Help finding search results panel

[Tim Jacob]

It’s always worked before. This is only since upgrading to NPP v 8.6, so I assumed that was the problem. Apparently not.

I have read the Cannot find my panel FAQ, and followed all the advice:

• Checked for tiny docked windows
• Tried to move it in case it was off screen
• Manually replaced the section in config.xml

Here is the portion of config.xml

        <GUIConfig name="DockingManager" leftWidth="200" rightWidth="260" topHeight="200" bottomHeight="139">
            <FloatingWindow cont="4" x="473" y="132" width="1748" height="920" />
            <PluginDlg pluginName="Notepad++::InternalFunction" id="44084" curr="1" prev="4" isVisible="yes" />
            <PluginDlg pluginName="Notepad++::InternalFunction" id="44070" curr="0" prev="-1" isVisible="no" />
            <PluginDlg pluginName="Notepad++::InternalFunction" id="42051" curr="1" prev="-1" isVisible="no" />
            <PluginDlg pluginName="Notepad++::InternalFunction" id="44080" curr="1" prev="4" isVisible="no" />
            <PluginDlg pluginName="NppExec.dll" id="5" curr="3" prev="-1" isVisible="no" />
            <PluginDlg pluginName="Notepad++::InternalFunction" id="0" curr="5" prev="2" isVisible="no" />
            <PluginDlg pluginName="ComparePlus.dll" id="26" curr="1" prev="-1" isVisible="no" />
            <PluginDlg pluginName="ComparePlugin.dll" id="11" curr="1" prev="-1" isVisible="no" />
            <PluginDlg pluginName="BookmarksDook.dll" id="0" curr="3" prev="-1" isVisible="yes" />
            <PluginDlg pluginName="NppExec.dll" id="2" curr="3" prev="-1" isVisible="no" />
            <PluginDlg pluginName="Notepad++::InternalFunction" id="44081" curr="0" prev="-1" isVisible="no" />
            <PluginDlg pluginName="Npp Xml Treview" id="0" curr="1" prev="-1" isVisible="yes" />
            <PluginDlg pluginName="Notepad++::InternalFunction" id="44085" curr="0" prev="-1" isVisible="no" />
            <PluginDlg pluginName="dummy" id="0" curr="5" prev="2" isVisible="no" />
            <PluginDlg pluginName="NPPJSONViewer-win32.dll" id="0" curr="0" prev="-1" isVisible="no" />
            <PluginDlg pluginName="AnalysePlugin.dll" id="3001" curr="1" prev="-1" isVisible="no" />
            <PluginDlg pluginName="AnalysePlugin.dll" id="3005" curr="3" prev="-1" isVisible="yes" />
            <PluginDlg pluginName="ComparePlugin.dll" id="9" curr="1" prev="-1" isVisible="no" />
            <PluginDlg pluginName="LocationNavigate.dll" id="4" curr="1" prev="-1" isVisible="no" />
            <ActiveTabs cont="0" activeTab="-1" />
            <ActiveTabs cont="1" activeTab="0" />
            <ActiveTabs cont="2" activeTab="-1" />
            <ActiveTabs cont="3" activeTab="-1" />
            <ActiveTabs cont="4" activeTab="-1" />
        </GUIConfig>

Debug Info:

Notepad++ v8.6   (64-bit)
Build time : Nov 23 2023 - 16:58:44
Path : C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe
Command Line : "C:\Users\tim.jacob\AppData\Roaming\Notepad++\config.xml" 
Admin mode : OFF
Local Conf mode : OFF
Cloud Config : OFF
OS Name : Windows 11 Pro (64-bit)
OS Version : 22H2
OS Build : 22621.2715
Current ANSI codepage : 1252
Plugins : 
    ComparePlus (1.1)
    HexEditor (0.9.12)
    LanguageHelp (1.7.5)
    mimeTools (2.9)
    NppConverter (4.5)
    NppExec (0.8.4)
    NppExport (0.4)

Find Dialog:

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks

moderator note: this was a follow-on to @alan-kilborn requesting that it get moved from the annoucement thread to here.

[PeterJones]

@Tim-Jacob ,

Is the portion of config.xml what was in the file before you manually replaced the section, or after? Did you remember to restart after doing the config.xml edit? Because that resets the positions of all the docked and undocked sub-windows, so it should have been reset after that, and it should have been back in its default docked location of the lower panel.

addenda: By the way, I did notice you said,

I have read the Cannot find my panel FAQ, and followed all the advice

Thank you so much for actually reading the FAQ, and for trying to follow its instructions. That’s a rare occurrence in such forums, and we really appreciate it when people actually do. So thank you.

[PeterJones]

@Tim-Jacob said in Help finding search results panel:

Manually replaced the section in config.xml

Can you try that one again, but this time use something other than Notepad++ (like MS notepad.exe) to do the edit? That is:

1. Exit Notepad++ completely
2. Win+R (hold your Windows button and type R) and enter notepad.exe "%AppData%\Notepad++\config.xml" in the Run dialog
3. Replace the whole <GUIConfig name="DockingManager"...>...</GUIConfig> section with <GUIConfig name="DockingManager" leftWidth="200" rightWidth="200" topHeight="200" bottomHeight="200"></GUIConfig>
4. Save and exit notepad.exe
5. Run Notepad++ and then do a Search > Find > Find All in Current Document

When I tried to edit config.xml inside Notepad++, even following all the best-practice sequences, the DockingManager section was overwritten when Notepad++ exited, thus ignoring my changes (the user manual does mention that config.xml can have problems when self-edited, even when you follow the sequence described in the manual, and also suggests using notepad.exe to edit config.xml). And to confirm, when I used notepad.exe to edit config.xml , then the Search Results window does move back from being a floating window in some random location to showing up in the bottom panel.

I see that the FAQ incorrectly said that you can edit config.xml inside Notepad++, so I have updated the FAQ.

[Tim Jacob]

@PeterJones

Thank you very much! Using notepad.exe to edit config.xml did solve the problem.
So thanks for changing the FAQ too!

[Sozi Salad]

@PeterJones