On Windows, copilot plugin install / plugin update fails whenever VS Code is running. Closing VS Code makes the same command succeed. It affects every plugin, not one specific plugin.
Repro
With VS Code open:
> copilot plugin update superpowers@superpowers-marketplace
Failed to update plugin: Error: Request plugins.update failed with message: Failed to install plugin: Access is denied. (os error 5)
Close VS Code, run the same command again -> succeeds.
Cause: open directory handles on the plugin store
On Windows a directory that has an open handle cannot be renamed or deleted. Probing which paths can be renamed:
rename DENIED: ~/.copilot/installed-plugins
rename DENIED: ~/.copilot/installed-plugins/superpowers-marketplace
rename DENIED: ~/.copilot/installed-plugins/superpowers-marketplace/superpowers
rename OK : ~/.copilot/installed-plugins/superpowers-marketplace/superpowers/skills
creating and deleting a file inside those directories: OK
The denied set is exactly the store root, the marketplace root and the plugin root. One level deeper is free, and file I/O inside them works normally. That is the signature of one open directory handle per plugin root, opened without FILE_SHARE_DELETE, so the install/update step that replaces a plugin directory gets ACCESS_DENIED.
Worth noting for anyone else debugging this: Restart Manager reports no holders for any file under installed-plugins, because these are directory handles rather than file handles. The usual "which process has this file open" tooling shows nothing.
VS Code ships its own copy of the CLI (resources/app/node_modules.asar.unpacked/@github/copilot-win32-x64) and runs it against the same ~/.copilot home, registering itself in ~/.copilot/ide/<uuid>.lock. That instance appears to hold the handles for its whole lifetime.
Expected
Plugin install / update should work while an IDE-hosted CLI instance is running — e.g. open plugin directories with FILE_SHARE_DELETE, or release the handles after enumeration.
Impact
Anyone who keeps VS Code open cannot install or update any plugin, and the error message gives no hint about the cause. plugin uninstall hits the same error and can leave a partial state behind (marketplace entry removed, plugin directory still on disk).
Environment
- Windows 11 Enterprise 10.0.26200
- GitHub Copilot CLI 1.0.81-7
- VS Code 1.132.0
On Windows,
copilot plugin install/plugin updatefails whenever VS Code is running. Closing VS Code makes the same command succeed. It affects every plugin, not one specific plugin.Repro
With VS Code open:
Close VS Code, run the same command again -> succeeds.
Cause: open directory handles on the plugin store
On Windows a directory that has an open handle cannot be renamed or deleted. Probing which paths can be renamed:
The denied set is exactly the store root, the marketplace root and the plugin root. One level deeper is free, and file I/O inside them works normally. That is the signature of one open directory handle per plugin root, opened without
FILE_SHARE_DELETE, so the install/update step that replaces a plugin directory getsACCESS_DENIED.Worth noting for anyone else debugging this: Restart Manager reports no holders for any file under
installed-plugins, because these are directory handles rather than file handles. The usual "which process has this file open" tooling shows nothing.VS Code ships its own copy of the CLI (
resources/app/node_modules.asar.unpacked/@github/copilot-win32-x64) and runs it against the same~/.copilothome, registering itself in~/.copilot/ide/<uuid>.lock. That instance appears to hold the handles for its whole lifetime.Expected
Plugin install / update should work while an IDE-hosted CLI instance is running — e.g. open plugin directories with
FILE_SHARE_DELETE, or release the handles after enumeration.Impact
Anyone who keeps VS Code open cannot install or update any plugin, and the error message gives no hint about the cause.
plugin uninstallhits the same error and can leave a partial state behind (marketplace entry removed, plugin directory still on disk).Environment