Cursor Chat or Composer History Wiped After Restart
You close Cursor, reopen it, and the chat or Composer history is empty or shows only the last thread. Usually storage corruption, sync issues, or workspace mismatch. Recover and prevent.
⌨️ Cursor & IDE Issues
Cursor stuck indexing, apply failures, wrong file reads, missing context, Composer mis-edits.
IDE-integrated AI tools fail predictably: stuck indexing, broken apply, wrong file reads. Articles here split by IDE behavior: indexing never completes, apply fails, Composer mis-edits, wrong file reads, missing context, Tab suggestions stop, config conflicts. One article, one symptom.
Common problems
- Cursor stuck indexing `.cursorignore` excludes + rebuild index.
- Cursor cannot apply edits File locks / extension conflicts / Composer vs Inline.
- Cursor reads the wrong files Pin references explicitly via @Files.
- Cursor Composer mis-edits Preview diff before apply — don`t batch auto-apply.
- Cursor Tab suggestions stop Account state / model selection / extension conflict.
- Cursor config conflict Workspace settings override user settings.
- Cursor Composer gets confused in large projects Hand-pick @Files + tighten working directory.
- Cursor diff too large to review Reject apply, demand split PRs.
- Cursor terminal command behaves unexpectedly Verify pwd / package manager / env vars.
- Cursor suggestions don`t match repo conventions `.cursorrules` + canonical reference files.
- Cursor edit applied but build breaks Run full typecheck + build after every apply.
- Cursor context panel missing relevant files Manually @Files, rebuild index, meaningful naming.
- Cursor IDE state out of sync after AI edits Revert File to reload, disable auto-save during AI runs.
- Cursor generates duplicate logic Utils README + search before adding helpers.
- Cursor fast / slow request billing confusion Small models for routine; reserve fast for critical work.
- Cursor model list out of date Update Cursor + reload Settings + check rollout status.
- Cursor .cursorrules file not being loaded Workspace root; UTF-8 no BOM; upgrade Cursor.
In-depth articles in this hub
Cursor Cmd-K Inline Edit Spinner Never Returns
You hit Cmd-K, type the change, and the inline popup spins forever. No diff, no commit, no error. Usually network, model, or context. Walk the four root causes.
Cursor Extension Marketplace Shows Network Error or Empty List
The Extensions panel in Cursor returns a network error or an empty list. Cursor uses Open VSX, not Microsoft's marketplace. Configure the right gallery and unblock the install.
Cursor MCP Server Shows Disconnected or Tools Missing
You added an MCP server in Cursor settings but it shows disconnected, or the tools never appear in Composer. Usually transport, path, or schema. Diagnose and fix in five minutes.
Cursor Codebase Index Stale After Rebase or Branch Switch
After a rebase or branch switch, Cursor references files and line numbers that no longer exist. Indexer fell behind your git state. Force re-index and harden the workflow.
Cursor YOLO Mode Runs Shell Commands Without Confirming
Agent mode keeps running shell commands without the confirm prompt, even when you flipped the toggle off. Usually allowlist scope, stale settings, or a workspace override. Fix it.
Cursor Auto Model Picks Weak Model for Hard Task
Cursor's Auto model router routes a complex refactor to a small model, producing shallow or wrong edits. Diagnose routing signals and force the right model for hard tasks.
Cursor Python Venv Not Detected (Wrong Interpreter)
Cursor picks the system Python instead of your project venv, breaking imports, linting, and agent-generated code. Diagnose the interpreter picker, venv discovery, and shell PATH.
Cursor Settings Sync Overwrites Local Config on Other Machine
Cursor Settings Sync pushes outdated config to a second machine, clobbering local rules, keybindings, or MCP servers. Diagnose conflict direction, last-write-wins, and selective sync.
Cursor SSH Remote Connection Drops Mid-Edit
Cursor's SSH Remote session disconnects while you are editing, losing the agent context and unsaved buffer state. Diagnose the keepalive, network, and remote extension host.
Cursor Agent Mode Tool Call Stuck Pending
Agent mode shows a spinner forever on a tool call — usually a hung shell command, network block, or a permission prompt you never accepted.
Cursor Composer Loses Context Mid-Refactor
Composer started strong then forgot which file it was editing — context window blew up; chunk the refactor and recheckpoint.
Cursor Rules File Not Being Loaded
Composer ignores your .cursorrules — usually wrong filename, wrong location, or new-format/old-format mismatch.
Cursor Indexing Never Completes
Index spinner runs for hours with no progress — usually a huge repo, wrong ignore config, symlink loops, or permission failures.