IntelliJ IDEA copilot plugin fails to update or delete

[simonl65]

When attempting copilot update, via settings > plugins > Update I get the following error dialogue upon IDE restart:

The IDE failed to install or update some plugins.
Please try again, and if the problem persists, please report it
to https://jb.gg/ide/critical-startup-errors

The cause: java.nio.file.AccessDeniedException: C:\Users<myUsername>\AppData\Local\JetBrains\Toolbox\apps\IDEA-U\ch-0\213.6777.52.plugins\github-copilot-intellij\copilot-agent\bin\copilot-agent-win.exe

[simonl65]

After several IDE restarts I have been able to uninstall CoPilot and re-install the latest version.

[jansorg]

Most likely, this was caused by a bug, which did not properly terminate the Copilot helper process when the IDE terminated. The latest release fixed this problem. Restarting Windows to terminate the process is a quick fix to make it apply the update at next restart of the IDE.

[Chiralajaya]

Whenever I close the IDE and reopen it copilot is automatically uninstall, then after i was unable to install Copilot

[marekokorossmann]

The best workaround is to NOT restart when it asks. Shut down the IDE completely. Shut down all other jetbrains processes (toolbox doesn't need to be shut down). Then start the IDE again entirely.

Worked for me also. Thanks! 👍 :-)
Not needed to restart OS nor reinstall of the Copilot.
Fixed in less than one minute.

[mikedpsm]

Still having this issue in October/2024. The only fix i found was reinstalling intellij

[Nyde42]

@mikedpsm I'm also still having this issue. What worked for me is:

• Disable Copilot
• manually close and re-open IDE (don't use the restart button)
• uninstall Copilot
• close and re-open again
• install Copilot
• close and re-open again

I don't know if closing and re-opening is actually necessary after EVERY step, but better to make sure.

[mikedpsm]

Yeah, that worked for me too, but as soon as the next update arrived, i had the same issue, so repeating those steps become a pain in the a**

[OguzhanUmutlu]

I disabled Copilot, uninstalled and restarted the IDE and installed Copilot again. After these attempts Copilot works just fine.

[ziadayman179]

this is really worked thank you

[meza]

I'm having the same issue with 1.2.15.2816

[petervdpas]

Just disable and update (do not enable on restart)! After update and restart... enable!

[Juraj-Masiar]

It just happened to me and the solution was super simple, instead of clicking "Restart idea to install updates", I've closed Webstorm manually and reopened it moments later and all was OK.
I think the build-in "Restart" feature is starting the IDE too soon.

[Davnn1]

same issue, same solution here. thanks a lot

[Wovi10]

Worked for me in Rider 2024.1.4

[SamuelClab]

Worked for me in PhpStorm 2024.1.4

[dmwyatt]

The "latest release" has not fixed this problem.

[Sleepstars]

Same issue, it works in Pycharm 2024.1.4

[nik-tripp]

1.4.19.4986 → 1.5.0.5148 seems to be causing this issue for multiple people today

[reza-repo]

This is happening again. preventing me to upgrade to 1.5.

I tried this workaround and it worked: https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/17298#discussioncomment-8717542

[KnightPeng]

I face this problem today, my solution:

• Settings>Plugin>Disable [GitHub Copilot]
• Restart IDE manually
• Settings>Plugin>Update [GitHub Copilot]
• Restart IDE with the shown button
• Done!

[sz332]

This solved my issue, thank you!

[Megasteel32]

running as administrator on windows fixed this issue for me

[Remzi1993]

That's not really a fix but a silly workaround. Should work without admin privileges.

[kamronbatman]

FYI - It doesn't fix the problem at all. It may fix other problems with similar errors, but not this one.

[RKlitgaard]

none of the above fixed it for me, but installing the plugin via the https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/17718-github-copilot/versions worked

Update. still experince that copilot chat is making android studio crash

[laubrino]

Same issue here today when updating the plugin.

The IDE failed to install or update some plugins.
Please try again, and if the problem persists, please report it
to https://jb.gg/ide/critical-startup-errors

The cause: java.nio.file.AccessDeniedException: C:\Users\...\AppData\Roaming\JetBrains\IntelliJIdea2024.1\plugins\github-copilot-intellij\copilot-agent\bin\copilot-agent-win.exe

[ebesavara]

Do you have plan to do something with that?! It's happening again in datagrip. in one version it was solved now in newest it's back.
the hell... Datagrip 2024.1.4 on Windows 11

[thoscilo]

Issue still observed:

The cause: java.nio.file.AccessDeniedException: C:\Users\USER_NAME\AppData\Roaming\JetBrains\PyCharmCE2024.1\plugins\github-copilot-intellij\copilot-agent\bin\copilot-agent-win.exe

Unable to update: 1.5.10.5840 → 1.5.11.5872

Used version:
PyCharm 2024.1.3 (Community Edition)
Build #PC-241.17890.14, built on June 4, 2024
Runtime version: 17.0.11+1-b1207.24 amd64
VM: OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM by JetBrains s.r.o.
Windows 11.0

[thoscilo]

Those steps resolved issue as W/A:

• uninstall GH Copilot
• restart ide
• install GH Copilot

[AMueckl]

The recipe @ricar2ce already mentioned above broken down in steps would go like this:

• let the GH Copilot update as usual, but do not use the restart IDE action of the update process
• close the IDE using the File -> Exit action manually
• start the IDE again

[1592363624]

[jwwsjlm]

这对我好像没效果..更新完成copilot之后.不要立马重启ide...等个1分钟2分钟..然后再手动关闭打开 正常了..

[jwwsjlm]

这对我的好像没效果..更新完成copilot之后.不要立马重启ide...等个1分钟2分钟..然后再手动关闭打开正常了..

或者任务管理器里面给copilot-agent-win这个进程手动结束...

[yidasanqian]

The IDE failed to install or update some plugins.
Please try again, and if the problem persists, please report it
to https://jb.gg/ide/critical-startup-errors

The cause: java.nio.file.AccessDeniedException: C:\Users\xx\AppData\Roaming\JetBrains\IntelliJIdea2023.3\plugins\github-copilot-intellij\copilot-agent\bin\copilot-agent-win.exe

[Noctumsempra]

Hello everyone,

I'm also having trouble to update all these AI-related plugins [*1] (same "java.nie.file Exception ... access denied" thing) in the traditional way. But I found this WORKAROUND to be useful (a bit tedious, but considering the amount of time I lost by trying all the different proposals in this thread it's pretty short time):

Steps that worked for me:

• Close your IDE.
• Download the plugin's .ZIP from plugins.jetbrains.com (stable version or the one you want)
• Delete C:\Users\<YOUR USER>\AppData\Roaming\JetBrains\<YOUR IDE>\plugins\<YOUR PLUGIN> folder.
• Extract the .zip into C:\Users\<YOUR USER>\AppData\Roaming\JetBrains\<YOUR IDE>\plugins.
• Go up one level in Windows explorer.
• Right click the C:\Users\<YOUR USER>\AppData\Roaming\JetBrains\<YOUR IDE>\plugins folder, and hit properties.
• Make sure "Read-only" is turned completely OFF and apply changes for this folder and all subfolders.
• Apply and close dialog.
• Start your IDE.

Hope that helped.

[*1] AI-related plugins being Github Copilot, TabNine and Codeium.

[jmbianca]

It work for the Codeium plugin too! Many thanks!!

[chimchimp]

This workaround does work, but so annoying to close all projects to bare metal and shutdown. It's 2024, why hasn't this bug been fixed???! Github, I want my money back!

[DeoVermaak]

What worked for me (though might have just been per chance)

I launched Rider and in the dialog where you select the project you want to open, I instead went to the bottom left menu, selected plugins, clicked the update copilot plugin, and then clicked restart IDE and it restarted correctly for me

[matachi]

Thanks, that worked for me too

[colomborodrigo]

Me too. Thanks for sharing

[aliforever]

I had to kill the process name mentioned in the error message, in my case it was language_server_windows_x64.exe. Then restarted IDE and updated the plugin successfully.

[ebesavara]

That issue is back. This is starting to be nonsense. And there are several other bugs, but i don't even feel like reporting them if you can't solve one.

[mderzi]

seeing the same issue today

any updates?

[isaacwein]

i have this issue today with Goland 2024.2.1.1
copilot 1.5.21.6667

i tried to uninstall copilot

[naefp]

hit this today...

[Noctumsempra]

This workaround keeps working flawlessly for me:

• Update plugins using settings dialog as usual.
• Close settings dialog (and REFUSE to restart IDE when prompted).
• Close IDE manually.
• Delete from %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\JetBrains\<IDE_and_VERSION>\plugins any folders belonging to those specific plugins being updated.
• Once they're fully deleted: Start IDE (these folders will be restored/updated automatically by the IDE at start cause it ends the installation this way)

[GregSotiropoulos]

That worked for me, thanks! At first I couldn't delete the copilot folder; it turned out this was due to copilot-language-server.exe running in the background, even after Pycharm was closed. Also there were 3 such processes running. I guess at some point something went wrong and a process could not be killed, so new ones were started upon IDE restarts. After killing them all, I was able to delete the folder, and Pycharm then updated copilot to the latest version.

[mortensimon]

Dec 2024, this issue surfaced again! This is the second time (last time happened some months back). Annoying. I modified Noctumsempra's list slightly, trying to keep it short and clear:

• Uninstall plugin - but do NOT restart IDE when prompted
• Close settings and go to File->Exit (manual exit)

At this point, the Copilot-plugin seems to be properly shut down. And removed. You can now re-install it.