microsoft / microsoft/vscode

GitHub Copilot inline suggestions fail when parent directory name contains a space on Windows

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#333,046 2 comments 4 reactions 1 assignee Claimed by @hediet View on GitHub
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Description

# GitHub Copilot inline suggestions fail when parent directory name contains a space on Windows

## Description

GitHub Copilot ghost-text/inline completions stop working when the active file is inside a directory whose name contains a space.

The issue is reproducible with a minimal Python file in a clean directory.

Removing the space from the directory name immediately restores inline suggestions.

## Steps to reproduce

Create these two directories:

```text
D:\copilot-space-test\
├── TEST\
│ └── test.py

└── TEST TEST\
└── test.py
```

Both `test.py` files contain exactly:

```python
# calculate the factorial of a number
```

Open `D:\copilot-space-test` in VS Code.

### Test 1 — directory without a space

Open:

```text
D:\copilot-space-test\TEST\test.py
```

Press Enter after the comment and start typing:

```python
def
```

Copilot provides an inline/ghost-text completion as expected.

### Test 2 — directory containing a space

Open the identical file:

```text
D:\copilot-space-test\TEST TEST\test.py
```

Press Enter after the comment and type:

```python
def
```

No inline suggestion is provided.

The Copilot status menu reports:

```text
No inline suggestion available
```

### Test 3 — rename the directory

Rename:

```text
TEST TEST
```

to something without a space, for example:

```text
TEST-TEST
```

Open the same `test.py` again.

Inline suggestions immediately start working.

## Reproduction commands

The test environment can be created in PowerShell with:

```powershell
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force "D:\copilot-space-test\TEST" | Out-Null
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force "D:\copilot-space-test\TEST TEST" | Out-Null

'# calculate the factorial of a number' | Set-Content "D:\copilot-space-test\TEST\test.py"
Copy-Item "D:\copilot-space-test\TEST\test.py" "D:\copilot-space-test\TEST TEST\test.py"

code "D:\copilot-space-test"
```

## Expected behavior

Copilot inline suggestions should work in both directories.

## Actual behavior

```text
D:\copilot-space-test\TEST\test.py
→ inline suggestions work

D:\copilot-space-test\TEST TEST\test.py
→ no inline suggestions
```

The only relevant difference is the space in the parent directory name.

## Additional information

- The issue is not specific to Python. I originally encountered it with `.tex` files as well.
- It occurs in a clean test directory outside OneDrive.
- I have reproduced it with multiple directory names containing spaces.
- Copilot Chat and Next Edit Suggestions continue to work.
- This appears to be a regression: inline suggestions previously worked in my existing directories containing spaces.

## Environment

- VS Code: 1.135.0
- OS: Windows 11 x64 (`Windows_NT x64 10.0.26200`)
- GitHub Copilot: Pro

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