How to Fix Cursor IDE Stuck on 'Waiting for Extension Host'

Cursor IDE users have been reporting a recurring issue where the editor hangs on a 'Waiting for Extension Host' message, causing extensions, AI features, and Git tools to stop working. The quickest fix is to open the command palette and run 'Developer: Restart Extension Host', which relaunches the host process without closing open files. If the problem persists, restarting Cursor with extensions disabled helps identify a faulty extension by re-enabling them in batches. A corrupted SQLite session file stored in the app's user data folder can also block the host from loading and should be deleted or renamed before restarting. Other common causes include aggressive folder indexing, stale WSL or Remote-SSH mounts, and antivirus software interfering with the host process.