"Connection failed" right after installing - what the fuck?

Welcome to the most annoying thing about Cursor. You install it, launch it, and immediately get slapped with "Connection failed" like you're trying to hack the Pentagon. *You'll typically see an error dialog with messages like "Failed to connect to server" or "Network connection timeout"* **Here's what actually works**: - First, test something obvious: does cursor.com load in your browser? If not, your internet is fucked - Turn off your VPN - seriously, VPNs and Cursor mix like oil and water - If you're on corporate network: congratulations, your firewall hates you - Try enabling HTTP/1.1 fallback: Settings → search "HTTP/2" → check "Disable HTTP/2" **Pro tip**: The network diagnostics tool in Cursor is useless. It'll tell you everything is fine while nothing works.

Cursor installs but clicking it does absolutely nothing

This is the silent failure that drives people insane. The app is there, it looks fine, but clicking it is like screaming into the void. **99% of the time it's corrupted app data**: **Windows** - nuke these directories: ```cmd rmdir /s "%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Cursor" rmdir /s "%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Cursor" ``` **macOS** - delete this: ```bash rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Cursor ``` **Linux** - clear these: ```bash rm -rf ~/.cursor ~/.config/Cursor/ ``` Then restart your computer (yes, really) and try again. It should show the welcome screen instead of doing nothing.

Why am I being charged for failures? This billing bullshit makes no sense

Users are [reporting this garbage](https://forum.cursor.com/t/constant-failures-connection-failed/130058) where they get charged for failed requests that never actually complete. One guy posted his billing table showing charges for connection failures - what the hell? **Stop the bleeding**: - Don't keep mashing retry when it fails - each attempt might cost you - Email hi@cursor.com with screenshots of your failed requests - they sometimes refund credits - Set usage limits in your dashboard before this gets out of control - Consider using your own API keys instead of Cursor's billing if this keeps happening **The harsh reality**: Whether this is intentional or a bug, people are getting charged for requests that don't work. It's like getting billed for food that never shows up at your table.

Can Cursor work offline? (Spoiler: No)

**Short answer**: No, and it's fucking stupid. **Long answer**: Unlike VS Code where extensions work offline, Cursor is completely dependent on their servers. No internet = no AI features = expensive text editor. **What still works offline**: - Basic text editing (congratulations, you have Notepad) - File navigation (amazing innovation) - Extensions that don't need network (all 3 of them) **What doesn't work**: - Chat (obviously) - Tab autocomplete (the main feature) - Background agents (also useless) If you need offline development, just use VS Code with GitHub Copilot. At least Copilot caches some suggestions.

Windows says my Cursor installer is dangerous - is it malware?

No, Windows SmartScreen is just being Windows SmartScreen. It shows this scary warning for any software that isn't downloaded by millions of people daily. **Just click through it**: 1. Click "More info" 2. Click "Run anyway" 3. Your antivirus might also freak out - ignore it **Only download from cursor.com** - don't grab random installers from sketchy sites. The official installer is signed by Anysphere Inc.

My internet works fine but Cursor says "connection failed"

This is the classic corporate firewall problem. Your internet works for websites, but Cursor uses HTTP/2 and hits specific API endpoints that make corporate firewalls nervous. **Quick test**: Try mobile hotspot. If Cursor works on mobile but not corporate wifi, your IT department is cock-blocking you. **Fixes that might work**: - Switch DNS to 8.8.8.8 or 1.1.1.1 - Enable HTTP/1.1 fallback in Cursor settings - Beg your IT team to whitelist *.cursor.sh domains - VPN to a different location (if your company allows it)

Cursor starts then immediately crashes or freezes

This usually means your computer is too old or doesn't have enough RAM. Cursor is an Electron app, which means it's basically Chrome pretending to be a text editor. **System reality check**: - You need at least 4GB RAM (8GB to not hate your life) - 2GB free disk space minimum - Graphics drivers from this decade **Try this shit**: - Start without extensions: `cursor --disable-extensions` - Close everything else that eats memory (looking at you, Chrome with 47 tabs) - Update your graphics drivers - Turn off hardware acceleration in Cursor settings if it keeps crashing

My antivirus thinks Cursor is malware

Antivirus software is paranoid about anything that makes network connections and modifies files. Since Cursor does both constantly (AI features), your antivirus thinks it's suspicious. **Fix it**: 1. Add Cursor to antivirus exceptions/whitelist 2. Allow network access for cursor.exe or Cursor.app 3. Temporarily disable real-time scanning during installation 4. Tell your firewall to allow these domains: - `cursor.com` - `*.cursor.sh`

Sign-in button doesn't do anything

Cursor tries to open your browser for authentication, but something is blocking it. **Usually fixes it**: - Make sure you have a default browser set - Try signing in with incognito/private mode - Clear cookies for cursor.com - Use GitHub or Google sign-in instead of email

How do I know if this shitshow actually installed correctly?

**Quick test**: ```bash cursor --version ``` If you get a version number, you're probably good. If you get "command not found," it's fucked. **Full test**: Launch Cursor and it should show a welcome screen, not error messages.

Cursor worked fine then broke after a system update

System updates love to break shit, especially Electron apps. **Try this**: 1. Update Cursor to the latest version 2. On macOS: Go to System Preferences → Privacy and re-grant file access 3. On Windows: Run Cursor as Administrator once to reset permissions 4. If all else fails, just reinstall it

Can I run multiple versions of Cursor?

No, and don't try. Cursor wasn't designed for side-by-side installation and they'll probably interfere with each other. **If you really need to**: - Use VMs or Docker containers - Install in different user accounts - Use portable versions (if they exist for your platform) But honestly, just pick one version and stick with it.

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Cursor IDE Installation & Troubleshooting - AI-Optimized Reference

Configuration Requirements

System Requirements - Reality Check

Minimum RAM: 4GB (unusable), 8GB (barely functional), 16GB (recommended), 32GB (comfortable)
Storage: 1GB+ required despite official 400MB claim
Graphics: Modern drivers from current decade required
Network: HTTP/2 support mandatory for AI features

Platform-Specific Installation Blockers

Windows Security Theater

Windows SmartScreen: Always blocks unknown publishers
- Solution: Click "More info" → "Run anyway" or run as Administrator
- Root cause: Microsoft's reputation system lacks sufficient download data
Antivirus False Positives: Network activity + file modification triggers malware detection
- Solution: Add Cursor to whitelist before installation
- Disable Windows Defender Real-time protection temporarily

macOS Gatekeeper Paranoia

Default Block: "Can't be opened" error for non-App Store applications
- Solution: Right-click → "Open" → confirm twice
- Backup: System Preferences → Security & Privacy → "Allow Anyway"
Quarantine Flag: App installs but won't launch (silent failure)
- Solution: xattr -d com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Cursor.app
Apple Silicon Compatibility: May require Rosetta 2
- Solution: softwareupdate --install-rosetta --agree-to-license

Linux Dependency Hell

AppImage Permissions: Not executable by default
- Solution: chmod +x cursor-*.AppImage
FUSE Missing: Required for AppImage execution
- Ubuntu/Debian: sudo apt install libfuse2 libasound2-dev
- Bypass: ./cursor-*.AppImage --no-fuse

Critical Network Failures

Corporate Network Incompatibility

Failure Rate: 90% of corporate environments block Cursor by default

Required Domains for IT Whitelist:

*.cursor.sh          # Core functionality
*.cursor.com         # Authentication/billing
*.cursorapi.com      # Extensions
anysphere-binaries.s3.amazonaws.com  # Updates

HTTP/2 Dependency: Most corporate proxies built pre-2020 block HTTP/2

Symptom: "Connection failed" errors despite working internet
Workaround: Settings → Disable HTTP/2 (degrades performance significantly)
Performance Impact: AI responses queue instead of streaming, 3-5x slower

VPN Interference Patterns

Split Tunneling Required: Corporate VPNs route AI traffic through restrictive firewalls
Geographic Routing Issues: VPN exit points in unsupported regions cause timeouts
DNS Hijacking: Corporate DNS servers fail to resolve Cursor domains

Memory Management Disasters

Electron Memory Consumption

Initial Load: 2GB base memory usage
Normal Operation: 4-5GB typical
Extended Use: 8-12GB after several hours
Memory Leak Source: Chat history never purged from memory

Critical Thresholds:

4GB total RAM: System unusable
8GB total RAM: Cursor functional but system severely constrained
16GB total RAM: Minimum for productive use

Chat History Memory Leak

Problem: Conversation data accumulates infinitely in memory
Impact: Linear memory growth with chat usage
Solution: Restart Cursor when memory exceeds 8GB

Performance Failure Modes

CPU Consumption Spikes

Common Causes:

Background indexing of large codebases (node_modules scanning)
Rogue extensions running continuous processes
File watching systems monitoring excessive file counts

Diagnostic Process:

Command Palette → Developer: Open Process Explorer
Identify high CPU consumers:
- extensionHost: Extension problem
- ptyHost: Terminal issue
- Main process: Core Cursor issue

Indexing Performance Destruction

Failure Scenario: Opening monorepos or large projects
Resource Impact: 24GB+ RAM usage, 4+ hour indexing times
Prevention: Create .cursorignore with standard exclusions:

node_modules/
.git/
dist/
build/
*.log
coverage/

Authentication & Billing Issues

Silent Billing for Failed Requests

Problem: Users charged for connection failures that never complete
Financial Impact: Accumulating charges for non-functional requests
Mitigation:

Avoid retry-spamming on failures
Set usage limits in dashboard
Email hi@cursor.com with failure screenshots for credit disputes

Sign-in Process Failures

Browser Launch Issues: Cursor fails to open authentication browser
Solutions:

Verify default browser configuration
Use incognito/private mode
Clear cursor.com cookies
Alternative: GitHub/Google OAuth instead of email

Extension Ecosystem Problems

Extension Bisect Debugging

Process: Command Palette → Help: Start Extension Bisect
Method: Binary search through enabled extensions to isolate problematic ones
Common Culprits:

Complex syntax highlighters (continuous parsing overhead)
Real-time sync tools (persistent network activity)
AI extensions (resource conflicts with Cursor's built-in AI)

Recovery Procedures

Clean Installation Reset

Windows:

rd /s /q "%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Programs\Cursor\"
rd /s /q "%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Cursor\"
rd /s /q "%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Cursor\"

macOS:

rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Cursor
xattr -d com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Cursor.app

Linux:

rm -rf ~/.cursor ~/.config/Cursor/

Emergency Performance Recovery

Immediate: Close Chrome and other Electron applications
Short-term: Restart Cursor daily to clear memory leaks
Long-term: Monitor memory usage and restart at 8GB threshold

Alternative Solutions

Offline Development Requirements

Cursor Offline Capability: None - completely server-dependent
Functional Offline Features: Basic text editing only
Alternative: VS Code with GitHub Copilot (has offline caching)

Corporate Environment Workarounds

Mobile Hotspot Installation: Download/install via personal network
USB Transfer Method: Install on personal machine, transfer via removable media
Geographic VPN Switching: Test multiple VPN server locations
DNS Override: Use public DNS (8.8.8.8, 1.1.1.1) to bypass corporate DNS issues

Diagnostic Commands

Network Connectivity Testing

# Basic connectivity
curl -I https://docs.cursor.com

# HTTP/2 support verification
curl --http2 -I https://docs.cursor.com

# DNS resolution testing
nslookup cursor.com

Version Verification

cursor --version

Performance Debugging Launch

# Disable extensions for troubleshooting
cursor --disable-extensions

# Disable GPU acceleration
cursor --disable-gpu

# Combined debugging mode
cursor --disable-extensions --disable-gpu --verbose

Resource Requirements vs. Performance Trade-offs

System RAM	Experience Level	Limitations
4GB	Unusable	Constant crashes, system unresponsive
8GB	Barely Functional	Cannot run Chrome simultaneously
16GB	Recommended	Can run concurrent applications
32GB	Comfortable	No memory constraints

Decision Matrix: When to Use Alternatives

Use VS Code + Copilot Instead When:

Corporate network completely blocks Cursor domains
System has less than 16GB RAM
Offline development required
IT department inflexible about security policies

Use Cloud IDEs When:

Local installation consistently fails
Corporate restrictions impossible to overcome
Network performance issues persist

Critical Success Factors

Pre-installation: Disable antivirus real-time scanning
Network validation: Test HTTP/2 connectivity before installation
Resource allocation: Ensure 16GB+ RAM for production use
Corporate coordination: Obtain IT approval for domain whitelist
Maintenance routine: Daily Cursor restarts to prevent memory accumulation

Useful Links for Further Investigation

Resources That Actually Help (And Some That Don't)

Link	Description
Cursor Installation Guide	The official installation guide. It covers the basics but glosses over the real problems like corporate firewalls and antivirus false positives. Still worth reading first.
Common Issues Documentation	Better than the installation guide. Actually mentions HTTP/2 issues and network problems. The network diagnostics section is useful, though their built-in diagnostic tool is still useless.
Cursor Community Forum	This is where the real solutions live. The official docs won't tell you about the billing bug or memory leaks, but users will. Search here first before posting - someone has probably hit your exact problem.
Official Homepage with Download	The official documentation site where you can find installation instructions and download links. Don't grab random installers from download sites or you'll end up with malware disguised as a text editor.
Cursor Features Overview	Learn about Cursor's AI features and capabilities. Useful for understanding what should work once you get it installed properly.
GitHub Issues	Hit or miss. Sometimes you'll find the exact bug you're experiencing, sometimes you'll find 50 people complaining about the same issue with no response from the devs. Check closed issues first.
r/CursorAI Subreddit	More honest than the official forum. People actually complain about problems here instead of pretending everything is perfect. Search Reddit for "CursorAI" and sort by "New" for recent issues.
HTTP/2 Compatibility Test	Test if your corporate network supports HTTP/2. If this fails, you now have proof to send to your IT team (they'll still ignore it for months).
DNS Checker	Check if your DNS can resolve Cursor domains. Sometimes your corporate DNS is just broken and nobody knows.
Gatekeeper Override Guide	Apple's official instructions for telling their security theater to fuck off.
AppImage Troubleshooting	This guide provides solutions and common troubleshooting steps for when your AppImage application fails to execute or encounters issues.
Chrome DevTools	Cursor is basically Chrome, so you can debug it with Chrome's developer tools. Press F12 and dig into the nightmare.
Electron Debugging	For when you really hate yourself and want to debug Electron applications. Only useful if you're a developer trying to figure out why Cursor is broken.
System Info Collection	How to collect the technical info support actually needs. Save time by including this in your first email.
VS Code with GitHub Copilot	If Cursor is completely fucked and you need to get work done, VS Code with Copilot is a decent alternative. Not as good for chat, but at least it works offline.
Gitpod	Cloud-based development environment. Slower than local development but doesn't depend on your corporate network's bullshit.

Cursor IDE Installation & Troubleshooting - AI-Optimized Reference

Configuration Requirements

System Requirements - Reality Check

Platform-Specific Installation Blockers

Windows Security Theater

macOS Gatekeeper Paranoia

Linux Dependency Hell

Critical Network Failures

Corporate Network Incompatibility

VPN Interference Patterns

Memory Management Disasters

Electron Memory Consumption

Chat History Memory Leak

Performance Failure Modes

CPU Consumption Spikes

Indexing Performance Destruction

Authentication & Billing Issues

Silent Billing for Failed Requests

Sign-in Process Failures

Extension Ecosystem Problems

Extension Bisect Debugging

Recovery Procedures

Clean Installation Reset

Emergency Performance Recovery

Alternative Solutions

Offline Development Requirements

Corporate Environment Workarounds

Diagnostic Commands

Network Connectivity Testing

Version Verification

Performance Debugging Launch

Resource Requirements vs. Performance Trade-offs

Decision Matrix: When to Use Alternatives

Critical Success Factors

Useful Links for Further Investigation

Resources That Actually Help (And Some That Don't)

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