Notepad++ has disappeared from my system, even the folder under "Program Files" on my c: drive is gone

Andrew Gross

I use notepad++ regularly, usually it’s just open whenever my computer is on.

I went to open it today, and it’s gone. No trace of it. Can’t find it to open it directly, the context menu option doesn’t appear when I right-click on a .txt file, etc. It doesn’t appear in Add/Remove programs, and the folder that it’s supposed to be installed in doesn’t exist under Program Files, it’s just gone.

I feel like I’m in a twilight zone episode. I absolutely, positively did not initiate any action that should have resulted in it being removed.

I was hoping that I would do a search for this problem and find that it was a known issue with a known solution; but while I’ve found a few posts, they are relatively old, and none of them seem to exactly mirror my experience.

Any ideas? I can re-install, but I’d like to know the root cause.

PeterJones

@Andrew-Gross said in Notepad++ has disappeared from my system, even the folder under "Program Files" on my c: drive is gone:

the folder that it’s supposed to be installed in doesn’t exist under Program Files, it’s just gone.

Sounds like someone uninstalled it.

I feel like I’m in a twilight zone episode. I absolutely, positively did not initiate any action that should have resulted in it being removed.

If not you, then someone else? IT? family member or roommate? practical-joking friend or co-worker?

Overzealous anti-malware that automatically removes apps you haven’t paid it to accept?

Notepad++ doesn’t uninstall itself without someone taking action.

This article may help you see if there was an uninstaller event, and when it happened: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/history-of-uninstalled-apps-in-windows-10/2a8afc9e-c24c-47f9-8098-7ea94bd798a6

mkupper

@Andrew-Gross - Notepad++ is usually found in one of three places:

%ProgramFiles%\Notepad++
%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Notepad++
Anywhere other than the above two places usually it’s a portable copy or edition of Notepad++.

Make sure you look in both %ProgramFiles%\Notepad++ and %ProgramFiles(x86)%\Notepad++.

In all three cases the file you are looking for is called Notepad++.exe and it’s possible there is more than one copy on the machine.

You could also try looking for files named config.xml and session.xml. These are normally in %AppData%\Notepad++ but can be anywhere on your machine. If you find the files then it’s a clue that Notepad++ existed on the machine.