Autocomplete Freezing and Locking Up the IDE

[Patrick-Erichsen]

Below is an AI generated summary of the following related issues:

• https://github.com/continuedev/continue/issues/5213
• https://github.com/continuedev/continue/issues/4845
• https://github.com/continuedev/continue/issues/4376
• https://github.com/continuedev/continue/issues/3709
• https://discord.com/channels/1108621136150929458/1367755318670528575
• https://github.com/continuedev/continue/issues/5774
• https://github.com/continuedev/continue/issues/4130

Summary of JetBrains IDE Freezing

Root Cause:

The primary root cause appears to be related to the autocomplete functionality in the JetBrains plugin, leading to the IDE freezing or becoming unresponsive. This is often (but not always) accompanied by high CPU usage from the continue-binary process. A secondary, possibly related, issue involves errors during the indexing/embedding process, specifically "Table already exists" errors with LanceDB.

Affected Versions & IDEs:

• Continue Plugin Versions: Issues have been reported across various versions, including 0.0.75, 0.0.83, 0.0.85, 0.0.88, 1.0.2, 1.0.8, 1.0.17, and 1.0.18 (0.0.75 appears to be the last version that definitely does not experience the issue)
• JetBrains IDEs: IntelliJ IDEA, WebStorm, CLion, Rider, RustRover.
• IDE Versions: Primarily 2024.x versions (e.g., 2024.3, 2025.1 EAP).
• Operating Systems: Windows (10, 11), macOS, Linux.

Note: IDEA 2025.1 in particular has freezing issues across a number of plugins. See this issue for details.

Symptoms & User Reports:

1. IDE Freezing/Hanging:

   • The most common complaint is the IDE becoming completely unresponsive, often when typing or when autocomplete is triggered.
   • Users often need to kill the IDE process via Task Manager or similar.
   • Freezing can occur within minutes of starting the IDE or after a period of normal use.
   • Some users report freezing even with the tab autocomplete feature disabled in settings.

2. High CPU Usage:

   • The continue-binary process is frequently reported to consume high CPU (50-300%, sometimes pinning a core at 100%).
   • However, some users experience freezes without high CPU usage from continue-binary.

3. Autocomplete Issues:

   • Autocomplete suggestions stop appearing.
   • IDE freezes when IntelliJ's native suggestions try to pop up.
   • Stack traces often point to AutocompleteService and related classes.
   • Disabling tab autocomplete in config.json or via IDE settings is a common workaround, but doesn't always resolve the freezing for everyone.
   • Removing keyboard shortcuts related to "Autocomplete" in JetBrains keymap settings has helped some users.

4. Indexing/Embedding Errors:

   • Error messages like: Error: Table 'fileUserssrccatalog-aimainvectordbbRAnomic-embed-text500' already exists.
   • Re-indexing shows files being re-indexed but doesn't resolve the underlying problem or improve context quality.
   • Context only injects a single, incorrect file.
   • Skipping files (e.g., .drawio) during indexing due to "did not chunk properly".

5. Interaction with Other Plugins/Features:

   • One user noted a potential conflict or interaction with com.intellij.codeWithMe (Code With Me feature). Disabling it delayed but didn't always prevent crashes.
   • Disabling other plugins (like "Grazie" and "Grazie Professional" or "JetBrains AI Assistant") was suggested as a potential fix for some users in one thread, but its general applicability is unclear.

Steps Users Have Taken (Workarounds & Troubleshooting):

• Disabling Autocomplete:
  • Commenting out or removing the tabAutocompleteModel section in config.json.
  • Unchecking "Enable Tab Autocomplete" in the Continue plugin settings within the IDE.
  • Removing Continue-related autocomplete keyboard shortcuts in IDE settings.
• Downgrading Plugin Version:
  • Some users found older versions like 0.0.75 to be more stable, although potentially lacking features like copy-paste from the plugin window.
• Clearing Index / Resetting Continue:
  • Deleting the ~/.continue (or ~/.continue_dev) folder to force a fresh start and re-indexing. This was suggested by a maintainer for indexing-specific errors.
• Restarting IDE / Reinstalling Plugin:
  • Temporary relief for some, but the issue often returns.
• Killing continue-binary Process:
  • Some users found that manually killing the high-CPU continue-binary process temporarily resolved the freeze, allowing the IDE to function again. For others, this did not help.
• Checking Ollama/Model Configuration:
  • Ensuring that models specified in config.json (especially for autocomplete) are actually installed and accessible if using local models via Ollama.

Maintainer Actions & Responses:

• PR #3726 was intended to fix a blocking issue on the EDT in JetBrains related to autocomplete latency improvements. Released in 0.0.86.
• PR #5600 was also mentioned as a potential fix for freezing issues. However, users reported freezing persisted even with 1.0.17 and 1.0.18.

Recommendations for Users (Temporary Resolutions):

1. Disable Autocomplete (Most Effective Workaround):
   • Go to your IDE's Continue plugin settings and uncheck "Enable Tab Autocomplete".
2. Clear Index Folder (for "Table already exists" or context issues):
   • Close your IDE.
   • Delete the ~/.continue/index folder (or ~/.continue_dev/index).
   • Restart your IDE. The index will be rebuilt.
3. Try an Older Version (e.g., 0.0.75):
   • If stability is paramount and current versions are unusable, consider manually installing an older version from the JetBrains marketplace version history. Be aware that you might lose recent features or bug fixes.
4. Monitor continue-binary Process:
   • If your IDE freezes, check your system's task manager for a continue-binary process with high CPU usage. If found, try terminating it. This may unfreeze the IDE, but the issue will likely recur.
5. Ensure Local Model Availability: If using Ollama or another local provider for autocomplete, double-check that the model specified in config.json is downloaded and running correctly.
6. Report Issues with Details: If you continue to experience problems, report them on the GitHub issues page, providing:
   • Your Continue plugin version.
   • Your JetBrains IDE and version.
   • Your Operating System.
   • Your config.json (please redact any sensitive keys).
   • Relevant logs from ~/.continue/continue.log.
   • Steps to reproduce the freeze if possible.
   • Any IDE thread dumps if the IDE generates them upon freezing.