Editor Mode Inverted and Ghost Link Creation Broken After Clean Reinstall

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Obsidian Support Request Summary

User: mdunleavy
Obsidian Version: 1.8.10
Operating System: Windows 10 Pro, Build 19045

Core Problem Description:
The editor’s view/edit state is fundamentally inverted and non-functional for creating new notes from links.

  1. When the PENCIL icon ( :pencil:) is showing at the top right of a pane (indicating Live Preview or Source Mode), the editor is locked. I cannot type or edit the text.
  2. When the BOOK icon ( :open_book:) is showing at the top right of a pane (indicating Reading View), the editor is unlocked, and I can type and edit text.
  3. This behavior is the direct opposite of the expected functionality.
  4. Furthermore, creating a new note by clicking on a “ghost link” (e.g., [[A Note That Does Not Exist]]) does not work in any mode. A simple click or a Ctrl+Click on the ghost link does nothing.

Summary of Troubleshooting Steps Performed (Exhaustive):
We have undertaken a comprehensive troubleshooting process to isolate the cause, and the problem has persisted through every step.

  1. Application Restart: The issue survives a simple restart of the Obsidian application.
  2. Full System Reboot: The issue survives a full computer reboot with no other applications running.
  3. Multiple Process Check: Discovered and terminated multiple “Obsidian.exe” instances in Task Manager. The issue persisted after a subsequent reboot.
  4. Theme and Snippets Check: The issue occurs with the Default Theme active and with no CSS snippets enabled.
  5. Community Plugin Check (Restricted Mode): The issue persists when Obsidian is launched in Restricted Mode, with all community plugins disabled.
  6. Drive Conflict Check: A potential conflict with a backup vault on a separate (E:) drive was identified. That drive was physically disconnected from the computer, and the issue still persisted.
  7. “Clean Vault Configuration” Test:
  • With Obsidian closed, the vault-specific configuration folder (.obsidian) was renamed to .obsidian_BACKUP.
  • Upon relaunching Obsidian, a fresh, default .obsidian folder was created for the vault.
  • The inverted editor problem and broken link creation still occurred with this fresh, default vault configuration.
  1. “Clean Application Reinstallation” Process:
  • Obsidian was fully uninstalled via Windows “Add or remove programs.”
  • The global Obsidian application data folder (%appdata%\obsidian) was manually deleted.
  • The vault-specific .obsidian folder was manually deleted.
  • Any other stray .obsidian folders on the C: drive were searched for and confirmed to be removed.
  • The computer was rebooted.
  • The latest version of Obsidian was downloaded from obsidian.md and reinstalled.
  • The existing vault folder was opened as a fresh vault.
  • The inverted editor problem and broken link creation still persist immediately upon opening the vault with a completely clean installation.

Conclusion:
The issue is not related to vault-specific settings, plugins, themes, or drive conflicts. The problem appears to be a fundamental issue with the Obsidian application’s core editor component on this specific Windows system, as it survives a complete and clean reinstallation process. The editor state and UI icon are desynchronized, and link-creation functionality is broken regardless of the displayed mode.

We are seeking guidance on what could cause such persistent, inverted behavior at the core application level and what further diagnostic or resolution steps can be taken.

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The icon in the top right indicates which mode you’re going towards. Not what you’re in. Kind of counter-intuitive, but it has been this way for many versions. So they’re not indicating which view you’re in, but which view you could be changing to.

The icon in the status bar at the bottom on the other hand indicates which mode you’re actually in.

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