Install TextFX plugin to notepad++
Go onto SourceForge and tracked down the latest TextFX file to import manually:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/npp-plugins/files/TextFX/TextFX%20v0.26/
It's from
2009-08-02
So, how much longer will it work?
I download and unzip
C:\Users\USERNAME\Downloads\TextFX.v0.26.unicode.bin
Stop notepad++, and Run Notepad++ as admin
within NotePad++ choose "Settings" | "Import" | "Import plugin(s)..." and import the .DLL from that location.
Immediately I see a "TextFX" menu item.
I then exit Notepad++ so I'm no longer running as administrator.
When I restart Notepad++ as non admin I still have the "TextFX" menu, so the plugin has worked.
Things that don't work
Use the technique above, as the following leads nowhere:
Trying to install TextFX through the plugin manager (Plugins | PLugin Manager | Find available... select TextFX, press Install)
A dialog appears showing download progress from a url starting with: "http://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/npp-plugins/TextFX/TextFX%20v"
But then it errors with:
---------------------------
Installation Error
---------------------------
Installation of TextFX Characters failed.
---------------------------
OK
---------------------------
On the "Plugin Manager" dialog when I press "Settings" I see this message:
Plugin Config path is:
C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Notepad++\plugins\Config
Plugins in user's AppData directory are disabled - to enable in Notepad++ version 5.9.7 onwards place an empty file called allowAppDataPlugins.xml in the Notepad++ directory.
Anyway, to get around the error above, I used the technique above instead.