Error Code 5 - Frequent Window Crashes (macOS)

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# Cursor Error Code 5 - Bug Report

## Error Description

**Error Code:** 5

**Error Message:** “The window terminated unexpectedly (reason: ‘crashed’, code: ‘5’)”

## Frequency

**Very frequent** - occurs regularly during normal usage

## Cursor Version Information

- **Cursor Version:** 2.4.28 (Universal)

- **VSCode Version:** 1.105.1

- **Commit:** f3f5cec40024283013878b50c4f9be4002e0b580

- **Build Date:** 2026-02-03T00:56:18.293Z

- **Build Type:** Stable

- **Electron:** 39.2.7

- **Chromium:** 142.0.7444.235

- **Node.js:** 22.21.1

- **V8:** 14.2.231.21-electron.0

## System Information

- **Operating System:** macOS 12.7.4 (Build 21H1123) - Darwin x64 21.6.0

- **Model:** MacBook (exact model could not be determined)

- **RAM:** 16 GB

## When does the error occur?

- During normal usage of Cursor

- When loading older messages/conversations

- When switching between windows

- Unpredictably, without recognizable pattern

## Steps to Reproduce

1. Use Cursor normally

2. After some time, a window crashes

3. Error message “Error Code 5” is displayed

## Expected Behavior

Cursor should run stable without unexpected crashes

## Actual Behavior

Window crashes unexpectedly with error code 5

## Workaround

- Reopen the window (Cursor offers this option)

- Completely restart Cursor

## Additional Information

- Problem occurs very frequently

- Significantly impacts productivity

- Affects various workflows

-–

**Where to report:**

1. Cursor Community Forum: Feature Requests - Cursor - Community Forum

2. GitHub Issues: GitHub · Where software is built

**Recommended categories in forum:**

- Bug Reports

- Crashes / Stability

2

Hi there!

We detected that this may be a bug report, so we’ve moved your post to the Bug Reports category.

To help us investigate and fix this faster, could you edit your original post to include the details from the template below?

Bug Report Template - Click to expand

Where does the bug appear (feature/product)?

  • Cursor IDE
  • Cursor CLI
  • Background Agent (GitHub, Slack, Web, Linear)
  • BugBot
  • Somewhere else…

Describe the Bug
A clear and concise description of what the bug is.

Steps to Reproduce
How can you reproduce this bug? We have a much better chance at fixing issues if we can reproduce them!

  1. …
  2. …
  3. …

Expected Behavior
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Screenshots / Screen Recordings
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Operating System

  • Windows 10/11
  • MacOS
  • Linux

Version Information

  • For Cursor IDE: Menu → About Cursor → Copy
  • For Cursor CLI: Run agent about in your terminal
IDE:
Version: 2.xx.x
VSCode Version: 1.105.1
Commit: ......

CLI:
CLI Version 2026.01.17-d239e66

For AI issues: which model did you use?
Model name (e.g., Sonnet 4, Tab…)

For AI issues: add Request ID with privacy disabled
Request ID: f9a7046a-279b-47e5-ab48-6e8dc12daba1
For Background Agent issues, also post the ID: bc-…

Additional Information
Add any other context about the problem here.

Does this stop you from using Cursor?

  • Yes - Cursor is unusable
  • Sometimes - I can sometimes use Cursor
  • No - Cursor works, but with this issue

The more details you provide, the easier it is for us to reproduce and fix the issue. Thanks!

4

Hey, thanks for the report. Here are a few steps to narrow down the cause:

  1. Check extensions
    Run this from Terminal:
cursor --disable-extensions

If the crashes stop, re-enable extensions one by one to find the one causing it.

  1. Reset Cursor data
    This helped many users with the same error:
cd ~/Library/"Application Support"
mv Cursor CursorBackup

Then restart Cursor. Your settings will be reset, but the backup will stay.

  1. Disable GPU acceleration
cursor --disable-gpu
  1. Network
    If you’re using a VPN or a corporate proxy, open the app settings CMD + ,, search for “HTTP/2”, and enable “Disable HTTP/2”.

Also worth noting: you’re on macOS 12.7.4 (Monterey) on Intel, which is an older platform. Newer Electron and Chromium versions may be less stable on it.

If none of the above helps, please share:

  • logs from Help > Open Logs Folder > main.log (around the time of the crash)
  • whether you’re using a VPN or proxy

Related threads for context:

Let me know how it goes.