There is always a history file after opening a file in notepad++, what should I do?

The persistent appearance of a history file after opening a document in Notepad++ is a deliberate and configurable feature of the application, not a malfunction. Notepad++ maintains a series of history files—most notably `session.xml` and `backup`—to enhance user experience by preserving the state of your working environment across sessions. The primary file, `session.xml`, records the list of recently opened files, their paths, and their last known cursor positions, enabling the editor to restore your workspace exactly as you left it upon restart. This functionality is central to Notepad++'s utility for developers and writers who frequently work with multiple files in a single project, as it eliminates the need to manually reopen a complex set of documents.

If the presence or content of these history files raises concerns, such as privacy, disk space, or simply a preference for a clean slate, the mechanism for managing them is found within the application's settings. Within the "Preferences" dialog, specifically under "Backup" and "History," you can disable the "Remember current session for next launch" feature, which will prevent `session.xml` from being updated and effectively stop tracking your open files. For more granular control, you can clear the recent file history list directly from the "File" menu. It is critical to understand that simply deleting the `session.xml` or other history files from your file system while Notepad++ is running, or without adjusting the corresponding settings, will result in the files being regenerated upon the next launch or file operation, as the program will continue to execute its default behavior of recording session data.

The implications of disabling these history features are straightforward but meaningful. You will trade convenience for privacy and determinism; each launch of Notepad++ will begin with an empty workspace, and you will lose the ability to instantly recover your previous set of files. For users working on sensitive documents on a shared system, this is often a necessary and worthwhile trade-off. Alternatively, if the goal is merely to clean up old entries without disabling the feature, manually editing or deleting the `session.xml` file while the application is closed is a viable, albeit technical, solution. The system is designed to create a new, empty history file if it fails to find one at startup. Therefore, the core action required is a conscious settings-based decision within Notepad++ itself, aligning the application's behavior with your specific requirements for session persistence and data retention.