How to update the portable version?

[Michael DiGregorio]

Can someone please tell me how to update my portable version of NPP? I used to be able to just unzip the new version over my current version (except for the shortcuts.xml), and all would be fine. But the last few updates, every time I do that, all my settings are wiped. Is there an easier way to update the portable version? Thanks.

[PeterJones]

Any xml you overwrite has the potential to reset settings, not just shortcuts.xml. This has always been true.

[Meta Chuh]

@Michael-DiGregorio

the current and “last few” portable versions of notepad++ contain an old config.xml, dated to 2018.12.25 18:16.

if you update your portable version, please do not extract it directly to your portable folder.

extract it to a temporary location instead, e.g. your desktop, and copy everything from there to your portable folder except config.xml and shortcuts.xml

[Michael DiGregorio]

Thanks for the replies.

I’ve done as Meta Chuh suggested and copied everything except config.xml and shortcuts.xml. My settings have been retained.

Very much appreciated. :-)

[László Botka]

Maybe the update could contain these two files with other names, and notepadd++ rename or copy them if needed.

[Alan Kilborn]

@László-Botka

I think you miss the point.

[László Botka]

I do that, and it works. What is the point?

[Alan Kilborn]

@László-Botka

When you said, “Maybe the update could contain these two files with other names, and notepadd++ rename or copy them if needed.”

The point of the portable version is that it doesn’t do this. It isn’t wanted or needed.

[László Botka]

As
@Meta-Chuh said:

@Michael-DiGregorio

extract it to a temporary location instead, e.g. your desktop, and copy everything from there to your portable folder except config.xml and shortcuts.xml

I’ve been doing this since several releases.
I thought the update could contain these files named as for example config-initial.xml and shortcuts-initial.xml, so, if the user copy the update files, the two files remain unchanged. Notepad++ could use these -initial files to create the config.xml and shortcuts.xml, if they don’t exist .

[Adriano Ellero]

Actually I have been using NPP 7.6.3 32bit version (ZIP file).
Today I have downloaded latest version of NPP (7.6.4) 64bit version today through ZIP file extraction.
I have found out that the settings in windows 10 are stored in user directory: C:\Users\userNAME\AppData\Roaming\Notepad++ , while I have installed all NPP versions in different folders: C:\Program Files for 64bit programs, and C:\Program Files (x86) for 32bit programs.
Opening for the first time the new release, all settings have been kept as before.
The only trouble is depending on the fact that not all plug-ins are suitable for 64bit version.

[Meta Chuh]

@László-Botka

Notepad++ could use these -initial files to create the config.xml and shortcuts.xml, if they don’t exist .

yes, good idea.
the config.xml does not have to be distributed at all.
a default config.xml will be created automatically by notepad++ on startup, if it does not exist.

all four portable versions, both zip and 7z, both x64 and x86, currently contain an old config.xml, dated to 2018.12.25 18:16.
i have already requested the removal of config.xml from the portable versions.
let’s see if it will be removed in the future.

note:
the minimalist 7z packages (x86/x64) do not contain a config.xml physical file and will create one if it does not exist.
but it does contain a shortcuts.xml (see reasons below).
the minimalist 7z packages are currently the best choice, if you just want to update your existing notepad++ core files.

regarding shortcuts.xml, this would be more difficult to handle, as notepad++ does not create one if it’s missing, like a missing config.xml, and currently it does also not create one from a shortcuts.master.xml template file.

ps:

just in case anyone likes, or wants to use this feature:
you can make a copy of your favourite config.xml at the same location, and rename your copy to config.master.xml.

if you would now accidentally overwrite it with a config from a newer portable release, just delete the config.xml and notepad++ will create a new one, with all settings of your config.master.xml template, instead of using default settings.

[Meta Chuh]

@Adriano-Ellero

I have found out that the settings in windows 10 are stored in user directory: C:\Users\userNAME\AppData\Roaming\Notepad++ , while I have installed all NPP versions in different folders: C:\Program Files for 64bit programs, and C:\Program Files (x86) for 32bit programs.

yes, this is the default behaviour.

as soon as you put a portable version to either %ProgramFiles%, or %ProgramFiles(x86)%, it will automatically switch to installed mode and use %AppData%\Notepad++.
any existing doLocalConf.xml will be ignored.

The only trouble is depending on the fact that not all plug-ins are suitable for 64bit version.

if you want to use both x64 and x86 versions on your system, and you want to avoid, that both save their configurations and plugin settings to the same %AppData%\Notepad++ location for both:
you have to move one or both of your portable versions to any location which is not inside of your C:\Program Files, or C:\Program Files (x86) folders.
examples C:\PortableApps\Notepad++ x64 or C:\PortableApps\Notepad++

[László Botka]

@Meta Chuh

Thank you for your comprehensive explanation.

[rddim]

I have created a *.bat file for my needs, but here is it for some *.xml files:

1. It will create a folder named !BackUp in the directory that the *.bat file lives, i.e. you must place it in the N++ root folder.
2. It will backup the config.xml, contextMenu.xml, shortcuts.xml and userDefineLang.xml at the !BackUp folder.
3. Run the *.bat file and do NOT close the window
4. Make your N++ update and AFTER that press any key to continue to restore the files from !Backup folder
5. Press any key to exit…

@echo off
title Backup Notepad++ Files
echo.
echo Create backup for Notepad++ settings files
echo.
cd /d %~dp0
MD "!BackUp"
for %%f in (config.xml, contextMenu.xml, shortcuts.xml, userDefineLang.xml) do copy "%~dp0\%%f" "!Backup\"
echo.
echo Please do NOT close this window until you make your Notepad++ updates
echo.
echo Press any key AFTER the update - to restore the backup files
echo.
pause
echo.
cd !BackUp
copy *.xml "%~dp0"
echo.
pause

I don’t pretend for a good syntax, but it do the job for me. Also my english is not so better, so please excuse me. You can adapt the code for your needs.

[krwudtke]

@Meta-Chuh
Regarding your suggestion to update the portable version by using the minimalist package.

Do files not contained in the minimalist package but in the full zipped files sometimes get updated? Is there a different way to update them?

I had another piece of software (OGCS) that I tried updating by unzipping the entire new package to my existing install folder. The update, or some part of it, completely stopped the program from even starting. I know there were other DLL files that had been updated in that package, so it could have been one of them.

I don’t want the same thing to happen to NP++, so the minimalist package sounds the safest. But if other files are being updated at times, especially other DLLs, due to security issues or bugs found in them, I would want to make sure they are updated, too. I’m guessing that everything in the plugins folder should be updated by the plugins admin updater. The updater folder also has some DLLs in it. Although I guess if I don’t use the updater, it doesn’t really matter, unless the same files are used to update the plugins.

[Вася Тарарин]

Hello! I have some problem while update portable Npp

Its my old version and list of installed plugins:

After update Npp(just copy all but config.xml, contextMenu.xml, shortcuts.xml, from ZIP )

I have next “picture”

And… then I try to install plugins with Plugins Admin, its give me this notification:

close Npp, and… nothing.
Npp not restart.
And plugin NOT add`s to my Npp.
Any help?
Maybe should I update first with more old version?
Thanks!

[PeterJones]

@Вася-Тарарин ,

Thanks for the screenshots. The ? > About Notepad++ is helpful, but even more so would be ? > Debug Info, right next to it.

If you open the Open Plugins Folder…, what is contained in that folder?

For example, I did a fresh 7.8.5 32bit unzip,

Notepad++ v7.8.5   (32-bit)
Build time : Mar  4 2020 - 11:04:20
Path : C:\usr\local\apps\npp\npp.7.8.5.bin\notepad++.exe
Admin mode : OFF
Local Conf mode : ON
OS Name : Windows 10 Home (64-bit) 
OS Version : 1903
OS Build : 18362.720
Plugins : mimeTools.dll NppConverter.dll NppExport.dll 

Open Plugins Folder shows:

I then install NppFTP. I get that similar dialog, which I say OK to. It exits then automatically re-runs Notepad++. I now have NppFTP installed:

confirmed by the Debug Info:

Notepad++ v7.8.5   (32-bit)
Build time : Mar  4 2020 - 11:04:20
Path : C:\usr\local\apps\npp\npp.7.8.5.bin\notepad++.exe
Admin mode : OFF
Local Conf mode : ON
OS Name : Windows 10 Home (64-bit) 
OS Version : 1903
OS Build : 18362.720
Plugins : mimeTools.dll NppConverter.dll NppExport.dll NppFTP.dll 

And in the directory listing for the Open Plugins Directory:

[Вася Тарарин]

@PeterJones, Thanks for try to help, and just in case, excuse me for my english.
ок…
Its debug info(before update) #1

Notepad++ v7.5.1   (32-bit)
Build time : Aug 29 2017 - 02:35:41
Path : D:\taravasya\Soft\PSoft\NP++\notepad++.exe
Admin mode : ON
Local Conf mode : ON
OS : Windows 10 (64-bit)
Plugins : dbgpPlugin.dll HexEditor.dll JSMinNPP.dll mimeTools.dll NppConverter.dll NppExport.dll NppFTP.dll PluginManager.dll XMLTools.dll

And this is plugin/folder

======================
This is just unzipped version #2:

Notepad++ v7.8.5   (32-bit)
Build time : Mar  4 2020 - 11:04:20
Path : D:\Temp\106\npp.7.8.5.bin\notepad++.exe
Admin mode : ON
Local Conf mode : ON
OS Name : Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019 (64-bit) 
OS Version : 1809
OS Build : 17763.1098
Plugins : mimeTools.dll NppConverter.dll NppExport.dll

and this plugin folder:

======================

And finally updated(copy all files/folders but config.xml, contextMenu.xml, shortcuts.xml) version #3:

Notepad++ v7.8.5   (32-bit)
Build time : Mar  4 2020 - 11:04:20
Path : D:\taravasya\Soft\PSoft\NP++\notepad++.exe
Admin mode : ON
Local Conf mode : ON
OS Name : Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019 (64-bit) 
OS Version : 1809
OS Build : 17763.1098
Plugins : mimeTools.dll NppConverter.dll NppExport.dll

[PeterJones]

@Вася-Тарарин ,

Those help debug the problem. Before, I thought you were using the Plugins Admin entry from the Plugins menu to install the plugins:

but since you said,

And finally updated(copy all files/folders but config.xml, contextMenu.xml, shortcuts.xml) version #3:

The problem is that between your old version (v7.5.1) and the new version (v7.8.5), the plugin structure changed. DLLs no longer go directly in the plugins folder: they each go in a subfolder with the same name as the DLL. I have modified your picture for the first few plugins, but you’ll have to do the structure for all 9 (actually 8: see below) of the plugins you showed, with the newly-created folders in red:

The 8 vs 9: do not install PluginManager.dll. It is incompatible with Notepad++ v7.6 and newer. Since Notepad++ v7.6.3, there has been a fully-functional Plugins Admin (shown in the English menu screenshot, above) built into the Notepad++ executable, and you no longer need the old PluginManager.dll to manage plugins, and if you try managing plugins with PluginManager, they will not be properly installed in your Notepad++ v7.8.5.

[Вася Тарарин]

@PeterJones, thanks a lot!
I have now all my favorite plugins worked.
About PluginManager/Plugins Admin. At this moment, I removed PluginManager.dll from plugins folder. But as before(after failed update), and as now(after successful update and remove PluginManager.dll) I used Plugins Admin for managing plugins anyway. And… as before, as now, i`m steel cant install any update of plugins or install new plugin, because of NPP dont restart, but just closing if i try install/update plugin.