paperclipai/paperclip · error · Error

Refusing to overwrite

Error message

Refusing to overwrite ${filePath} because it changed after the invalid backup was created

What it means

writeConfig detected the config file changed since the invalid-config backup was taken (mtime/compare mismatch), so overwriting would destroy concurrent edits; a consistency guard.

Solutions

1. Review the current contents of ${filePath} and the invalid backup, then manually merge and retry.
2. Delete the invalid backup so a new backup of the current file can be taken.

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at cli/src/config/store.ts:214 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of paperclipai/paperclip@120ae5428f (2026-08-18). Data as JSON: /api/errors/a0b4b387ee5eda98. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at cli/src/config/store.ts:214

  if (fs.existsSync(filePath)) {
    try {
      const source = paperclipConfigSchema.parse(migrateLegacyConfig(parseJson(filePath)));
      nextConfig = paperclipConfigSchema.parse(mergePaperclipConfig(source, nextConfig));
      if (isDeepStrictEqual(effectiveConfig(source), effectiveConfig(nextConfig))) {
        return false;
      }
    } catch (error) {
      const invalidBackupPath = options.invalidBackupPath;
      if (!invalidBackupPath) {
        throw new Error(
          `Refusing to overwrite invalid config at ${filePath}: ${error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error)}`,
        );
      }
      if (
        !fs.existsSync(invalidBackupPath) ||
        !fs.readFileSync(filePath).equals(fs.readFileSync(invalidBackupPath))
      ) {
        throw new Error(
          `Refusing to overwrite ${filePath} because it changed after the invalid backup was created`,
        );
      }
    }
  }

  // Backup existing config before overwriting
  if (fs.existsSync(filePath)) {
    const backupPath = filePath + ".backup";
    durableCopyFile(filePath, backupPath);
  }

  atomicWriteFile(filePath, JSON.stringify(nextConfig, null, 2) + "\n");
  return true;
}

export function configExists(configPath?: string): boolean {
  return fs.existsSync(resolveConfigPath(configPath));

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