel Cool
                                last edited by

                                @Samuel-Cool

                                Just to summarize what happened

                                Npp most likely version 7.4
                                Using no npp backup functionality and no plugins which do backup files at that time.
                                When pressing save all the entire current active file got erased, other files weren’t
                                affected although it might be that other files haven’t had any modification at that time.
                                Npp kept running - no crash or npp restart.

                                Correct?

                                Cheers
                                Claudia

                                Samuel CoolS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • Samuel CoolS
                                  Samuel Cool @Claudia Frank
                                  last edited by

                                  @Claudia-Frank Correct.

                                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • kingtlsK
                                    kingtls
                                    last edited by

                                    @Claudia, just to confirm I encountered the same just two days ago. I still have NPP open as I am still trying to find a way to see if there is any chance to recover my files (2x).

                                    I believe there are TWO issues here:

                                    1. npp sudden nulling / blanking of file(s) when there is nothing going on (was in the meeting, not using laptop at the time)
                                    2. backup mechanism not working

                                    here is my debug-info:

                                    Notepad++ v7.5.1 (64-bit)
                                    Build time : Aug 29 2017 - 02:38:44
                                    Path : C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe
                                    Admin mode : OFF
                                    Local Conf mode : OFF
                                    OS : Windows 7 (64-bit)
                                    Plugins : mimeTools.dll NppConverter.dll

                                    I had posted details info here:
                                    https://notepad-plus-plus.org/community/topic/15112/attempt-to-recover-files-after-npp-blank-2-files-after-error-missed-the-error-msg

                                    ps: @Allan, it is not a user’s fault

                                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                    • Gogo NeatzaG
                                      Gogo Neatza
                                      last edited by

                                      It seems to me that more people with “Local Conf mode : OFF”
                                      are having this kind of trouble than the others.

                                      Claudia FrankC 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                      • Claudia FrankC
                                        Claudia Frank @Gogo Neatza
                                        last edited by

                                        @Gogo-Neatza

                                        I assume this is because it is the default setting.
                                        But who knows.

                                        @kingtls

                                        So it seems there are three types of a similar issue.

                                        1. left file completely blank
                                        2. left file fill with null char
                                          but both happened with a crash of npp beforehand and
                                        3. left a file with blanks but npp kept running.

                                        Cheers
                                        Claudia

                                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • chcgC
                                          chcg
                                          last edited by

                                          See https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/issues/2883#issuecomment-360502864 might be interesting:

                                          After a Notepad++ crash with nullified file(mostly after save the file), you can try to restart notepad++! by executing the .exe directly. It comes up with a message that ‘another program changed your nullified file’ and it will ask to reload the file. DON’t reload (it is nullified in the original map) but after give your answer (DON’t reload) Notepad++ comes up with the nullified file: magical is not? Somewhere in memory it is keep alive!!
                                          Hopefully this saved other people some headaches!! It was for me.

                                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                                          • First post
                                            Last post
                                          The Community of users of the Notepad++ text editor.
                                          Powered by NodeBB | Contributors