Cursor does not modifies files, even if it thinks so

Bug Reports
1

Where does the bug appear (feature/product)?

Cursor IDE

Describe the Bug

The Agent sometime do modify the files sometime does not. This apperas to be totally random because one minute it works, after a few minutes it stops modifying the files and simply write portion of code in the chat. The agent keeps saying the it did modified the files whe it is not true.
maybe after a few times of after yelling at it (yes it does makes a diference often) it starts again to modify the files, and the stops again.

It is really frustrating because this tool becames totally useless if it’s not able to modify the files. And there is no logical reason why sometime it works and sometimes not, but it is making me waste lots of time trying to persuade a tool to function as it should.

Steps to Reproduce

totally random… just ask agent to modify files, sometime it works sometimes not

Expected Behavior

always modify the file and never write diffs on the chat

Screenshots / Screen Recordings

Screenshot 2025-08-16 160234.png
Screenshot 2025-08-16 160234.png2018×727 102 KB

Operating System

Windows 10/11

Current Cursor Version (Menu → About Cursor → Copy)

Version: 1.4.5 (user setup)
VSCode Version: 1.99.3
Commit: af58d92614edb1f72bdd756615d131bf8dfa5290
Date: 2025-08-13T02:08:56.371Z
Electron: 34.5.8
Chromium: 132.0.6834.210
Node.js: 20.19.1
V8: 13.2.152.41-electron.0
OS: Windows_NT x64 10.0.26100

Additional Information

after asking Agent about what the issue could be, it says that it has no access to the tools for modifying the file … whatever that means

Does this stop you from using Cursor

Sometimes - I can sometimes use Cursor

2

New piece of information:
If I put the chat in “Ask” mode then cursor does not modify the files, as expected in this case.
It writes the code in the chat, and if I go on the top right corner of the code snippet there is an ‘Apply’ button.
Clicking the apply button the “Ask” chat succesfully applies the changes on the files, then I can click on “Keep” and everything is ok.

In the “Agent” mode it does not applies changes to files, and there is no “apply” button.
So the Ask is able to do what the Agent is not, even though it should be the opposite.

Basically Agent randomly loses the ability to “apply” the changes.

The workaround is to set Curson on Ask mode, then click on apply → apply all → keep all.

For now this seems to work but it is a bit annoying.
I guess it should be easy to fix the agent.

Thanks

3

hi @Alberto_Cardellino could you share more details as I can not reproduce the issue:

4

I understand you cannot reproduce it, since it’s random.
I tried different combinations of models.
Using this setup of model happens very often

Screenshot 2025-08-17 104918
Screenshot 2025-08-17 104918671×582 13.9 KB

Using the following one today it seems ok … maybe are the brain-icon-models the problematic ones?

Screenshot 2025-08-18 083259
Screenshot 2025-08-18 083259711×393 4.17 KB

5

Some models do perform better on specific codebases and tasks. Its important for you to know which models are able to do certain tasks.

6

I guess you are missing the point.
The models are doing their job perfectly, producing code and diffs.

What is not working is that Cursor (meaning the IDE) is not applying it to the files.
Models are OK. IDE is not.

I don’t know how to make it more clear. The code under the ‘Apply’ button is working for Ask but not when in Agent mode.

1 Like
7

I see, it is clear now. Thank you. I have answered above specific to your last message as my assumption was that there is an issue with a single model.

8

I see. I said ‘fix the agent’ which was misleading. I actually meant ‘IDE in agent mode’, sorry
Anyway as I said it is random. Today it seems ok, yesterday was impossible to make it work.

If I get any other insight I’ll update this issue. It is no more a blocking issue as far as the fallback works
Ask→ manually click on apply button