The document (plain text file) in question is NOT opened by another app but it is cloned to a separate window.

if you are using notepad++ in multi instance with auto backup enabled, it is very important that you don’t open the same document in two notepad++ windows, as they are separate processes and neither one is aware of what has been done at the other window.

instead you should use only one notepad++ window and clone it to the second view:
right click on your document tab, and select clone to other view as seen at the screenshot below.

now both copies are using the same notepad++ process, and if you start typing, you will see that both, left and right copies, are synchronised without even saving them.

note: if you want to see the unsynced original statically, for comparison purposes, you can copy it’s content to a new document tab on the second view, so that you can have a look at it any time.

it is also recommended that you disable multi instance completely, if you often have to do this.
go to settings > preferences > multi-instance and set it to default (mono-instance) as seen at the screenshot below.

this way a document will always open as a tab at the existing notepad++ process.

The document (plain text file) in question is NOT opened by another app but it is cloned to a separate window.

I assume that both documents are synced.

I think this is a bug.

Thanks.

which file have you been editing ?

could it be, that you are editing a file that is in use by another application, which conserves the “old” content of it’s file in memory, so every time it writes something back to disk, it will not re-read the changed contents and save the old version plus it’s own changes to that file ?

in the case above you will always see that notepad++ notices that a document has been changed, and on reload, it will open the file which now only contains the changes the concerning application has done.

in this case, if you see the message “the the document has been updated” i suggest you not to reload it, find and quit the application or service that is using this file, and then save “your” version of it again from notepad++.

I’m having the same problem and it’s been happening over the last three versions of Notepad++.

What happens in my case is after updating my document and save and then move to

another app and return to Notepad++ I get a dialog saying the the document has been updated.

Many times when the dialog appears I find that the text I entered has disappeared.

I’m now looking for an alternative editor because I’ve just had enough of loosing data.

I normally work with split windows and cloning the document in question.

Hope my feedback helps.

OS: Windows 10
Notepad++: 7.6.2

we need more information, and a detailed step by step list of what lead to the “not saving” experience you had.
this is necessary to try to reproduce your request, so we can evaluate if we are able to help you.

please also read and follow the community guide: >>> FAQ Desk: Request for Help without sufficient information to help you <<<.