Name one other application

Dude, you are seriously not understanding. Let me try one more time: Applications need something that sets them apart from other similar programs. For many many people and Notepad++, a core one of these things is the ability to exit with unsaved files. It makes no difference that other applications don’t do this. Since when do you have to be like the crowd to be correct/innovative?

Again, I don’t use the feature. But I understand.

@Sunil-Gupta said:

Not really, just people set in their ways. ;)

Really? Name one other application that behaves this way.

My only issue is that this feature is enabled by default.

Yes, probably because it was there in version 1.0 of Notepad++ (I don’t know, I wasn’t using it then!) and the masses of users fell in love with it. Thus it became a killer-app feature. (Again, NOT for me, NOT for Peter, and not for YOU).

Sometimes people get wound up about features on or off by default. Well, you aren’t going to make everyone happy. The N++ developer chose a default (for all preferenced features) in the beginning, and rarely changes his mind later.

A edits a file, closes NP++ without saving and then user B comes along and edits the same file…

Oh, yea, for sure this will cause trouble…but only if people don’t fully understand what Notepad++ is doing. If you have a lot of users of N++ at your site, and some are, let’s say, computer novices…or others can never seem to learn how N++ works in this regard (after repeated explanation), then yea, 100% agree make sure this feature is off for them and that they don’t mess with it. Of course, getting burned by it may be the best teacher, so…

This seems antithetical to everything anyone who manages or uses computers knows.

Not really, just people set in their ways. ;)

And the Notepad++ developer has provided the option…That’s one of the best things about Notepad++

100% agree. I’ll reiterate how much I appreciate this program and the people behind it.

My only issue is that this feature is enabled by default.

With all due respect, this just baffles me.

It baffles a lot of the people here, too, including me. But there are people who use that feature – and even love it. Alan wasn’t saying he finds that a killer feature, he was just pointing out there are people who do.

And the Notepad++ developer has provided the option, so that people who fall in either camp can configure notepad++ to their liking. That’s one of the best things about Notepad++. If you don’t like the “default” configuration, change it to your liking. It has been explained above how to make the change, and then even deploy that change to other users.

being able to exit with unsaved changes is a killer-app N++ feature,

With all due respect, this just baffles me. This seems antithetical to everything anyone who manages or uses computers knows. Having files in an inconsistent state is bad. Let’s say user A edits a file, closes NP++ without saving and then user B comes along and edits the same file… User A’s changes are now invalid or, worse yet, User A comes along, opens NP++, writes his changes (finally) and now user B’s changes are gone.

I’m not sure if file OS locks are used when NP++ has a file “open but not saved”, but I doubt it.

@Meta-Chuh said:

if an op does not mind a procrastination of the original target, it’s ok.

I’m ok with the discussion - I’m learning things.

Why not?

good question, as it seems fun to read.
i suppose, if an op does not mind a procrastination of the original target, it’s ok.

do not engage on debates of principles.

Why not?

OK, here are the choices:

X Remember current session for next launch
X Enable session snapshot and periodic backup
What it means: N++ will remember the file set you have open for next time, and it will let you quit then current run with modified but unsaved files.

X Remember current session for next launch
_ Enable session snapshot and periodic backup
What it means: N++ will remember the file set you have open for next time and will NOT let you quit the current run with modified but unsaved files (you will be prompted to save any that are unsaved)

_ Remember current session for next launch
_ Enable session snapshot and periodic backup
What it means: N++ will open next time with only 1 tab (named “new 1”) and will NOT let you quit the current run with modified but unsaved files (you will be prompted to save any that are unsaved)

_ Remember current session for next launch
X Enable session snapshot and periodic backup
Not a possible combination

Note that in the above I did not elaborate on the periodic backup part. That’s already covered well here and also here.

So the OP’s main complaint seems to be being allowed to exit Notepad++ with modified but unsaved files. Well, fine, if you don’t like that (I don’t like that), then just select an option-set that prevents it. But don’t confuse it with the feature in the title of this thread, specifically remembering which files were open at the last exit (which as I’ve already stated, I like).

So the OP said:

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve hit the X button instinctively expecting the usual “Do you want to save?” that virtually every other program on the planet gives.

the really annoying fact that when I open NP++ … it opens and has files I edited 2-3 days … ago!

Based upon this, the selection should be:

_ Remember current session for next launch
_ Enable session snapshot and periodic backup

So a full understanding of the settings seemed to be a problem, hopefully that is cleared up now. But the real problem is apparently distribution of common settings, which @Meta-Chuh has covered in an earlier post. But why do you think everybody in your organization thinks the way you do? I’d say leave these settings at their defaults and let the individuals decide for themselves how they want to work. For a lot of people, being able to exit with unsaved changes is a killer-app N++ feature, as is remembering what was open.

@Sunil-Gupta

please focus on your original needs, like: “Is there any way to have a “build” or config file when installing to turn this off by default? I use ninite free to install NP++.”

do not engage on debates of principles.

Point taken; however, note that I was asked “I am curious how that setting has messed things up for you.”, so I answered.

Thanks all for the help!

please focus on your original needs, like: “Is there any way to have a “build” or config file when installing to turn this off by default? I use ninite free to install NP++.”

do not engage on debates of principles.

many thanks and best regards.

You are combining your complaints about TWO features into ONE as if they are one feature. Read back through this thread (all the info is there), get your facts straight, and then decide what you really want to complain about.

@Sunil-Gupta said:

“Remember Current Session”… it has screwed me several times.

I am curious how that setting has messed things up for you.

I suppose it depends on how you (I) use it. On my own laptop and desktop I edit a lot of perl and powershell scripts… I can sort of see how this feature would be useful (PC crash or logout for example) but after 30+ years using computers it’s burned in my brain never to leave unsaved files open and to save often.

However, most if the time I am using it to setup some config file, make changes, tweaks etc to INI files for example. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve hit the X button instinctively expecting the usual “Do you want to save?” that virtually every other program on the planet gives. Most of the time I catch it but there have been times in the heat of the moment that I assume it’s changed, tell some user something is fixed and then get a “WTF” call from the user when there is no change.

And then there’s the really annoying fact that when I open NP++ to edit a single file (99% of the time using the right-click context menu) it opens and has files I edited 2-3 days, weeks, years ago!

More and more I think about it, the more annoying this “feature” is :)

like I’m going to remember to do that every time I exit Notepad++.

Right…but it is an option!

99.5% of the time I work on a bunch of things at one time (for which Remember Current Session is perfect), but when I need to go to a meeting for a certain project, I do a Save Session on my “bunch”, then I close all file tabs that aren’t relevant to the meeting’s project. During the meeting I can focus exclusively on relevant files, and if I have to present my screen the attendees don’t see a bunch of odd files mixed in. Returning to normal work I can Load Session on my bigger bunch of files, and go back to work as usual. I find this a better way to work than maintaining one session file per project on a continuing basis.

I must be honest and admit I haven’t looked into Folder as workspace or any other session/project management features…

…or doing File -> Load Session… after previously having done a File -> Save Session…

Yeah, like I’m going to remember to do that every time I exit Notepad++. :-)

without my having to go to 1 ≤ n ≤ N directories to individually open those files again

…or doing File -> Load Session… after previously having done a File -> Save Session…

I am curious how that setting has messed things up for you

I second that.

“Remember Current Session”… it has screwed me several times.

I am curious how that setting has messed things up for you. I can understand the second setting in that dialog (Enable session snapshot and periodic backup) being problematic, as that encourages dangerous behavior (not proactively saving) and has led to data loss in the past (as documented frequently in these forums). But Remember Current Session just keeps track of the files that were open the last time you closed Notepad++, and re-opens them. Agreeing with @Alan-Kilborn, every time I start Notepad++, and it opens the N files I was most recently editing at last exit/reboot, without my having to go to 1 ≤ n ≤ N directories to individually open those files again, I am thankful for Remember Current Session.

“Remember Current Session” - like or dislike?

LIKE!

In fact, I couldn’t live without this feature. The only dumb thing about it is that it is found in the “Backup” section of the Preferences.

I wonder how many others find this feature being on by default to be annoying?

Well, I certainly don’t find it annoying!

Is there any way to have a “build” or config file when installing to turn this off by default? I use ninite free to install NP++.

yes.

• create your favourite notepad++ configuration, by making your notepad++ settings at one of your existing machines.
• copy %AppData%\Notepad++\config.xml to any deployment folder of your choice.
• rename it to config.model.xml.
• deploy it to every notepad++ program folder (the folder where notepad++.exe is located) on every fresh ninite deployment.

once a config.model.xml is present at the program folder, notepad++ will use this as a template when creating a new %AppData%\Notepad++\config.xml, for each user on first run.

best regards.