NPP 8.4.8 Crashing

Jeronymite · Jan 17, 2023, 10:02 PM

Configuration
Notepad++ v8.4.8 (64-bit)
Build time : Dec 24 2022 - 19:40:27
Path : C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe
Command Line :
Admin mode : OFF
Local Conf mode : OFF
Cloud Config : OFF
OS Name : Windows 10 Pro (64-bit)
OS Version : 22H2
OS Build : 19045.2486
Current ANSI codepage : 1252
Plugins :
ComparePlugin (2.0.2)
CSScriptNpp (2.0.2)
DSpellCheck (1.4.24)
mimeTools (2.9)
NppConverter (4.5)
NppExport (0.4)
NppTextViz (0.4.2)
Remove Duplicate Lines (1.3)

Symptoms
The program crashes “unexpectedly”. Have not found a way to deliberately cause the crash. It can crash whilst actively being used, or if simply viewing a file (no user actions at all, not even mouse movement). Happens, on a rough estimate, 25% of invocations.

Crash Information from Event Viewer
There are always seven related entries in the Windows Logs for each crash. In entry order they are:

Error: .NET Runtime
Application: notepad++.exe
Framework Version: v4.0.30319
Description: The process was terminated due to an unhandled exception.
Exception Info: exception code c0000005, exception address 00007FF688223220
Stack:

Error: Application Error
Faulting application name: notepad++.exe, version: 8.4.8.0, time stamp: 0x63a747f8
Faulting module name: notepad++.exe, version: 8.4.8.0, time stamp: 0x63a747f8
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x0000000000203220
Faulting process ID: 0x3d30
Faulting application start time: 0x01d92abae1d2c064
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe
Report ID: d3c1aefa-7487-49ad-a26e-9f08cc7c9e82
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID:

Information: Windows Error Reporting
Fault bucket , type 0
Event Name: APPCRASH
Response: Not available
Cab Id: 0

Problem signature:
P1: notepad++.exe
P2: 8.4.8.0
P3: 63a747f8
P4: notepad++.exe
P5: 8.4.8.0
P6: 63a747f8
P7: c0000005
P8: 0000000000203220
P9:
P10:

Attached files:

These files may be available here:
\?\C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\ReportQueue\AppCrash_notepad++.exe_59fbbbc4bb91cd5fb211346c4af2ef95e29a46c_9e810f6d_c8918e66-544a-4794-afd6-c50453d6bea2

Analysis symbol:
Rechecking for solution: 0
Report Id: d3c1aefa-7487-49ad-a26e-9f08cc7c9e82
Report Status: 4
Hashed bucket:
Cab Guid: 0

Error: Application Error
Faulting application name: notepad++.exe, version: 8.4.8.0, time stamp: 0x63a747f8
Faulting module name: notepad++.exe, version: 8.4.8.0, time stamp: 0x63a747f8
Exception code: 0xc000041d
Fault offset: 0x0000000000203220
Faulting process ID: 0x3d30
Faulting application start time: 0x01d92abae1d2c064
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe
Report ID: 103f81ca-780a-45dd-9d40-ea27dd287987
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID:

Information: Windows Error Reporting
Fault bucket , type 0
Event Name: APPCRASH
Response: Not available
Cab Id: 0

Problem signature:
P1: notepad++.exe
P2: 8.4.8.0
P3: 63a747f8
P4: notepad++.exe
P5: 8.4.8.0
P6: 63a747f8
P7: c000041d
P8: 0000000000203220
P9:
P10:

Attached files:

These files may be available here:
\?\C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\ReportQueue\AppCrash_notepad++.exe_f4dff3338f37896d9c9afd456b7afe35ffbbd5_9e810f6d_b6d381e4-80cd-4c70-bf14-32aa3ca5d153

Analysis symbol:
Rechecking for solution: 0
Report Id: 103f81ca-780a-45dd-9d40-ea27dd287987
Report Status: 4
Hashed bucket:
Cab Guid: 0

Information: Windows Error Reporting
Fault bucket 2243199519783667494, type 4
Event Name: APPCRASH
Response: Not available
Cab Id: 0

Problem signature:
P1: notepad++.exe
P2: 8.4.8.0
P3: 63a747f8
P4: notepad++.exe
P5: 8.4.8.0
P6: 63a747f8
P7: c0000005
P8: 0000000000203220
P9:
P10:

Attached files:
\?\C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER2494.tmp.WERInternalMetadata.xml

These files may be available here:
\?\C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\ReportArchive\AppCrash_notepad++.exe_59fbbbc4bb91cd5fb211346c4af2ef95e29a46c_9e810f6d_c8918e66-544a-4794-afd6-c50453d6bea2

Analysis symbol:
Rechecking for solution: 0
Report Id: d3c1aefa-7487-49ad-a26e-9f08cc7c9e82
Report Status: 268435456
Hashed bucket: ce45605c3da16e0b8f21721409084726
Cab Guid: 0

Information: Windows Error Reporting
Fault bucket 1665371137703775720, type 4
Event Name: APPCRASH
Response: Not available
Cab Id: 0

Problem signature:
P1: notepad++.exe
P2: 8.4.8.0
P3: 63a747f8
P4: notepad++.exe
P5: 8.4.8.0
P6: 63a747f8
P7: c000041d
P8: 0000000000203220
P9:
P10:

Attached files:
\?\C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER2918.tmp.WERInternalMetadata.xml

These files may be available here:
\?\C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\ReportArchive\AppCrash_notepad++.exe_f4dff3338f37896d9c9afd456b7afe35ffbbd5_9e810f6d_b6d381e4-80cd-4c70-bf14-32aa3ca5d153

Analysis symbol:
Rechecking for solution: 0
Report Id: 103f81ca-780a-45dd-9d40-ea27dd287987
Report Status: 268435456
Hashed bucket: 2f1f16a5d1905e77971c9639ea058de8
Cab Guid: 0

The four Information: Windows Error Reporting entries are very similar, but probably differ mainly in the files noted.

Additional Comments

At first, I suspected a Plugin (NppTextViz), since using that Plugin is when I first noticed the crash. (I posted a report for that Plugin on Github.) But now, I see it happens “randomly” with no discernible cause or related activity.

Terry R · Jan 17, 2023, 10:17 PM

@Jeronymite

Consider downloading the exact same version as a “portable” installation. Install that (it is self contained so no contamination occurs from the existing installation), and also the same plugins. So you would try to replicate the existing installation, except the portable one does NOT interfere with the current installation.

Then use it in preference to the existing faulting one. It may provide some additional information to help with determining where the fault lies. If the portable one suffers about the same number of issues you would likely have an environmental issue (windows issue). If it does not, then consider your existing installation may have some corruption occurring.

Terry

Jeronymite · Jan 17, 2023, 10:27 PM

@Terry-R Thanks for that advice, Terry. Would it be reasonable, initially, to completely uninstall the current version and re-install to see if that resolves matters? Or is that unlikely to provide any benefit? I have re-installed without uninstalling first, but perhaps a “fresh start” is better?

Terry R · Jan 17, 2023, 10:34 PM

@Jeronymite said in NPP 8.4.8 Crashing:

Would it be reasonable, initially, to completely uninstall the current version and re-install to see if that resolves matters?

We normally suggest that as a last resort, mainly because anyone who has used NPP for a long time has invested in customising it to suit their ongoing needs. You lose those customisations when “completely” uninstalling, and if it wasn’t NPP’s fault you have just lost those without gaining any benefit. By “completely” I mean removing all folders (afterwards) and possibly even registry entries to guarantee a “completely clean” startup for the new installation. Hence why I suggested the portable version.

However my idea means you would spend possibly longer on testing to see which way the outcome might go.

Terry

PeterJones · Jan 17, 2023, 10:37 PM

@Jeronymite said in NPP 8.4.8 Crashing:

@Terry-R Thanks for that advice, Terry. Would it be reasonable, initially, to completely uninstall the current version and re-install to see if that resolves matters? Or is that unlikely to provide any benefit? I have re-installed without uninstalling first, but perhaps a “fresh start” is better?

Not yet. NppTextViz has not been updated to work with v8.4.8 (or other recent NPP versions) – and even if you don’t intentionally trigger an action in that plugin, it may be doing things behind-the-scenes when you run Notepad++. Even if it doesn’t always show that plugin in the Event Viewer crash reporter, that plugin is still suspect, IMO.

Disable that plugin by renaming its DLL and restarting Notepad++: I am betting that the crash will go away. If not, it might be one of the other plugins – you can try them one at a time, or run with -noPlugin option to run without any plugins active. (See the debugging hints in this FAQ)

Terry R · Jan 17, 2023, 10:43 PM

@PeterJones said in NPP 8.4.8 Crashing:

Not yet. NppTextViz has not been updated to work with v8.4.8 (or other recent NPP versions)

Ah, I suppose I should have checked those plugin versions. I took it for granted the OP’s statement it didn’t seem like it was a plugin issue.

Cheers
Terry

Alan Kilborn · Jan 17, 2023, 11:03 PM

@Jeronymite said in NPP 8.4.8 Crashing:

Error: .NET Runtime
Application: notepad++.exe
Framework Version: v4.0.30319
Description: The process was terminated due to an unhandled exception.
Exception Info: exception code c0000005, exception address 00007FF688223220
Stack:

The first error has to do with .Net Runtime, and Notepad++ itself doesn’t use this. I’d guess this points to a plugin that DOES use it?

Jeronymite · Jan 18, 2023, 12:40 AM

Thanks to all for good analysis and suggestions. I’ll take the route of removing the NppTextViz plugin and see how it goes. Appreciate the good support. Thanks!