113

Is it possible to configure Notepad++ to stop checking for new versions each time it is run?

Every time Nodepad++ is started a dialog pops with:

An update package is available, do you want to download it?

2
  • I wonder why so many people find notepad++ settings so complicated. +100 Dec 25, 2020 at 14:07
  • 2
    Why in the world does a notepad editor need an update every day in the first place? :D May 13, 2022 at 17:05

13 Answers 13

128

Simply go to:

Settings -> Preferences -> Misc -> and deselect "Enable Notepad++ auto-updater"

14
  • 8
    This is an incorrect answer because this feature was removed from Notepad++ and it has not returned for at least 5 years. I can confirm that what @JamesGecko wrote is still the case. May 11, 2015 at 22:51
  • 2
    @Apelsin It exists in Notepad++ 6.7.7 on Windows. May 17, 2015 at 18:37
  • 3
    v6.9 has this feature, I just disable auto updates by following the steps provided in this answer.
    – birgersp
    Mar 30, 2016 at 6:24
  • 5
    Doesn't work for me either. I have 7.6.3 and this setting is unticked, however I still get this prompt every time I start Notepad++.
    – Matt
    Jun 21, 2019 at 3:42
  • 3
    @Matt It seem this bug was fixed in 7.8.5. Not an option to upgrade for me though since I don't have permissions. But you can change the updateDate as a workaround.
    – Didier L
    Aug 20, 2020 at 9:26
63

You may also be looking to turn off plugin update checking, in which case go to:

Plugins -> Plugin Manager -> Show Plugin Manager -> Settings (bottom left), and deselect "Notify of plugin updates at startup".

5
  • 4
    God this has been bothering me so much, every gd time I open it. Thanks!
    – gakera
    Mar 10, 2015 at 11:11
  • I swear, I love Notepad++ more than anything, it's the one app I miss most on Linux but this guy REALLY needs some UX help :D Thanks for showing me how to disable that!!
    – Tobias J
    Mar 29, 2017 at 13:57
  • UX is like 90% of Notepad++...
    – Andrew
    Dec 12, 2017 at 13:00
  • 10
    at least from N++ v 7.6.6 (Apr 2019) there's no more "plugin manager", but "plugin admin", and there's no more an option to turn off plugin updates notififactions. Jun 16, 2019 at 14:33
  • It's disabled but still shows "an update is available for the package download it"
    – Shayan
    Jun 25, 2020 at 13:08
50

In newer versions of Notepad++ the option to disable automatic updating no longer appears in the Options dialog.

You can simply rename the C:\Program Files\Notepad++\updater directory to stop this feature. (e.g. rename it to updater_disabled)

Credit to http://wpkg.org/Notepad_plus_plus for suggesting the solution.

4
  • 2
    Excellent! I used your answer to disable updates in a computer lab, looping through them with PsExec like so psexec \\lab315-%x cmd.exe /c ren "c:\Program Files (x86)\Notepad++\updater" "updater_disable"
    – ThisClark
    Jan 20, 2015 at 19:12
  • Thank you, finally a correct answer!
    – Mike
    Aug 10, 2020 at 9:56
  • This worked for me. Thanks! Apr 14, 2021 at 12:50
  • This is the answer most people here are looking for.
    – CodeOrElse
    Aug 9, 2021 at 13:35
10

Find and edit this file

C:\Users\\...User...\AppData\Roaming\Notepad++\config.xml

where ...User... is your username.

Find the line that reads something like this:

<GUIConfig name="noUpdate" intervalDays="15" nextUpdateDate="20141114">no</GUIConfig>

and change the 'no' to a 'yes'. In effect, you're telling Notepad++ that 'yes, you want no updates'.

Another line I've changed is this one:

<GUIConfig name="RememberLastSession">no</GUIConfig>

where I've changed the default 'yes' to a 'no'.

It infuriated me that Notepad++ opened pretty much evey file I'd ever opened, every time I started it, long after I'd lost any interest in any of those files.

I don't know why Notepad++ shows options in its preferences dialog when clearly it just ignores them.

You might also have a look at EditPadLite (free) and/or EditPadPro (not free, but not too expensive). Certainly better looking, better documented, and the 'lite' version has all I need.

1
  • 3
    For me it was already set to "yes" but I was able to get rid of the message by setting nextUpdateDate to 99990101 Jan 22, 2020 at 21:17
6

While installing the application,

Notepad++ Setup - Choose components Dialog- Select the type of Install - Deselect the Auto-Updater check box.

1
  • 1
    Unfortunately that's not a lot of use for people who are already getting the prompt, like me, and the person who asked the question.
    – Matt
    Jun 21, 2019 at 3:44
4

Expanding on existing answers, here's my method for programmatically updating this:

# Note:
# - Notepad++ must be closed when you run this because when Notepad++ does its closing process, it re-writes the config.xml file with the config from memory
# - This script only updates one user profile, the current user's

$Path = "C:\Users\$($env:username)\AppData\Roaming\Notepad++\config.xml"

# Disable auto-checking for updates
(Get-Content $Path | Out-String) -Replace '(.*noUpdate.*)no</GUIConfig>', '$1yes</GUIConfig>' | Out-File $Path

# To re-enable auto-checking for updates
(Get-Content $Path | Out-String) -Replace '(.*noUpdate.*)yes</GUIConfig>', '$1no</GUIConfig>' | Out-File $Path
3

Open %appdata%\Notepad++ folder.

Edit config.xml with a program besides Notepad++.

Change the noUpdate settings to have a very long nextUpdateDate:

<GUIConfig name="noUpdate" intervalDays="365" nextUpdateDate="21001231">yes</GUIConfig>

Save the config.xml.

@2012rcampion made this comment above.

1
  • Only thing that worked for me. I am in a corporate environment and I don't have the permissions to update it so this was very annoying. Seems to be a bug in the version we are using.
    – Didier L
    Aug 20, 2020 at 9:24
2

If you have updates pending (you can start an update without admin), but are unable to complete them (because you don't have admin), you will get an annoying message each time you open it, asking you to complete the update.

You can make this go away by deleting %appdata%\Notepad++\plugins\Config\PluginManagerGpUp.xml. This will also delete the plugin_install_temp folder which contains the updates, when you next run it.

2

Regarding the renaming of the directory C:\Program Files\Notepad++\updater to something else (updater_disabled), I can confirm that for the latest Notepad++ Version 7.6.2 (Yellow Vests edition), this would disable also the tab Plugins admin. Anyway users need admin rights to install plugins, but it is a new functionality that gets knocked-out.

2

I just created a simple Preferences>Windows Settings>Files that deletes the files in the updater folder.

enter image description here

1

Regarding the renaming of the directory updater, you may have to kill the process GUP.exe, since it sometimes keeps running after closing Notepad++.

I guess Plugins Admin is a replacement to Plugin Manager, hence the older answer no longer applies.

I hope smart kettles won't become the norm... it would be hell if I'd have to see an update prompt or get a mandatory update every time I decide to make tea.

0

INSTALL

CALL uninstall.cmd

setup.exe /S

"%WinDir%\System32\timeout.exe" /T 10

REM Install Plugins.
MKDIR "%ProgramFiles%\Notepad++\plugins\JSMinNPP"
COPY /Y /V "Plugins\JSToolNPP.1.1901.2.uni.64\JSMinNPP.dll" "%ProgramFiles%\Notepad++\plugins\JSMinNPP"\.

MKDIR "%ProgramFiles%\Notepad++\plugins\ComparePlugin"
COPY /Y /V "Plugins\ComparePlugin\"* "%ProgramFiles%\Notepad++\plugins\ComparePlugin"\.

MKDIR "%ProgramFiles%\Notepad++\plugins\NppTextFX"
COPY /Y /V "Plugins\NppTextFX\"* "%ProgramFiles%\Notepad++\plugins\NppTextFX"\.

IF EXIST "%ProgramFiles%\Notepad++\plugins\JSMinNPP.dll" (
    DEL /F /S /Q "%ProgramFiles%\Notepad++\plugins\JSMinNPP.dll"
)

"%WinDir%\System32\timeout.exe" /T 30

IF EXIST "%ProgramFiles%\Notepad++\updater" (
    RMDIR /S /Q "%ProgramFiles%\Notepad++\updater"
)

"%WinDir%\System32\timeout.exe" /T 60

EXIT /B

UNINSTALL

IF EXIST "%ProgramFiles%\Notepad++ (
    TASKKILL /F /IM notepad++* /T

    REM Delete Custom Plugins
    IF EXIST "%ProgramFiles%\Notepad++\plugins" (RMDIR /S /Q "%ProgramFiles%\Notepad++\plugins")

    IF EXIST "%ProgramFiles%\Notepad++\Uninstall.exe" (
        "%ProgramFiles%\Notepad++\Uninstall.exe" /S
        "%WinDir%\System32\timeout.exe" /T 30
    )
)

EXIT /B

REPAIR

CALL uninstall.cmd
CALL install.cmd
EXIT /B

The above script sample installs the tool with custom plugins and disables the auto update nag, admins can still push plugins to a directory if and when needed. This installer is used in a SCCM controlled environment.

Mind you the above does a clean install every single time for consistency.

0

With newer versions just use "/S /noUpdater" as install arguments

1
  • Do you know what version this was implemented in? Mar 31, 2021 at 21:28

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