Where Does Notepad++ Save Temp Files?

Your unsaved Notepad++ file exists somewhere on your hard drive right now, even if you never hit save. Knowing exactly where Notepad++ saves temp files is the difference between recovering hours of lost work and starting over from scratch.

Notepad++ automatically stores backup copies of open documents in the Windows AppData directory. Most users never see this folder because it is hidden by default. After a crash, a power outage, or an accidental close, those temp files are your lifeline.

This guide covers the exact file paths for both standard and portable installations, how backup and session snapshot settings control where files go, step-by-step crash recovery, and how to fix common issues like hidden folders, antivirus interference, and cloud sync conflicts across Windows 10 and Windows 11.

What Are Notepad++ Temp Files

Notepad++ temp files are automatic copies of your unsaved or modified documents. The application creates them without asking, storing your work in a local directory so you can get it back after a crash or unexpected shutdown.

This is not the same as manually hitting Ctrl+S. Notepad++ runs a background process that periodically writes your open documents to disk, whether you asked it to or not.

The Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2025 shows Notepad++ at 27.4% usage among developers, making it the third most used editor behind VS Code and Visual Studio. That is a lot of people relying on temp files they probably don’t know exist.

How Temp Files Differ From Manual Saves

A manually saved file goes exactly where you tell it to. A temp file gets tucked away in a system directory that most users never open.

Notepad++ generates two distinct types of temporary files:

• Session snapshot files: Copies of every open tab, including brand-new documents you never saved. Created every 7 seconds by default.
• Backup on save files: Copies generated only when you hit save, stored separately as a safety net against accidental overwrites.

Mixing these two up causes most of the confusion. Session snapshots protect your unsaved work. Backup on save protects your saved work. Different triggers, different folders, different purposes.

When Does Notepad++ Create Temp Files

The editor writes temp files during active editing sessions at a configurable interval (default is 7 seconds). It also writes them on normal exit and, critically, keeps them around after a crash.

New unnamed documents (those “new 1”, “new 2” tabs) get backed up too, as long as the session snapshot feature is turned on. Took me a while to realize this actually works for files that were never saved anywhere. That is the whole point, really.

DataNumen’s 2024 report found that 85% of organizations experienced at least one data loss incident in the past year. Hardware failure alone accounts for 40-44% of those losses. Even at the individual level, a sudden power outage or a blue screen can wipe out hours of work if your editor doesn’t handle temp files properly.

Default Temp File Locations in Notepad++

The primary location for Notepad++ temp files on any standard Windows installation is:

C:Users[YourUsername]AppDataRoamingNotepad++backup

You can also reach this by typing %AppData%Notepad++backup into the Windows File Explorer address bar or the Run dialog (Win+R).

That single folder holds both your session snapshot files and any periodic backup copies. The file naming convention follows this pattern: filename.ext@yyyy-mm-ddhhmmss for timestamped backups, or just the raw filename for session snapshots.

Backup Folder vs. Session Snapshot Folder

Here is where things get tricky (and honestly, the naming in Notepad++ doesn’t help).

Both backup types land in the same backup directory by default. But they behave differently.

The session snapshot path is hardcoded to %AppData%Notepad++backup in the source code. A GitHub issue (#3096) has been open about this since 2017. Still not resolved as of 2025.

The “Backup on save” feature, on the other hand, lets you pick a custom directory through Settings > Preferences > Backup > Custom Backup Directory.

Accessing the AppData Folder on Windows

The AppData folder is hidden by default on Windows 10 and Windows 11. Most people have never seen it.

Quickest method: Press Win+R, type %AppData%Notepad++backup, press Enter. Done.

If you prefer browsing manually, open File Explorer and enable hidden items: click View at the top, then check the “Hidden items” box. From there, browse to C:Users[YourUsername]AppDataRoamingNotepad++backup.

On Windows 11, be aware that OneDrive folder redirection can change where your user profile actually lives. If your Documents folder has been moved to OneDrive, the AppData path remains on the local C: drive, but it is worth double-checking.

How Notepad++ Backup and Recovery Settings Affect File Location

The Preferences panel under Settings > Preferences > Backup controls everything about where and when temp files get created. Two checkboxes determine most of the behavior.

Remember Current Session vs. Session Snapshot

“Remember current session for next launch” saves which files were open when you closed Notepad++. It writes this info to session.xml in the config directory. But it does not save your unsaved changes.

“Enable session snapshot and periodic backup” is the one that actually saves copies of your modified, unsaved documents to the backup folder. This is the setting you need turned on if you want crash recovery to work.

These two settings are linked. You cannot enable session snapshot without also enabling “Remember current session.” The Notepad++ community has discussed this coupling extensively, and the consensus is that it makes sense. Snapshots of your edits are pointless if Notepad++ does not remember which files to reopen.

Simple Backup vs. Verbose Backup

Under “Backup on save,” you get three options:

• None: No copy gets made when you save. Session snapshots still function independently.
• Simple: Creates a single .bak file alongside your original. Overwrites on each save.
• Verbose: Creates a timestamped copy every time you save. These pile up fast.

Verbose mode is useful if you need file history but don’t use version control. Just know that your backup folder will grow quickly.

The default “Backup on save” setting is set to None. A long-running GitHub issue (#10725) has asked the Notepad++ team to change this default to “Simple” because users keep losing data and blaming the editor.

Changing the Backup Interval

The default 7-second interval works for most people. But if you are editing very large files (100MB+), those periodic writes can cause performance issues and generate big uploads if you sync through a cloud service like Dropbox.

To adjust it: Settings > Preferences > Backup, then change the number in “Backup in every X seconds.”

A 2024 CrashPlan report found that only 35% of organizations achieve full recovery of all data after a loss event. Keeping your backup interval low and your settings correctly configured is one of the simplest protections you have.

How to Find Temp Files After a Notepad++ Crash

Your computer just restarted unexpectedly, or Notepad++ froze and you had to kill it through Task Manager. The files you were working on are gone from the tabs. Here is what to do.

Step-by-Step Recovery From the Backup Folder

First: Open File Explorer and go to %AppData%Notepad++backup.

Sort the files by “Date modified” in descending order. Your most recent unsaved work should be at the top. Right-click a file and choose “Edit with Notepad++” to check its contents.

Second: If the backup folder is empty or the files aren’t there, check the Windows temp directory at %TEMP%. Look for any .dump files or recently modified .txt files. Notepad++ occasionally writes crash recovery files here.

Third: If you still come up empty, use Windows File Explorer’s search. Set the date filter to the last hour or day and search for .txt or the filename you remember across your entire C: drive.

Getting used to how to use Notepad++ means also knowing where your data goes when things go wrong.

Recovering Unsaved New Documents

This is the scenario that causes the most panic. You typed pages of notes into a “new 1” tab and never saved it anywhere.

If “Enable session snapshot and periodic backup” was turned on, those unsaved new documents exist in the backup folder. They will have names like new 1 or new 2 without any file extension.

If that setting was turned off? There is no copy. The data only existed in memory, and when the process died, it went with it.

One common gotcha: if you use Notepad++ as your Git commit editor with the -multiInst -nosession flags, the session snapshot feature gets silently disabled for that instance. Multiple community threads document cases where Git integration caused the “Enable session snapshot” checkbox to get permanently unchecked, leading to data loss on the next crash.

The Notepad++ community FAQ recommends using a separate portable installation for Git to avoid this problem entirely.

Notepad++ Portable Version Temp File Paths

The portable version of Notepad++ changes everything about file locations. Instead of storing config and backup files in %AppData%, it keeps them relative to wherever the notepad++.exe file sits.

Where Portable Backups Go

In a portable installation, a zero-byte file called doLocalConf.xml exists alongside the executable. This file tells Notepad++ to use local-config mode. All settings, sessions, and backups live in subdirectories of the application folder itself.

Your backup path becomes something like:

D:PortableAppsNotepad++backup

The Notepad++ User Manual confirms that the portable configuration directory takes priority over %AppData%Notepad++ when doLocalConf.xml is present. You can verify this through the ? menu > Debug Info, which will show “Local Conf mode: ON.”

USB and Cloud Drive Considerations

Running Notepad++ portable from a USB drive means your temp files travel with you. Good for portability. Bad if the drive gets corrupted or removed during a write operation.

If you are running the portable version from a cloud-synced directory (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive), the periodic backup writes every 7 seconds. That creates a lot of sync activity for large files.

IBM’s 2024 Cost of a Data Breach Report found that 82% of breaches involved cloud-stored data. While that stat applies more to enterprise environments, the principle holds. Storing unsaved work in a cloud-synced folder adds a layer of risk if that sync service has an outage or conflict.

For developers who compare files in Notepad++ across machines, the portable version makes this easier since you can carry identical configurations everywhere. Just watch the backup folder size.

How to Change Where Notepad++ Saves Temp Files

This is one of the most requested features in the Notepad++ community, and the answer is frustrating.

Custom Backup Directory for “Backup on Save”

You can* change the directory for “Backup on save” files. Go to Settings > Preferences > Backup, check “Custom Backup Directory,” and enter your preferred path.

This only affects files created when you press Ctrl+S (or File > Save). It has zero effect on session snapshot files.

The Session Snapshot Path Problem

The session snapshot backup path is not user-configurable through the Preferences UI. The path is hardcoded in the Notepad++ source code to append backup to your user profile directory.

The field appears in the Preferences dialog but is grayed out and non-editable. This has confused users for years. The GitHub issue tracking this (#3096) was opened in March 2017 and remains unresolved.

Workarounds that actually work:

• Cloud Config setting: Go to Settings > Preferences > Cloud & Link and set a cloud path. This redirects backup files to that location. It is the most commonly recommended fix in the community forums.
• Windows symbolic link: Create a directory junction using mklink /J in Command Prompt. Point the default backup folder to wherever you actually want files stored.
• The -settingsDir flag: Launch Notepad++ with notepad++.exe -settingsDir="C:yourpath" to redirect the entire settings directory, including session.xml.

When working with software configuration management, the inability to set backup paths through a standard interface is the kind of thing that makes you question how a tool handles its own codebase.

Editing config.xml Directly

If you are comfortable with manual edits, open %AppData%Notepad++config.xml in a separate text editor (not Notepad++ itself, since it locks its own config file).

Look for the <GUIConfig name="Backup"> section. You can adjust backup type, interval, and the custom backup directory path directly in the XML. After saving changes, restart Notepad++ for them to take effect.

Don’t forget: formatting XML in Notepad++ with a plugin like XML Tools makes this much easier to read before you start changing values.

Temp Files That Notepad++ Does Not Delete Automatically

Notepad++ cleans up after itself most of the time. But “most of the time” is not “always,” and the exceptions can eat up disk space fast if you’re not paying attention.

Verbose Backup Accumulation

Every single Ctrl+S creates a new timestamped copy when verbose backup mode is active. The files follow the pattern filename.ext.yyyy-mm-ddhhmmss and land in either the default backup folder or your custom backup directory.

Notepad++ never prunes these. They grow indefinitely.

A community discussion on the Notepad++ GitHub suggested adding auto-cleanup with a configurable file count limit (say, keep the last 10 backups per file). That feature does not exist yet. If you save frequently across dozens of open files, your backup directory can easily hit thousands of entries within weeks.

Your mileage will vary, but I have seen users report backup folders exceeding 4GB after a couple years of verbose backup use. Manual cleanup is your only option for now.

Session Snapshot Leftovers After Crashes

Session snapshot files are supposed to disappear once you manually save a document. During a normal exit, Notepad++ tidies up the backup folder.

After a crash? Those snapshot files stick around. They have to, because that is how crash recovery works.

The issue is that old crash recovery files from months ago can pile up if you don’t actively manage them. Notepad++ does not distinguish between “recent crash backup I still need” and “stale crash backup from six months ago.” Both sit in the same %AppData%Notepad++backup folder.

What Is Safe to Delete

Safe to remove:

• Files with old timestamps in the backup folder that you have already saved elsewhere
• Any .dump files left over from past crashes you have already resolved

Not safe to remove:

• Files that match currently open, unsaved tabs
• Anything referenced in session.xml

Sophos, a security firm, notes that some antivirus products move files from the AppData directory into quarantine without notification. Always check your antivirus quarantine list if backup files seem to vanish on their own.

For anyone managing a large software system, this kind of manual file maintenance feels outdated. But that is where Notepad++ currently stands.

Common Problems With Notepad++ Temp File Access

Finding the backup folder is only half the battle. Getting into it, and finding what you need once you’re there, is where most people get stuck.

Hidden Files and Folder Visibility

The AppData folder is hidden by default on Windows 10 and Windows 11. If you browse through File Explorer without adjusting visibility settings, the folder simply does not appear under your user profile.

Fix: Open File Explorer, click View > Show > Hidden Items (Windows 11) or View > Hidden Items checkbox (Windows 10). The AppData folder appears immediately after toggling this on.

Or skip the browsing entirely. Type %AppData%Notepad++backup directly into the address bar. The environment variable resolves the full path automatically.

Permission Issues on Corporate Machines

Group Policy restrictions on managed workstations can block write access to specific directories under AppData. If Notepad++ cannot write to its backup folder, session snapshots fail silently. No error message. No warning.

You just lose your unsaved work on the next crash.

Microsoft’s Digital Defense Report 2024 noted the company blocked 237 billion brute force attack signals in one year. Corporate IT teams tighten AppData permissions as part of this broader security posture, sometimes catching Notepad++ backup writes as collateral.

The Notepad++ User Manual recommends checking the ? menu > Debug Info output if you suspect config or backup paths are being redirected by corporate policy.

Antivirus Interference

Windows Defender, Avast, and Bitdefender have all been reported in community threads as interfering with the Notepad++ backup directory. The fix is always the same: add %AppData%Notepad++ to your antivirus exclusion list.

Cloud Sync Conflicts

If your user profile or Documents folder has been redirected to OneDrive (common on Windows 11 fresh installs), your AppData path itself remains local. But if someone manually syncs the AppData folder through OneDrive or Dropbox, things break.

The Notepad++ Cloud Config setting writes backup files to the cloud path. When that cloud folder becomes temporarily unavailable (network drop, service outage), backup settings silently revert to default. Community posts confirm this behavior. The settings return once the folder is accessible again, but any changes made during the outage period have no backup.

People who work across multiple machines using a source control management setup avoid this problem entirely by keeping code in repositories. But for quick notes and scratch files, the cloud sync issue catches plenty of users off guard.

When Temp Files Are Unrecoverable

Sometimes the files are just gone. No backup exists. There is no magic recovery path.

This happens when:

• Both “Remember current session” and “Enable session snapshot” were turned off
• Notepad++ exited cleanly (you clicked “No” when asked to save)
• The disk itself failed or was reformatted

As a last resort, Windows Previous Versions (powered by Volume Shadow Copy Service) might have a snapshot of the backup folder from before the loss. Right-click the backup folder, select Properties > Previous Versions, and check if any restore points exist.

File recovery tools like Recuva can scan the %AppData%Notepad++backup directory for deleted files that haven’t been overwritten yet. But this is not guaranteed. The Notepad++ community FAQ is direct about it: if the data never reached disk, no tool can bring it back.

Notepad++ Temp Files on Different Windows Versions

The %AppData% environment variable resolves to different absolute paths depending on your Windows version and user profile setup. This matters when you’re trying to find temp files manually or writing scripts that reference the backup path.

Path Differences by Windows Version

The path is technically the same from Vista through Windows 11. But the [Username] portion can differ even for the same account across OS versions. A Notepad++ community thread documents a case where migrating from Windows 10 to Windows 11 changed the username directory from phankins to phank, breaking all hardcoded paths in session.xml and config.xml.

Windows 11 OneDrive Folder Redirection

Windows 11 aggressively pushes OneDrive integration during setup. Fresh installs often redirect Desktop, Documents, and Pictures to OneDrive by default.

AppData itself is not redirected. Microsoft explicitly warns against redirecting AppData to OneDrive. But the confusion happens because users see their Documents folder in OneDrive and assume everything under their profile has moved.

Notepad++ backup files stay at C:Users[Username]AppDataRoamingNotepad++backup regardless of OneDrive status. Always.

UAC and Admin vs. Standard User Paths

Running Notepad++ as administrator versus running it as a standard user does not change the AppData path. The %AppData% variable always points to the current user’s Roaming folder, even in an elevated session.

Where it gets weird is with Notepad++’s installation directory. If you installed to C:Program FilesNotepad++ and try to write configs there (portable mode), UAC will block writes unless you’re running as admin. The Notepad++ Debug Info will show “Admin mode: ON” or “OFF” to help you figure this out.

Anyone familiar with the differences between Notepad++ and Windows Notepad knows that the built-in Notepad in Windows 11 now stores its own session data in a completely different location: C:Users[Username]AppDataLocalPackagesMicrosoft.WindowsNotepad_...LocalState. Don’t confuse the two.

Legacy Windows 7 Behavior

Windows 7 reached end of support in January 2020, but plenty of machines still run it. Notepad++ continues to support Windows 7 as of recent versions.

The backup path and behavior are identical to Windows 10. The only real difference is that Windows 7 doesn’t have the “Hidden items” toggle in the same spot. You need to go to Organize > Folder and Search Options > View > Show hidden files and folders.

Notepad++ uses the Win32 API and the Scintilla editing component, both of which run on Windows 7 without issues. Config files, session files, and backup paths all function the same way. If you are migrating from Windows 7 to Windows 10 or 11, you can copy the entire %AppData%Notepad++ folder to the new machine and restore your full setup, including unsaved tabs. Just update the hardcoded paths inside session.xml if your username changed.

FAQ on Where Does Notepad++ Save Temp Files

What is the default backup folder for Notepad++?

The default location is C:Users[YourUsername]AppDataRoamingNotepad++backup. You can reach it quickly by typing %AppData%Notepad++backup into the Windows File Explorer address bar or the Run dialog.

Does Notepad++ auto save files?

Yes. With “Enable session snapshot and periodic backup” turned on, Notepad++ saves copies of all open documents every 7 seconds by default. This includes brand-new files you never manually saved.

How do I recover unsaved Notepad++ files after a crash?

Go to %AppData%Notepad++backup and sort by date modified. Your most recent unsaved work should appear at the top. Right-click and open with Notepad++ to check the contents.

Why is the Notepad++ backup folder empty?

The “Enable session snapshot and periodic backup” setting was likely turned off. This can happen silently when using Notepad++ as a Git commit editor with the -nosession flag. Check Settings > Preferences > Backup.

Can I change where Notepad++ saves temp files?

The session snapshot path is hardcoded and not directly editable. The workaround is to set a cloud config path under Settings > Preferences > Cloud & Link, or create a Windows symbolic link using mklink /J.

Where does the Notepad++ portable version store backups?

Portable installations store backups in a backup subfolder next to the notepad++.exe file. The presence of doLocalConf.xml tells the application to use local paths instead of AppData.

What is the difference between session snapshot and backup on save?

Session snapshots protect unsaved edits by writing copies every few seconds. Backup on save creates copies only when you manually save. They serve different purposes and can both be active at the same time.

Does Notepad++ delete old temp files automatically?

Session snapshot files get removed when you save the document. But verbose backup files accumulate indefinitely with no auto-cleanup. You need to manually delete old entries from the backup directory.

Why can’t I find the AppData folder on my computer?

The AppData folder is hidden by default on Windows 10 and Windows 11. Enable hidden items in File Explorer under View settings, or bypass it entirely by typing %AppData% in the address bar.

Can antivirus software delete Notepad++ backup files?

Yes. Windows Defender and third-party antivirus tools can quarantine files from the AppData directory without warning. Add %AppData%Notepad++ to your antivirus exclusion list to prevent this.

Conclusion

Understanding where Notepad++ saves temp files comes down to one path: %AppData%Notepad++backup`. That single folder holds your session snapshots, periodic backups, and unsaved document recovery files.

The settings under Preferences > Backup control everything. Make sure both “Remember current session for next launch” and “Enable session snapshot and periodic backup” are checked. Without those two boxes ticked, crash recovery does not work.

Portable installations keep backups next to the executable instead. Windows version differences are minimal, but watch out for username path changes when migrating between machines.

Cloud sync conflicts and antivirus quarantine are the two most common reasons backup files go missing. Add the Notepad++ backup directory to your exclusion list now, before you need it.

If your work matters, don’t rely on Notepad++ backups alone. Pair it with a proper file recovery strategy. Save frequently, keep verbose backups enabled, and clean the backup folder once a month.

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Bogdan Sandu

Bogdan Sandu specializes in web design, focusing on creating user-friendly websites, and innovative UI kits.

Many of his resources are available on various design marketplaces and for free on Codepen.

Over the years, he's worked with a range of clients and contributed to design publications like Design Your Way, Designmodo, WebDesignerDepot, WPDean, Speckyboy, and Slider Revolution among others.

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