Cursor IDE automatically getting removed from GitHub Desktop external editor

[Arun_Palanoor]

Where does the bug appear (feature/product)?

Background Agent (GitHub, Slack, Web, Linear)

Describe the Bug

I couldn’t open Cursor directly from GitHub Desktop today as it seems to have been automatically removed. Though Cursor seemed to show up in installed list of programs, it had magically stopped working overnight. I did reinstall Cursor and added it back to GitHub Desktop, but saw similar posts over the last few months, and it seems to be happening a lot. I don’t know if it is some Anti-malware or GitHub who has to be blamed here, but it is really a frustrating event to start the day.

Steps to Reproduce

Open GitHub and try to open repository in External editor. This option will not be available/missing Cursor.
Reinstall Cursor, Go to Github Options and add Cursor.exe path to Integrations option.

Expected Behavior

After adding Cursor.exe path to Integrations option, the Option to Open in External Editor will be reinstated

Operating System

Windows 10/11

Current Cursor Version (Menu → About Cursor → Copy)

Version: 2.0.74
VSCode Version: 1.99.3

Does this stop you from using Cursor

Yes - Cursor is unusable

[deanrie]

Hey, thanks for the report. This is an unusual case. To understand why Cursor disappears from GitHub Desktop, please check:

1. When this happens, does Cursor.exe still exist at the install path? typically C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\Programs\cursor\Cursor.exe

2. Antivirus/Security:

• What antivirus or security software is installed?
• Check your antivirus quarantine logs around the time Cursor disappeared - was anything flagged or removed?

3. GitHub Desktop version:

• Which version are you using? (Help → About GitHub Desktop)

4. Recent updates:

• Did Windows or GitHub Desktop update shortly before the issue appeared?

The fact that reinstalling only helps temporarily suggests something external may be interfering. If Cursor was quarantined, add an exception in your security software so it isn’t flagged again.