Can't Open URL in HTML Link

Sylvester Bullitt

I suddenly noticed I can no longer open a file by right clicking on the URL in an HTML href. I used to be able to do this, but it now says the path doesn’t exist. I recently updated Notepad++ to the latest version, but don’t know if that’s the cause.

I tested multiple independent HTML files, and the problem occurs in every one. In the following sample code, the file shadduck_bh.htm is in the same folder as the file Notepad++ is editing.

<!DOCTYPE HTML>
<html lang="en-us">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<title>Hazel Marie Wright Shade</title>
<meta name="keywords" content="Hazel Shade,H. Shade">
<script src="../../../../../js/jquery.js"></script>
<script src="../../../../../js/base.js"></script>
<script src="../../../../../js/bio.js"></script>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="../../../../../css/bio.css">
<link rel="prev" href="../c/shacklock_cl.htm">
<link rel="next" href="shadduck_bh.htm">
<link rel="up" href="../../../../bio-s.htm">
</head>
<body>
</body>
</html>

Debug info:

Notepad++ v8.9.6.4 (64-bit)
Build time: Jun 3 2026 - 23:47:49
Scintilla/Lexilla included: 5.6.2/5.4.9
Boost Regex included: 1_90
pugixml included: 1.15
nlohmann JSON included: 3.12.0
Path: C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe
Command Line:
Admin mode: OFF
Local Conf mode: OFF
Cloud Config: OFF
WinGUp: present
disableNppAutoUpdate.xml: absent
Periodic Backup: OFF
Placeholders: OFF
Scintilla Rendering Mode: SC_TECHNOLOGY_DEFAULT (0)
Multi-instance Mode: monoInst
asNotepad: OFF
File Status Auto-Detection: cdEnabledNew (for current file/tab only)
Dark Mode: OFF
Display Info:
primary monitor: 1920x1080, scaling 100%
visible monitors count: 1
installed Display Class adapters:
0000: Description - AMD Radeon™ Graphics
0000: DriverVersion - 32.0.21043.12001
OS Name: Windows 11 Pro (64-bit)
OS Version: 25H2
OS Build: 26200.8655
Current ANSI codepage: 65001
Plugins:
ComparePlugin (2.0.2)
DSpellCheck (1.5)
mimeTools (3.1)
NppConverter (4.7)
NppExport (0.4)

M Andre Z Eckenrode

@Sylvester-Bullitt said:

I can no longer open a file by right clicking on the URL in an HTML href

I assume you are attempting to do so using RIGHT CLICK > OPEN FILE, which I had never used before but just tried it and confirm, it doesn’t work for me either. However, double-clicking on links continues to work here.

PeterJones

@Sylvester-Bullitt said:

suddenly noticed I can no longer open a file by right clicking on the URL in an HTML href

If you mean you are right clicking, and choosing Open File from the context menu, which is equivalent to Edit > On Selection > Open File, and you have highlighted a relative path to a file, like highlighting the ../../../../../js/jquery.js or shadduck_bh.htm, then yes, that is a known regression. It will be fixed in the next release version. (If you selected an entire path, like c:\path\to\shadduck_bh.htm, then the Open File action would work right. It’s just relative paths, either from the same directory, or a subdirectory, or a relative path to another directory, that don’t work in this version.