# Multiple cmd.exe windows popping up on every AI request (Windows) **URL:** \ **Category:** Bug Reports\ **Tags:** terminal, windows, nightly\ **Created:** [April 3, 2026, 7:53am UTC](https://forum.cursor.com/t/multiple-cmd-exe-windows-popping-up-on-every-ai-request-windows/156575 "2026-04-03T07:53:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pietros](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/cursor1/user_avatar/forum.cursor.com/pietros/32/103949_2.png) [@Pietros](https://forum.cursor.com/u/Pietros)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2026, 7:53am UTC](https://forum.cursor.com/t/multiple-cmd-exe-windows-popping-up-on-every-ai-request-windows/156575/1 "2026-04-03T07:53:08Z")
### Describe the Bug I’m experiencing a disruptive bug where multiple cmd.exe windows (Command Prompt) open automatically every time I make a request to the AI (using Composer or Chat).The issue:For every single action or request, a new terminal window spawns.This happens even for simple code generation or file reading tasks.The windows often remain open or flash rapidly, interrupting the workflow.Environment:OS: Windows 10/11Cursor Version: [Inserisci qui la tua versione, la trovi in Help → About]Default Terminal: [Scrivi qui se usi PowerShell o CMD di solito]Steps I’ve already tried (without success):Enabled “Legacy Terminal Tool” in Settings.Set a specific “Default Profile” for the terminal.Disabled “Terminal Command Integration” in AI settings.Ran Set-ExecutionPolicy for PowerShell.Is there a known fix for this “terminal spawning loop” on Windows? It makes the IDE almost unusable when using AI features.Thank you! ### Steps to Reproduce run a command on agent chat ### Operating System Windows 10/11 ### Version Information Version: 2.7.0-pre.180.patch.0 (user setup) VSCode Version: 1.105.1 Commit: f1480c9f818dce3c34ccd3ac3b30ccd61a370050 Date: 2026-04-02T05:47:34.840Z Layout: editor Build Type: Stable Release Track: Nightly Electron: 39.8.1 Chromium: 142.0.7444.265 Node.js: 22.22.1 V8: 14.2.231.22-electron.0 OS: Windows\_NT x64 10.0.26200 ### Does this stop you from using Cursor Yes - Cursor is unusable ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/cursor1/original/3X/8/8/887c00dc24e3b4990e9d153bbabc256375a8d972.png) ---
**Author:** ![Pietros](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/cursor1/user_avatar/forum.cursor.com/pietros/32/103949_2.png) [@Pietros](https://forum.cursor.com/u/Pietros)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2026, 8:57am UTC](https://forum.cursor.com/t/multiple-cmd-exe-windows-popping-up-on-every-ai-request-windows/156575/5 "2026-04-03T08:57:04Z")
Same problem on nightly version Version: 2.7.0-pre.183.patch.0 (user setup) VSCode Version: 1.105.1 Commit: 773a51e22fbd2cb48df1e3ee7bba6df9eb1b99c0 Date: 2026-04-03T01:54:33.236Z Layout: editor Build Type: Stable Release Track: Nightly Electron: 39.8.1 Chromium: 142.0.7444.265 Node.js: 22.22.1 V8: 14.2.231.22-electron.0 OS: Windows\_NT x64 10.0.26200 ---
**Author:** ![Pietros](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/cursor1/user_avatar/forum.cursor.com/pietros/32/103949_2.png) [@Pietros](https://forum.cursor.com/u/Pietros)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2026, 9:11am UTC](https://forum.cursor.com/t/multiple-cmd-exe-windows-popping-up-on-every-ai-request-windows/156575/6 "2026-04-03T09:11:10Z")
Same stable Version: 3.0.9 (user setup) VSCode Version: 1.105.1 Commit: 93e276db8a03af947eafb2d10241e2de17806c20 Date: 2026-04-03T02:06:46.446Z Layout: editor Build Type: Stable Release Track: Default Electron: 39.8.1 Chromium: 142.0.7444.265 Node.js: 22.22.1 V8: 14.2.231.22-electron.0 OS: Windows\_NT x64 10.0.26200 ---
**Author:** ![mohitjain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/cursor1/user_avatar/forum.cursor.com/mohitjain/32/100229_2.png) [@mohitjain](https://forum.cursor.com/u/mohitjain)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2026, 10:46am UTC](https://forum.cursor.com/t/multiple-cmd-exe-windows-popping-up-on-every-ai-request-windows/156575/9 "2026-04-04T10:46:56Z")
Hi @Pietros, This is a confirmed bug. On Windows, the process that handles agent tool calls spawns child processes without the correct flag to keep them hidden, which causes those visible cmd.exe windows on every request. Unfortunately there isn’t a workaround for this at the moment. Our engineering team has the fix identified and it’s been escalated for resolution. I’ll follow up here once the fix ships. ---
**Author:** ![Pietros](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/cursor1/user_avatar/forum.cursor.com/pietros/32/103949_2.png) [@Pietros](https://forum.cursor.com/u/Pietros)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 7:48am UTC](https://forum.cursor.com/t/multiple-cmd-exe-windows-popping-up-on-every-ai-request-windows/156575/10 "2026-04-07T07:48:49Z")
ok thx ---
**Author:** ![Pietros](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/cursor1/user_avatar/forum.cursor.com/pietros/32/103949_2.png) [@Pietros](https://forum.cursor.com/u/Pietros)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 7:53am UTC](https://forum.cursor.com/t/multiple-cmd-exe-windows-popping-up-on-every-ai-request-windows/156575/11 "2026-04-07T07:53:08Z")
but where you will put the patch on nightly o stable release… ---
**Author:** ![mohitjain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/cursor1/user_avatar/forum.cursor.com/mohitjain/32/100229_2.png) [@mohitjain](https://forum.cursor.com/u/mohitjain)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 8:44am UTC](https://forum.cursor.com/t/multiple-cmd-exe-windows-popping-up-on-every-ai-request-windows/156575/12 "2026-04-07T08:44:46Z")
We’ve been trying to reproduce this internally but haven’t been able to trigger it yet. To help us narrow it down, could you share: 1. How do you launch Cursor? (Start Menu, desktop shortcut, pinned taskbar, or from a terminal/command prompt?) 2. A short screen recording showing the cmd.exe windows appearing when you use the agent? Even 15-20 seconds would help. 3. Your default terminal profile in Cursor — go to the terminal dropdown (the `+` button) and let us know if it says PowerShell, Command Prompt, or something else. Regarding your question about where the fix would land: fixes typically ship to nightly first and then make their way to stable. I’ll update this thread once we have more info. ---
**Author:** ![Pietros](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/cursor1/user_avatar/forum.cursor.com/pietros/32/103949_2.png) [@Pietros](https://forum.cursor.com/u/Pietros)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 2:03pm UTC](https://forum.cursor.com/t/multiple-cmd-exe-windows-popping-up-on-every-ai-request-windows/156575/13 "2026-04-07T14:03:13Z")
1)Start-menu 2)command prompt, but i have tried also git-bash, powershell e wls ---
**Author:** ![Pietros](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/cursor1/user_avatar/forum.cursor.com/pietros/32/103949_2.png) [@Pietros](https://forum.cursor.com/u/Pietros)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 3:47pm UTC](https://forum.cursor.com/t/multiple-cmd-exe-windows-popping-up-on-every-ai-request-windows/156575/14 "2026-04-07T15:47:45Z")
3)video about [Watch screen | Streamable](https://streamable.com/huf5q3) ---
**Author:** ![Pietros](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/cursor1/user_avatar/forum.cursor.com/pietros/32/103949_2.png) [@Pietros](https://forum.cursor.com/u/Pietros)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2026, 7:50am UTC](https://forum.cursor.com/t/multiple-cmd-exe-windows-popping-up-on-every-ai-request-windows/156575/15 "2026-04-08T07:50:27Z")
**Root cause identified via Process Monitor:** Cursor spawns: ```auto "C:\Program Files\PowerShell\7\pwsh.exe" -noexit -command "try { . \"...\shellIntegration.ps1\" } catch {}" ``` Creation flags: `0` — missing `CREATE_NO_WINDOW (0x08000000)`. This is a Cursor-side bug in how it spawns background shell processes on Windows. The process is visible regardless of terminal profile settings or MCP configuration. **Confirmed on:** - Stable 3.0.9 - Nightly 2.7.0-pre.183 **Not caused by:** MCP servers, terminal profile, ConPTY, PowerShell execution policy. **Fix needed:** Add `CREATE_NO_WINDOW` flag when spawning background shell processes on Windows. ---
**Author:** ![mohitjain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/cursor1/user_avatar/forum.cursor.com/mohitjain/32/100229_2.png) [@mohitjain](https://forum.cursor.com/u/mohitjain)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2026, 10:22am UTC](https://forum.cursor.com/t/multiple-cmd-exe-windows-popping-up-on-every-ai-request-windows/156575/17 "2026-04-08T10:22:57Z")
Excellent detective work with Process Monitor — that’s exactly the kind of diagnostic data we needed. Your finding confirms the issue is in how Cursor spawns shell integration processes on Windows (the `pwsh.exe` with `shellIntegration.ps1`). The creation flags missing `CREATE_NO_WINDOW` is the key detail. I’ve updated our engineering ticket with your Process Monitor analysis, the video, and your confirmed launch method (Start Menu). This should help our team pinpoint and fix the issue. I’ll follow up here once a fix ships. ---
**Author:** ![Udit\_Bhatia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a9adbd/32.png) [@Udit\_Bhatia](https://forum.cursor.com/u/Udit_Bhatia)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 9:22am UTC](https://forum.cursor.com/t/multiple-cmd-exe-windows-popping-up-on-every-ai-request-windows/156575/18 "2026-04-14T09:22:32Z")
### Where does the bug appear (feature/product)? Cursor IDE ### Describe the Bug Hi Cursor Support, I’m experiencing two consistent issues with Cursor on my Windows 11 machine: Freezing when manually editing code files The entire application freezes (becomes completely unresponsive) as soon as I try to manually edit text in a code file. Multiple duplicate windows opening Every time I open or use Cursor, multiple duplicate instances/windows keep spawning. I can see many Cursor processes under Task Manager. Environment: Cursor Version: 3.1.10 (user setup) VSCode Version: 1.105.1 Commit: dacbe9b31599a253763e4910eb6ab38704653320 Date: 2026-04-13T11:39:16.806Z Build Type: Stable Electron: 39.8.1 Chromium: 142.0.7444.265 Node.js: 22.22.1 OS: Windows 11 (Windows\_NT x64 10.0.26200) This is happening reliably and makes Cursor very difficult to use. Could you please help me troubleshoot or provide a fix for these issues? Thank you! ### Steps to Reproduce Just start cursor and try to access a larger code file maybe a 1000 line code file ### Expected Behavior I should be able to edit files without lag or freeze and task manger should not have duplicate cursor windows opened maybe causing lags while editing code files ### Screenshots / Screen Recordings ![WhatsApp Image 2026-04-14 at 10.18.12 AM.jpg](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/cursor1/original/3X/0/8/08cfd4ad27d4cb5ccedded94d1c3d9b06ef2066a.jpeg) ### Operating System Windows 10/11 ### Version Information Version: 3.1.10 (user setup) VSCode Version: 1.105.1 Commit: dacbe9b31599a253763e4910eb6ab38704653320 Date: 2026-04-13T11:39:16.806Z Layout: editor Build Type: Stable Release Track: Default Electron: 39.8.1 Chromium: 142.0.7444.265 Node.js: 22.22.1 V8: 14.2.231.22-electron.0 OS: Windows\_NT x64 10.0.26200 ### Does this stop you from using Cursor Sometimes - I can sometimes use Cursor ---
**Author:** ![system](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/cursor1/user_avatar/forum.cursor.com/system/32/99069_2.png) [@system](https://forum.cursor.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2026, 9:23am UTC](https://forum.cursor.com/t/multiple-cmd-exe-windows-popping-up-on-every-ai-request-windows/156575/19 "2026-05-06T09:23:12Z")
Closed on May 6, 2026, 9:23am UTC This topic was automatically closed 22 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed. ---
**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/cursor1/user_avatar/forum.cursor.com/colin/32/90452_2.png) [@Colin](https://forum.cursor.com/u/Colin)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 10:29pm UTC](https://forum.cursor.com/t/multiple-cmd-exe-windows-popping-up-on-every-ai-request-windows/156575/21 "2026-09-24T22:29:10Z")
Hey @Pietros, Sorry for the long wait on this one, and thanks for the report and the Process Monitor details. There’s a setting that stops these console windows from popping up for users who’ve hit this: 1. Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P) and run “Preferences: Open User Settings (JSON)” 2. Add this line: `"terminal.integrated.windowsUseConptyDll": true` 3. Restart Cursor Let me know if you still see the cmd.exe windows after changing it! ---
**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/cursor1/user_avatar/forum.cursor.com/colin/32/90452_2.png) [@Colin](https://forum.cursor.com/u/Colin)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 10:29pm UTC](https://forum.cursor.com/t/multiple-cmd-exe-windows-popping-up-on-every-ai-request-windows/156575/22 "2026-09-24T22:29:15Z")
Opened on September 24, 2026, 10:29pm UTC