Notepad++ 8.4.4.0 64-bit, instant crash. Windows 10

[Dean-Ryan Stone]

Notepad++ has always worked flawlessly for me, for years, on multiple machines and multiple versions of Windows.

Today when I try to start up the app, it does not start at all.

Event Viewer shows the following:

Faulting application name: notepad++.exe, version: 8.4.4.0, time stamp: 0x62d18e06
Faulting module name: notepad++.exe, version: 8.4.4.0, time stamp: 0x62d18e06
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x00000000001812e3
Faulting process id: 0x7a44
Faulting application start time: 0x01d8a123ba529462
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe
Report Id: d375751e-fa95-472c-baff-e29f701fbbd2
Faulting package full name: 
Faulting package-relative application ID:

I have tried with -noplugin, -noplugins and -nosession. The same thing occurs each time.

Windows details:

Edition	Windows 10 Enterprise
Version	21H1
Installed on	‎12/‎29/‎2020
OS build	19043.1806
Experience	Windows Feature Experience Pack 120.2212.4180.0

Any next steps I can take to troubleshoot?

Cheers
Dhry

Edit: Uninstalled and reinstalled, same thing happens.

[PeterJones]

@Dean-Ryan-Stone ,

I have tried with -noplugin, -noplugins and -nosession.

Your debug steps were on the right track, but it’s spelled -noPlugin, not -noplugin. Command line arguments are case sensitive.

We have a FAQ on debugging crashes/freezes/unexpected errors, and running without plugins is one of the steps.

[Dean-Ryan Stone]

@PeterJones Thanks Peter. I tried with -noPlugin, same thing happened.

However - I just uninstalled and installed NPP 8.4.1. It ran fine! Updated to 8.4.4 and it once again failed.

Now downloading 8.4.3 and 8.4.2 to see if either of those run so I can pinpoint a potential defect and tie it to a version.

Dhry

Edit: 8.4.2 and 8.4.3 both do not work. Last version that works for me is 8.4.1.

[Dean-Ryan Stone]

Portable NPP 8.4.4 works fine.

Debug info in case it helps:

Notepad++ v8.4.4   (64-bit)
Build time : Jul 15 2022 - 17:54:42
Path : U:\PortableNPP\notepad++.exe
Command Line : 
Admin mode : ON
Local Conf mode : ON
Cloud Config : OFF
OS Name : Windows 10 Enterprise (64-bit) 
OS Version : 21H1
OS Build : 19043.1806
Current ANSI codepage : 1252
Plugins : 
    mimeTools (2.8)
    NppConverter (4.4)
    NppExport (0.4)

[Ekopalypse]

@Dean-Ryan-Stone

If the portable version works but the installed one doesn’t, then I have a hunch that the configuration was somehow corrupted as far as >=8.4.2 is concerned, but not the versions before that. Maybe rename the %APPDATA%\notepad++ directory and try again?

[Dean-Ryan Stone]

@Ekopalypse Interesting.

So I did that - renamed the Appdata folder to \Notepad++ old.
Sure enough, 8.4.4 non-portable started up fine with default settings. So something in my startup was corrupt.
I then exited NPP and tried to rename the folder back. BUT Notepad++ had created a new APPDATA\Notepad++ folder so Windows then tried to merge files and this and that. I aborted that but I think it merged a few things here and there, not sure.

So NOW, 8.4.4 non-portable starts up fine.
But I am now seeing a console window at the bottom from the NPP_EXEC plugin and the data in that window says:

NPP_EXEC: "reduceLineHeight"
; executing: NPP_EXEC "reduceLineHeight"
- can not open specified file or it is empty
================ READY ================

And I now remember that I was using that feature to reduce the line height in NPP more than what is already available in Style Configurator, and it was working fine. For the life of me I can’t remember how I did that in NPP_EXEC or where the webpage was where I followed instructions to do this. I THINK that I was using NPP_EXEC to pass some sort of Scintilla parameter in to control the line height, maybe the script is now gone because of my weird merge/rename of folders.

[Ekopalypse]

@Dean-Ryan-Stone

it should be still there, look for a NppExec.ini in the %APPDATA%\renamed_npp\config directory.
As well as for npes_* files. I’m not sure where this was saved.

[Ekopalypse]

@Dean-Ryan-Stone

If it is about this spacing (the red area)

then calls like

================ READY ================
sci_sendmsg SCI_SETEXTRAASCENT 5
================ READY ================
sci_sendmsg SCI_SETEXTRAASCENT -5
================ READY ================

do increase or decrease it. See here for more information which call does what.

[Dean-Ryan Stone]

@Ekopalypse I still have the nppExec.ini file. These are the contents:

[Console]
Visible=0
ShowHelp=0
Encoding=17
SaveOnExecute=0
CmdHistory=1
SaveCmdHistory=1
NoInternalMsgs=0
Font=F0F(6)0(18)90010(D)3020102480065006C0076006500740069006300610020004E0065007500650(4A)
TextColorNormal=0(6)
TextColorError=A01010
TextColorMessage=208020
BackgroundColor=00
PrintMsgReady=1
[Options]
ScriptNppStart="reduceLineHeight"
[Restore]
LastSelectedScript=1

But for the ScriptNppStart=“reduceLineHeight” line - does this not mean to run a script of some sort?

I’m guessing the problem here is that the Scintilla component was updated in recent versions of NPP - which broke NPP_EXEC when trying to call some sort of Scintilla feature which changes the line height. (edit: I just read your reply and yep, that sounds familiar).

That being said, I just found and installed the ExtSettings plugin which gives a nice GUI with options to reduce the height. I just tried it and it works fine. I’m a bit OCD when it comes to line height, don’t ask me why! I’ll delete the NPP_EXEC plugin and just use ExtSettings going forward since that’s really the only remaining thing I need to tweak about NPP. Beyond that it’s perfect.

Dhry

[Ekopalypse]

@Dean-Ryan-Stone said in Notepad++ 8.4.4.0 64-bit, instant crash. Windows 10:

I’m a bit OCD when

Me too, but I do it the other way around - I have to increase it to feel comfortable with it. :-D

But for the ScriptNppStart=“reduceLineHeight” line - does this not mean to run a script of some sort?

No or maybe YES , I think this means that a NppExec Script, the ones which are stored when using the dialog is executed.

[PeterJones]

@Dean-Ryan-Stone said in Notepad++ 8.4.4.0 64-bit, instant crash. Windows 10:

I still have the nppExec.ini file

The npes_saved.txt from that same directory is actually the file that houses the scripts.

But for the ScriptNppStart=“reduceLineHeight” line - does this not mean to run a script of some sort?

It means that when the plugin starts, it will run the reduceLineHeight script which will be the script starting with ::reduceLineHeight in the npes_saved.txt (which you can edit in the GUI through Plugins > NppExec > Execute NppExec Script… and selecting reduceLineHeight from the dropdown).

[Dean-Ryan Stone]

@PeterJones I had that file in the folder, but it was empty.
Because I’m paranoid enough to backup my APPDATA folder to multiple locations local as well as on NAS, I found the older file and just copied back in the contents into the empty file.

Now I see the following when going to execute NPPExec Script:

Notepad++ 8.4.4 non-portable now starts up without error/console. Hooray!

Because I’m also using ExtSettings to modify the ascent/descent settings I’m probably doubling up on things but hey.

For the life of me I don’t know the original reason that NPP was failing to start, but for right now it’s working great and I’m happy.

Thank you both for your wisdom and assistance!

Regards
Dhry