• 6 min read • Namanyay Goel

Cursor Not Working Anymore? Here's the Fix

cursortroubleshootingtechnical issues

Cursor was running perfectly yesterday. Now it won't start, freezes, or crashes constantly. Here's how to fix it fast.

Cursor worked fine yesterday. You were building, everything was smooth. Today you open it and:

  • Won't start at all
  • Opens but immediately freezes
  • Crashes every few minutes
  • Suggestions stopped appearing
  • The chat window is blank

You've tried restarting. Didn't help. You've tried restarting your computer. Still broken.

Here's how to actually fix it.

Quick Fixes (Try These First) #

Fix #1: Clear Cursor's Cache (2 minutes) #

Cursor stores temporary files that can corrupt. Clear them:

On Mac:

rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Cursor/Cache
rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Cursor/GPUCache

On Windows:

Delete: C:\Users\[YourName]\AppData\Roaming\Cursor\Cache
Delete: C:\Users\[YourName]\AppData\Roaming\Cursor\GPUCache

On Linux:

rm -rf ~/.config/Cursor/Cache
rm -rf ~/.config/Cursor/GPUCache

Then restart Cursor.

Fix #2: Reset Cursor Settings (5 minutes) #

Sometimes your settings file gets corrupted.

On Mac:

mv ~/Library/Application\ Support/Cursor/User/settings.json ~/Library/Application\ Support/Cursor/User/settings.json.backup

On Windows:

Rename: C:\Users\[YourName]\AppData\Roaming\Cursor\User\settings.json
to: settings.json.backup

On Linux:

mv ~/.config/Cursor/User/settings.json ~/.config/Cursor/User/settings.json.backup

Restart Cursor. It will create new default settings.

Fix #3: Reinstall Cursor (10 minutes) #

If above didn't work:

  1. Uninstall Cursor completely
  2. Delete leftover files:
    • Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/Cursor
    • Windows: C:\Users\[YourName]\AppData\Roaming\Cursor
    • Linux: ~/.config/Cursor
  3. Download fresh copy from cursor.sh
  4. Install and sign in again

Specific Problems & Fixes #

Problem: Cursor Opens But Chat Doesn't Work #

Symptoms: Cursor starts fine but AI chat is blank or doesn't respond.

Fix:

  1. Check your API key is valid (Settings → API Keys)
  2. Try switching models (GPT-4 → Claude → GPT-3.5)
  3. Check internet connection
  4. Sign out and sign back in

If still broken:

## Clear chat history
rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Cursor/User/workspaceStorage

Problem: Cursor Crashes When Opening Projects #

Symptoms: Works on new files but crashes when opening your project.

Fix:

Your project might have corrupted Cursor workspace data.

In your project folder:

rm -rf .cursor
rm -rf .vscode

Then open project again in Cursor.

Problem: Suggestions Stopped Appearing #

Symptoms: Cursor works but autocomplete/suggestions gone.

Fix:

  1. Check if Copilot++ is enabled (Settings → Features)
  2. Try toggling it off and on
  3. Check if you hit your usage limit (free tier has limits)
  4. Restart Cursor with cache cleared

Problem: Cursor Incredibly Slow #

Symptoms: Everything takes forever, typing lags, freezes constantly.

Fix:

  1. Close large files (10,000+ lines)
  2. Disable extensions you don't need
  3. Clear cache (Fix #1 above)
  4. Check if indexing is running (bottom right corner)
  5. Close other resource-heavy apps

Problem: "Failed to Start" Error #

Symptoms: Error message on startup about failing to start.

Fix:

Usually caused by permission issues or corrupted installation.

On Mac:

sudo chown -R $(whoami) ~/Library/Application\ Support/Cursor

On Windows: Run Cursor as Administrator once, then normal.

On Linux:

sudo chown -R $USER:$USER ~/.config/Cursor

When It's Not Cursor - It's Your Project #

Sometimes the issue isn't Cursor breaking - it's your project getting too complex for Cursor to track.

Signs this is the actual problem:

  • ✅ Cursor works fine on new projects
  • ✅ Cursor works fine on small files
  • ✅ Suggestions are wrong (not missing)
  • ✅ Cursor suggests things that break your code
  • ✅ Takes forever to generate responses

If this sounds familiar, the issue is Cursor losing track of your project.

🔧 Fix Cursor Confusion (Not Technical Issues)

If Cursor runs fine but suggestions are wrong or break your code, it's not a technical problem - Cursor lost track of your project. Giga helps Cursor understand your entire codebase.

Fix Cursor suggestions →

Advanced Fixes #

Reset Cursor Completely (Nuclear Option) #

If nothing else worked:

  1. Uninstall Cursor
  2. Delete ALL Cursor data: 
    # Mac
rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Cursor
rm -rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.cursor.*
rm -rf ~/Library/Saved\ Application\ State/com.cursor.*
 
# Windows
Delete: C:\Users\[YourName]\AppData\Roaming\Cursor
Delete: C:\Users\[YourName]\AppData\Local\Cursor
 
# Linux
rm -rf ~/.config/Cursor
rm -rf ~/.cache/Cursor
  3. Restart computer
  4. Fresh install of Cursor
  5. Sign in, reconfigure settings

Warning: This deletes all your settings, extensions, chat history.

Check System Requirements #

Make sure your system can actually run Cursor:

Minimum:

  • 4GB RAM (8GB recommended)
  • 1GB free disk space
  • Internet connection
  • Modern OS (not ancient Windows 7)

If you're on minimum specs and Cursor keeps crashing, you might need to upgrade hardware.

Network/Firewall Issues #

If Cursor won't connect:

  1. Check firewall isn't blocking Cursor
  2. Try different network (phone hotspot?)
  3. Check if VPN is interfering
  4. Corporate network might block AI services

Prevention (So This Doesn't Happen Again) #

1. Don't max out your system

  • Close unused apps when using Cursor
  • Don't open 50+ files at once
  • Give Cursor at least 4GB RAM to work with

2. Keep Cursor updated

  • Update when prompted
  • Check cursor.sh occasionally for new versions

3. Regular cache clearing

  • Clear cache monthly if you use Cursor daily
  • Prevents buildup of corrupted files

4. Backup your settings

  • Export your settings occasionally
  • Makes recovery easier if you need to reinstall

When to Actually Contact Support #

Try all fixes above first. But contact Cursor support if:

  • Problem persists after complete reinstall
  • Only happens on your machine (works for others)
  • Started after a specific Cursor update
  • Error messages you can't Google
  • Account/billing issues

Cursor support: support@cursor.sh

Include:

  • What you tried
  • Error messages (screenshots)
  • Your OS and Cursor version
  • When it started

Common Questions #

Will I lose my work if I reinstall? #

No. Your code is in your project folders, not in Cursor. Reinstalling Cursor doesn't touch your projects.

You'll lose: Settings, extensions, chat history. Your code is safe.

Why does Cursor break so often? #

It doesn't for most people. If yours breaks constantly:

  • Might be system resource issue
  • Might be conflicting software
  • Might be corrupted installation
  • Or your project needs better context management

Should I switch to VS Code? #

If technical issues: Try fixes above first.

If suggestion quality issues: It's not Cursor - it's your project complexity. Switching won't help.

Does Giga fix technical issues? #

No. Giga doesn't fix crashes, freezes, or Cursor not starting.

Giga fixes: Cursor making wrong suggestions, breaking your code, forgetting your project structure.

Two different problems, two different solutions.

What to Do Right Now #

If Cursor won't start or crashes:

  1. Clear cache (Fix #1)
  2. Try reinstall (Fix #3)
  3. Contact support if still broken

If Cursor works but suggestions are wrong:

  1. This isn't a technical issue
  2. Your project outgrew Cursor's memory
  3. Add context management

Help Cursor track your project → Try Giga