Transfer temp 'new' files from old system to new system

GFS Invest

Sometimes I have NotePad++ open with several ‘new’ tabs containing information for later reference. I recently got a new system and would like to transfer these ‘new’ files from the old system to the new system. I have already done that and placed the files on the new system in the NotePad++ backup folder … C:\Users\GeraldSchwesinger\AppData\Roaming\Notepad++\backup\ …
On my old system, these files would be retained when I exit and restart NotePad++. When I start up NotePad++ on my new system, the temp ‘new’ are not being opened. There must be something else I need to do?

Alan Kilborn

@GFS-Invest said in Transfer temp ‘new’ files from old system to new system:

several ‘new’ tabs

Several as in dozens or hundreds?

If you’re talking about only a few, open the first file in Notepad++ and Select All (Ctrl+a) and Copy (Ctrl+c) and then create a new document with (Ctrl+n) and Paste (Ctrl+v) there. Then close the old first file. Repeat the technique for other files.

In other words, don’t dink around with these at the file-system level, trying to get N++ to accept the files as created on the old system. Just recreate the data in tabs known to the new system and let N++ manage them from there.

ADDENDUM: The way you’ve chosen to operate is dangerous if you care at all about this data. The need to put it on the new system in this manner indicates that you do care about it. So, you really should get this data into real saved files (i.e., NOT “new 2”, “new 4” etc.). You’ve been warned; good luck.

GFS Invest

@Alan-Kilborn Thank you for your reply. To be exact, there are 8 temp files of data with potential future reference and/or use. I understand your comments about saving. Data is not critical. Just keeping around until I need it again and then most likely will delete. Just thought there was a way these temp files would be viewed the same way as on the old system.

PeterJones

@GFS-Invest said in Transfer temp ‘new’ files from old system to new system:

When I start up NotePad++ on my new system, the temp ‘new’ are not being opened.

To give some color as to why: Notepad++ doesn’t just look at the backup folder and load all of those files; instead, it has a session file, which tells it how many unsaved files are currently open, and which temporary backup file each of those unsaved files maps to.

While Notepad++ doesn’t do that, you can use a scripting language of some sort to do it. For example, here I published a solution that works with the PythonScript plugin: it will scan through your backup directory, and add a file to the current session for each file in that directory.

But as Alan says, with only a handful of files (and 8 is easily within those bounds), don’t bother with that script: just manually copy the data from those into new file(s).

And I second his encouragement to use known-location saved files. I always have a file open at work that is Peter's Scratchpad: it’s where I put in my “temporary” stuff, which I may delete from at a moment’s notice, but is always saved, so the “temporary” data can persist for seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, or years. (Yes, I do have stuff in there for years – it’s where I keep my list of unicode checkboxes and arrows that I frequently use and want to be able to easily copy/paste into other documents or into forums like this → ☑.)