Cannot open text files in Adminitrative mode from network shares in Win11

[Olyfant22]

Hi,

I have a problem with opening (double-click) text files (.INI, .TXT, .LOG etc) in Windows 11 from network shares (on my NAS) in Adminitrative mode (Notepad++). (see attachment)

I recently bought a new laptop with Windows 11 Pro. I created several network shares and I can access them from e.g. Total Commander.
I installed Notepad++ and made it startup as Administrator by default… no problem you would think.
But now I found out, that I am NOT able to open text files in Administrative mode (Notepad++) from the network shares.
When I startup Notpad++ in “normal” mode, opening (double-click) text file is not a problem. This is on my new laptop with Windows 11.

On my “old” (still current) laptop I have Windows 10 Pro and opening (double-click) text files from the network shares in Administrative mode (Notepad++) is NOT a problem!
All the Windows settings (e.g. SMB) are all the same on both laptops, as are the settings of Notepad++ on both laptops.
The only thing I can detect is, that Windows 10 Pro is running WITHOUT Bitlocker activated and Windows 11 Pro is running with Bitlockker activated by default…

So, as I would like to have Notepad++ run in Adminitrative mode by default, is there anyone who can help me with this conundrum?
Am I overlooking something(s) or am I not doing it right?

Help is much appreciated and thank you in advance!

[PeterJones]

@Olyfant22 .

Cannot open text files in Adminitrative mode from network shares in Win11

That’s because in Administrative mode, the Admin user isn’t logged into the network share: your normal user is the one logged into the network share. It’s a “feature” of Windows. Notepad++ cannot help you if the operating system doesn’t think the Admin User has access to your mapped network share. (I don’t honestly remember if you can have Windows log you into a network share both from the normal user and from the as-Admin mode. Maybe if you use an as-Admin cmd.exe window and replicate the NET USE command from the administrator, it would allow it; but I don’t have access to a networked environment like that where I can test it. And that’s really a Windows OS question, not Notepad++ specific question.)

I installed Notepad++ and made it startup as Administrator by default… no problem you would think.

Since there’s rarely a good reason to run Notepad++ in Administrator mode, just run in normal mode: since v8.8.6 from Oct of last year, Notepad++ can edit protected files just fine – it will just ask for UAC whenever you try to save; this will prevent having to exit out of normal mode and rerun as Admin and vice versa, every time you switch mode.

[Olyfant22]

@PeterJones,

Thank so much for your very swift reply.

I understand what you are saying… but, although it might be true what you are saying, why is it that under Windows 10 this is not a problem?

[PeterJones]

@Olyfant22 said in Cannot open text files in Adminitrative mode from network shares in Win11:

why is it that under Windows 10 this is not a problem?

Maybe Microsoft changed that part of the operating system between Win10 and Win11. Or maybe you have unknowingly mapped the network drive both under normal user and admin user on your old Win10 machine.

[Olyfant22]

@PeterJones,

From your answer, it is clear that you are probably clasping at straws…?!
I understand that you are (as am I) trying to make sense of it all, but actually we’re both guessing as to what Microsoft did or didn’t do… maybe… probably…
Fact remains, that there is NO difference in my way of creating a Windows Admin account and mapping network shares on both old and new laptop.
On both laptops I am the sole user with Admin-rights… there are NO ‘normal’ users on either laptop.

So, the only 2 thing that makes sense to me, is (1) your remark that it’s probably a Microsoft OS question and (2) I will use Notepad++ in ‘normal’ mode as you suggested.

Still, thank you so much for giving me more wisdom with your valuable input, I will research it further with Microsoft.

[PGomersall]

@Olyfant22
Mapped drives are typically not available to an admnistrative user when the session is elevated. If you are running Notepad++ as “Administrator” then this is the default case. You may want to investigate the registry entry to EnableLinkedConnections that will bypass this restriction and allow mapped drives to be visible to an elevated session.