Notepad++ release 8.9.8

[PeterJones]

@Kevin-Moran ,

As @xomx said in this Issue#18315 comment, he was not able to reproduce the problem (*). Since there is an issue (even though it’s currently closed), would you be able to go to that issue, and give an exact sequence of steps (from the initial launch of Notepad++ through to the second and third time that the warning pops up even with having answered Always load …), including your full ?-menu > Debug Info, and the session.xml that is being loaded (you can change paths in the session to things like c:\path\to\file1.json and \\hostname\sharename\path\to\file2.cpp if your filenames or paths hold information that you need to redact.

Another important question: if instead of your normal workflow, if you open Notepad++, click Always load…, then exit Notepad++ immediately and restart, does it save the answer?

If you have the ability, replying in [issue #18315](this Issue#18315 comment](https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/issues/18315) might be best (IMO) at this point; but if you don’t have or cannot create an account for GitHub, you can reply here. (It just buries other things in the Release Announcement threads if it dives into debugging a specific problem.)

*: unsaid in that Issue: I had also tried to replicate it, and could not. As soon as I answer ALWAYS in a given instance of Notepad++, it stops pestering me, no matter how many times I reload a file from the network or from my local drive, or how many times I manually open a session file from the network or from my local drive. That’s why it’s so important to give the exact sequence of events you use to encounter the problem, with as many details as you can. Because until someone can replicate it, the problem likely cannot be found or fixed.

[L2J STORY]

After using rustdesk-1.4.9-x86_64.exe to control a remote Windows 11 PC, then I opened a .txt file in Notepad++, but it appeared blank—I couldn’t see any text.

[xomx]

@L2J-STORY

try:
https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/105393

[JT-Moore]

Hi Don,

Is there a configuration option to disable the fix for the potential exposure of Windows login info (SMB/NTLM) via UNC path? If not, could you please add one (preferably with the additional ability to set it using a command line switch when running the installer).

The reason for my request is that that fix not needed in secured network environments where outbound SMB connections to untrusted networks are already blocked at the perimeter firewall. In those situations, the fix unnecessarily prompts users when opening files via a UNC path, even when the SMB client and server are in the same Active Directory domain.

Thanks,

JT

[xomx]

@JT-Moore

Current workaround for now - the relevant config.xml setting needed (just use a post-install script for it or supply a pre-configured config.xml file to your users):

networkPathWarningMethod="2"

which means “networkPathAlwaysLoad”.

i.e. edit this line:

        <GUIConfig name="MISC" fileSwitcherWithoutExtColumn="no" fileSwitcherExtWidth="50" fileSwitcherWithoutPathColumn="yes" fileSwitcherPathWidth="50" fileSwitcherNoGroups="no" backSlashIsEscapeCharacterForSql="yes" writeTechnologyEngine="3" isFolderDroppedOpenFiles="no" docPeekOnTab="no" docPeekOnMap="no" sortFunctionList="no" saveDlgExtFilterToAllTypes="no" muteSounds="no" enableFoldCmdToggable="yes" hideMenuRightShortcuts="no" networkPathWarningMethod="2" isFawSymlinkAllowed="false" />

Edit:
There already seems to be such a helper script (I didn’t test it myself):
https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/issues/18319#issuecomment-5508274570

[GrobiDev]

Hello,

since the Version 8.9.8 i have the problem that the command “Notepad++.exe myFile.txt” does not open the requested file if Notepad++ is already running.
The command works only if Notepad++ is not running.
In previous versions the command worked fine.

Company machine, Windows 11, Notepad++ v8.9.8 (64bit)

[PeterJones]

@GrobiDev ,

I assume you are using scoop, or some other package manager that uses junctions in the path to Notepad++. v8.9.8 introduced an issue where that will not work. It has already been fixed in the codebase, so the next version will not have that problem (release candidate for v8.9.8.1 should be soon). In the meantime, you can go back to v8.9.7

[RoxxiedaPunk]

@donho Hey, Just wanted to let you know in case this isn’t just an isolated incident that my Notepad++ isn’t updating to 8.9.8. It’s now the 17th of September for me which is 3 weeks since the release of 8.9.8, and idk if this is an isolated incident, but my Notepad++ is still 8.9.7 and clicking the “Update Notepad++” button still displays the “No update is available” message, though the update is being detected by winget, just not the actual program, which is odd. Anyways, just thought i’d let you know about this just in case it’s not actually just an isolated issue! I’ll attach a screenshot of the info screen and updater, and will also add the Debug info below this and above the screenshots!

Debug Info: Notepad++ v8.9.7 (64-bit)
Build time: Jul 14 2026 - 01:26:22
Scintilla/Lexilla included: 5.6.4/5.5.1
Boost Regex included: 1_90
pugixml included: 1.16
nlohmann JSON included: 3.12.0
Path: C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe
Command Line:
Admin mode: ON
Local Conf mode: OFF
Cloud Config: C:\Users\Foxy\OneDrive
WinGUp: present
disableNppAutoUpdate.xml: absent
Periodic Backup: ON
Placeholders: ON
Scintilla Rendering Mode: SC_TECHNOLOGY_DIRECTWRITE (1)
Multi-instance Mode: monoInst
asNotepad: OFF
File Status Auto-Detection: cdEnabledNew (for current file/tab only)
Dark Mode: ON
Display Info:
primary monitor: 1920x1080, scaling 100%
visible monitors count: 1
installed Display Class adapters:
0000: Description - Meta Virtual Monitor
0000: DriverVersion - 5.3.57.114
0001: Description - Intel® UHD Graphics 750
0001: DriverVersion - 32.0.101.7088
0002: Description - NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050
0002: DriverVersion - 32.0.16.1692
OS Name: Windows 10 Pro (64-bit)
OS Version: 22H2
OS Build: 19045.7725
Current ANSI codepage: 1252
Plugins:
ComparePlugin (2.0.2)
JsMapParser.NppPlugin (4.2)
mimeTools (3.1)
NotepadStarterPlugin (2.3.3)
NppConverter (4.7)
NppExport (0.4)

Screenshots

[PeterJones]

@RoxxiedaPunk said:

my Notepad++ isn’t updating to 8.9.8.

That’s because it was not triggered for auto-update.

The downloads page at https://notepad-plus-plus.org/downloads/ will indicate the most recent auto-update version with “(stable: auto-update triggered)” or similar phrasing. As of today, 8.9.7 is the last triggered version.

The manual explains the reason for not immediately triggering a new version for auto-update here: https://npp-user-manual.org/docs/upgrading/#no-new-version-found-safety-delay.

In this case, there were some critical fixes needed, hence today’s v8.9.8.1 Release Candidate

[mcnaugha]

I am seeing an issue that I’m not certain it is the installer of Notepad++ 8.9.8 itself or if Microsoft has inadvertently caused this…

Using Microsoft’s Enterprise App Catalog to install 8.9.8 on top of an existing installation of 8.9.6.4 seems to result in the registry information being updated to say 8.9.8 but when you check C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe it is still 8.9.6.4.

This was horrifying, as it’s the perfect way to maintain a vulnerable copy of the app on Enterprise systems. It could go completely unknown because, at least on ours, MDM systems seem to inventory based on what the registry says and not what’s on the actual disk.

Server OS endpoints updated using the traditional SCCM method appear to update correctly. So, this adds weight to the issue being Microsoft’s Enterprise App Catalog implementation. It is almost as though they are updating the registry on behalf of Notepad++, ignoring the true status of the app.