File Open is bugged in versions later than 8.8.2

Atomiser

I have been using Notepad++ for years now (installer version). Today I noticed a HUGE delay of a minute or more when using ‘File Open’ (v8.8.4).

I thought it might have been my USB T7 Shield SSDs at first, so I unplugged them…no difference.

So, I uninstalled 8.8.4 and then started downloading and trying the portable .zip versions.

8.8.5 same bug
8.8.4 same bug
8.8.3 same bug
8.8.2 Works absolutely fine. No delay in using File Open at all!

What changed in versions 8.8.3 and above to cause this weird behaviour?

I’m using Win 10 X64.

I’ve also seen this reported by someone else recently, but they didn’t explain the specific problem. They just said ‘going round and round’ They meant the circle graphic when Windows isn’t responding of course, which is exactly what is happening here too.

Any ideas WTF is going on here and why has this has ‘apparently’ not been noticed by almost anybody?!

Thanks

Atomiser

@Atomiser

I should also add, that the new security certificates that were introduced in 8.8.3 were not installed.

I went into the instructions for installing this, and they are now installed and verified, but it made zero difference to the bug!

I should also add that 8.8.3, 4 and 5 all do ‘Open File’ in Windows 7 with no problem whatsoever.

I also installed Notepad++ on my wife’s Windows 11 laptop and all versions there have zero delay in using ‘File Open’.

So this bug appears to apply to Windows 10 only.

Hope this helps?

Coises

@Atomiser

If you know how to use Task Manager, or are willing to give it a try, would you try opening it, then attempting the open in Notepad++, and see if there is a process that is taking a lot of CPU, memory or disk?

To open Task Manager, right-click the Windows task bar and select Task Manager. If you’re not looking at the leftmost tab, Processes, select that. At the lower left, if you see a downward-pointing arrow in a circle with the text ”More details” beside it, click that.

You can click on any of the headings — like CPU, Memory or Disk — to sort by that. If some process other than Notepad++ is consuming a lot of one of those when you try to open, then that process is interfering. If Notepad++ is consuming a lot of one of those (out of proportion to the size of the file), then at least we know what sort of thing (reading disk, allocating memory or processing something) is going wild.

Atomiser

@Coises

Hi mate, thank you for your reply.

Yeah, I’m very familiar with the Task Manager, and that’s a pretty good idea!

Well, it was interesting! There was a huge spike in CPU activity from my AV which is Comodo Internet Security up to 30% or so.

When ‘File Open’ was finally fully completed, the CPU use by Comodo dropped to almost zero again.

Hmmm. I had already given Notepad++ ‘Allowed’ permission so I’m not sure what to do to get it to stop freaking out on Notepad++.

Any ideas?

PeterJones

@Atomiser said in File Open is bugged in versions later than 8.8.2:

So this bug appears to apply to Windows 10 only.

Or with your specific computer. You’d have to try on multiple Win10 machines

Or with the plugins on that specific computer. See FAQ: Notepad++ Crashes/Freezes/Unresponsive after Update, especially Possible Culprit: Plugin.

Hope this helps?

With problems like this, always provide ?-menu’s Debug Info, as that includes a lot of information that’s helpful in debugging problems (hence the name of the menu entry).

Also, does the File > Open perfomance change depending on file extension or file size or something else unique about the file? (ie, try blah.txt vs blah.json, or blah10Mb.txt vs blah1Kb.txt, or c:\path1\file.txt vs d:\path2\file2.txt, or …)

PeterJones

@Atomiser said in File Open is bugged in versions later than 8.8.2:

There was a huge spike in CPU activity from my AV which is Comodo Internet Security up to 30% or so.

I saw your new post just after I hit SUBMIT on my previous reply.

Yes, Anti-Virus does often cause problems.

Unfortunately, I just use MS’s Windows Defender, so don’t know how to make Comodo Internet Security play nice with Notepad++.

Since it was working with v8.8.2 and earlier, but not with the newer, then maybe it doesn’t like Notepad++'s root certificate, even after you installed it in your Certificate Store. Did you install the cert in Current User or Local Machine?

Atomiser

@PeterJones

Yeah, I used ‘Current User’ as recommended by the instructions.

No Plugins used here, just the barebones Notepad++ btw.

I really don’t get this. With Comodo, if it’s upset about anything, it’s set to give a pop-up asking for permission / deny access etc. This has never been a problem until these newer versions were released.

Atomiser

@Atomiser

I’ve subsequently installed 8.8.5.

Then I added the Notepad++ folder, the Notepad++.exe and the Notepad++ Root Certificate to the ‘Scan Exclusion’ section and it still freaks out.

Not sure what else to do other than go back to 8.8.2 I guess.

PeterJones

@Atomiser said in File Open is bugged in versions later than 8.8.2:

Yeah, I used ‘Current User’ as recommended by the instructions.

There have been some reports that Current User isn’t always sufficient. Try Local Machine

(~~tbd: I will add a link once I find it~~)

Update: I think I was thinking of this issue comment by xomx; not exactly the same as here, but it was what I was thinking, anyway

Atomiser

@Atomiser

OK, I fixed it. :)

It was ‘HIPS’ in Comodo.

I added Notepad++ as an allowed application there, and now no delay whatsoever in’File Open’. hehe

Thanks for the suggestion on Task Manager @Coises

That really helped to debug this.

And, thanks for your help also @PeterJones

PeterJones

@Atomiser said in File Open is bugged in versions later than 8.8.2:

was ‘HIPS’ in Comodo.

Glad you found it