Windows

Where Does Notepad++ Save Backups and Sessions?

Notepad++ backup folder for unsaved files, plus session.xml and config.xml locations on Windows.

Last updated

Notepad++ autosaves unsaved tabs into a backup folder as timestamped copies. After a crash, reopening the app normally restores them from there.

Session state (open files, cursor spots) lives in session.xml next to the config. Both sit under AppData Roaming unless you run the portable build.

Where Notepad++ stores this, by platform

Windows
%APPDATA%\Notepad++\backup

Unsaved tab copies land here when session snapshots run (Settings, Preferences, Backup). session.xml and config.xml sit one level up. Portable builds keep everything next to the exe instead.

Frequently asked questions

Notepad++ crashed. Where is my unsaved file?

Reopen Notepad++ first; it restores from backup automatically. If tabs stay empty, open the backup folder and sort by date for the newest copy.

How do I move Notepad++ settings to a new PC?

Copy the whole %APPDATA%\Notepad++ folder. That carries config, session, themes and the backup dir in one move.

Notice an outdated path? Let us know.