Unable to launch Notepad++ versions 7.9.3 and 7.9.4

[k-kolev1985]

Hello,

I can install versions 7.9.3 and 7.9.4 of Notepad++, but I cannot launch them after the update. When I activate the shortcut on the desktop, it seams to be trying to launch it, but it fails. No error message or other window/dialog appears.

After doing some testing with removing additional plugins, it turned out that the “Save as admin” plugin is the cause for the failing launch. The version of the plugin is 1.0.195. I checked for plugin updates, but there were none.

I know that Notepad++ has its built-in mechanism to run as admin if it fails to save a file due to missing admin access, but the way it is designed now it prompts first, reloads the file as admin and then I need to again execute the save command. With the “Save as admin” plugin, I need to only answer with “Yes” on the UAC prompt and all else is done automatically.

That is why I like the “Save as admin” plugin. But if it no longer works with newer releases of Notepad++, I guess I’ll have to use the built-in feature. Or I guess I can contact the plugin’s developer and explain the problem to him. But I’m posting here as well, in case something can be done on Notepad++'s side of things. And I guess I can use v7.9.2 of Notepad++ as well for the time being.

If anyone knows a better solution - please let me know.

Thanks in advance!

[Ekopalypse]

See here.

[k-kolev1985]

OK, thanks.

Actually I downloaded the new version of the plugin from its GitHub repository. But now I’ve checked and the one in the “Plugins Admin…” is the same. It did not offer me to update it though to this newer version, so maybe something is not quite right with the plugins update mechanism in Notepad++, at least for this plugin (?).

[PeterJones]

@k-kolev1985 said in Unable to launch Notepad++ versions 7.9.3 and 7.9.4:

maybe something is not quite right with the plugins update mechanism in Notepad++, at least for this plugin (?).

I am not sure why you say that, or what you think could have been done better.

With the old version of the plugin installed, you could not open Notepad++ v7.9.3 or v7.9.4, so there was no way for the Plugins Admin to get to the point where you could check for an update on the plugin. By manually deleting the plugin, then running Notepad++ v7.9.4, the Plugins Admin would allow you to do a fresh install of the newest SaveAsAdmin plugin. Or, by manually deleting the old version, then manually installing the newest version, you could get the newest version of the SaveAsAdmin plugin. In neither of those two situations did the plugin update mechanism get a chance to be run. (And, BTW, that update mechanism involves you manually loading Plugins Admin, looking at the Updates tab, and choosing which Plugin(s) to update.)

There was no point in that uncommon sequence where either Notepad++ or the plugin could have done anything to smooth over the upgrade – the unanticipated crash was preventing either from executing their full code. In such a circumstance, manual intervention is the only option.

[k-kolev1985]

Exactly - I checked in the “Plugins Admin” in the “Updates” tab for new versions of the installed plugins and there was no information about a new version of the “Save as admin” plugin. And to clarify - I’ve done that while using the older version of the plugin and version 7.9.2 of Notepad++, which I could launch with no problems.

[PeterJones]

@k-kolev1985 said in Unable to launch Notepad++ versions 7.9.3 and 7.9.4:

there was no information about a new version of the “Save as admin” plugin. And to clarify - I’ve done that while using the older version of the plugin and version 7.9.2 of Notepad++, which I could launch with no problems.

That’s working as designed, then. You apparently didn’t know that Notepad++ (Plugins Admin) only updates its list of available plugin versions on each new Notepad++ release – it does not have a “live” list update (it was designed that way to avoid bandwidth and terms-of-service restrictions on file distribution – because Notepad++ is free software, it is relying on free services for distribution, and those have limitations; the bandwidth restriction is what effectively killed the old plugin manager which had “live” plugin-list updates). The way to get the list of new plugins versions available is to update Notepad++ itself to a new version.