Notepad data deleted after clicking "Yes" to prompt

githubtools101

I had a notepad open and had written new material on it. The last time I saved it was 8/13/2024 (today is 8/15/2024). I hadn’t saved the document in two days because I liked how notepad++ backs up your stuff for you, that’s exactly why I downloaded it…

Well today (8/15/2024), I come back to the document to edit some more and a prompt pops up “This file has been modified by another program. Do you want to reload it and lose the changes made in Notepad++? Yes/No.” I clicked Yes by accident which deleted my data and made the notepad go back to what it was on the 13th! I tried to see if I could CTRL+Z it back to what it was, but I couldn’t. I checked the appdata backup folder and absolutely nothing at all is in that folder, it’s empty (even though I have backup turned on in settings since I downloaded this to my computer). There is also no “n++RECOV” folder or “npp” folder where the backup file could be… any idea where my backup file could be located or how I could get access to what I had written on the file up until today?

PeterJones

@githubtools101 said in Notepad data deleted after clicking "Yes" to prompt:

I hadn’t saved the document in two days because I liked how notepad++ backs up your stuff for you, that’s exactly why I downloaded it…

Then you misunderstood that feature.

While you have unsaved changes, Notepad++ tries to keep a copy saved for you even though you choose not to save – but it cannot guarantee that the OS will not play funky games (though it tries). Furthermore, as soon as you hit save, that snapshot is immediately deleted. When you make changes again, it creates a new snapshot ever N seconds.

When you accidentally told Notepad++ that you wanted the version from disk (which must have changed its last-saved date for Notepad++ to prompt you) rather than the version you were editing, if you then started editing that, then N seconds later, the snapshot would be overwritten.

If you want a true backup, which persists beyond saves, you need to use the backup-on-save feature, not the session-snapshot feature.

I am sorry that you lost your data, but there’s nothing we or Notepad++ can do for you at this point.

For the future, I suggest you carefully read the User Manual about backup settings and this forum’s backup FAQ to better understand the Notepad++ features, and prevent future data loss.

Sorry.

githubtools101

@githubtools101 The guy above gave a really rude and disgusting response…

To anyone out there who sees this post, unfortunately, there is no way to retrieve the data after you click yes. However, there is a way to TURN OFF that unnecessary prompt for the future:

Go to Settings
Click Preferences
Click MISC.
Under “File Status Auto-Detection” click Disable from the drop-down menu
Close

Now, you will NEVER be given this prompt again! Problem solved! No thanks to the rude user above. I had to search google for a long time to find this out… I don’t understand why Notepad++ has this feature to begin with. Auto-detection should be disabled BY DEFAULT and people who want it should enable it, not the other way around. A lot of people have lost data due to this feature.

Lycan Thrope

@githubtools101 He wasn’t rude. You’re just uninformed, and he’s right, you didn’t understand how the feature works, which is why you haven’t solved your original problem of recovering the file, because there is no copy of the file to recover.

Your original problem, and your resultant “solution”, is a result of your not having read or understood the feature in the manual that the responder gave you a link to, to read. The issue you were complaining about was your own lack of knowledge, ability to read and/or understand. How does informing you of where to look to understand your problem, was rude?

Own your own shortcomings. I’m sure in your world view, my response is also rude. So be it.

Alan Kilborn

@githubtools101 said:

there is a way to TURN OFF that unnecessary prompt for the future:
Under “File Status Auto-Detection” click Disable from the drop-down menu
Now, you will NEVER be given this prompt again!
I don’t understand why Notepad++ has this feature to begin with

So @githubtools101 had a problem with data loss, and your solution is to give him a method that can guarantee future data loss? Nice job…