ramensoftware/windhawk · error

Failed to save all files

Error message

Failed to save all files

What it means

exitEditorMode requires that all dirty editors in the workspace be persisted before leaving edit mode, because the mod source is then read from disk (and optionally saved to drafts or the installed mod). vscode.workspace.saveAll(true) returning false means at least one file could not be saved, so the handler aborts the exit.

Solutions

1. Check the VS Code Problems/notifications for which document failed to save and resolve it (restore the file, fix permissions, save manually).
2. Close editors whose backing files no longer exist, then retry exiting editor mode.
3. Save all files manually (Ctrl+K S) and confirm no dirty editors remain before retrying.
4. Retry after releasing external locks (antivirus scan, other editors) on the mod directory.

// before requesting exit
const dirty = vscode.workspace.textDocuments.filter(d => d.isDirty);
if (dirty.length > 0) {
  // surface/inspect these documents first; ensure each is saveable
  console.log('dirty docs:', dirty.map(d => d.uri.toString()));
}

try {
  await api.postMessage({ command: 'exitEditorMode', data: { saveToDrafts } });
} catch (e) {
  if (e.message === 'Failed to save all files') {
    showSaveProblems(); // list unsaved/unsaveable documents, let user fix, then retry
  } else { throw e; }
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling exitEditorMode (with or without saveToDrafts) while any dirty document fails to save — e.g. a file locked by another process, a deleted-on-disk buffer, an untitled document that cannot be written, or a permission problem.

Common situations: A mod file was deleted or moved on disk while open; another program holds a lock on the file (Windows AV scanners, editors); the workspace folder became read-only; an untitled scratch buffer counts as dirty and cannot be saved silently.

Understand the failure class

Background: "failed to write file", "Could not save figure", "Error saving remote file" — file write failed: causes and fixes across languages and libraries — this error's family across 38 libraries.

Related errors

• No workspace folder
• INTERNAL
• MODS_LOAD_FAILED

AI-assisted analysis of ramensoftware/windhawk@61d99ed8e1 (2026-09-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/fbfb7aa1efbda611. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at src/windhawk-vscode/src/extension.ts:1911

			}

			webviewIPC.deleteEditedModReply(this._view?.webview, message.messageId, {
				succeeded
			});

			try {
				await this._postEditedModDetails();
			} catch (e) {
				reportException(e);
			}
		},
		exitEditorMode: async message => {
			const data: ExitEditorModeData = message.data;

			let succeeded = false;
			try {
				if (!await vscode.workspace.saveAll(true)) {
					throw new Error('Failed to save all files');
				}

				windhawkLogOutput?.dispose();

				if (this._editedModId) {
					if (this._editedModWasModified && data.saveToDrafts) {
						this._utils.editorWorkspace.saveModToDrafts(this._editedModId);
					} else {
						this._utils.editorWorkspace.deleteModFromDrafts(this._editedModId);
					}
				}

				this._editedModId = undefined;
				this._editedModWasModified = false;
				this._editedModCompilationFailed = false;
				await this._utils.editorWorkspace.exitEditorMode();

				succeeded = true;

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