GitHub Copilot file editing tools create empty files instead of writing content (PendingMigrationError)

[techiebod]

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Bug

Copilot Feature Area

Copilot Coding Agent

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Summary

GitHub Copilot's file editing tools (create_file, replace_string_in_file) report success but only create empty files without writing the intended content. This appears to be related to a PendingMigrationError about the navigator global variable.

Environment

• VS Code Version: 1.102.1 (Commit: 7adae6a56e34cb64d08899664b814cf620465925)
• GitHub Copilot Extension Version: 1.346.0
• GitHub Copilot Chat Extension Version: 0.29.1
• OS: Local: MacOS 15.5 (24F74) Remote: Linux (Ubuntu) 23.04
• Connection Type: Remote SSH
• Node.js Version: v18.16.1 (on remote)

Steps to Reproduce

1. Open a workspace via Remote SSH
2. Ask Copilot to create a file with content using file editing tools
3. Tool reports success: "The following files were successfully edited: [filename]"
4. Check file content - file exists but is completely empty
5. Same behavior occurs with replace_string_in_file tool

Expected Behavior

• File should be created with the specified content
• File modifications should persist with the intended changes

Actual Behavior

• Files are created but remain empty (0 bytes)
• No content is written despite success reports
• File operations appear to succeed in VS Code UI but fail silently

Error Logs

Found this error in VS Code logs:
2025-07-22 10:28:01.707 [error] PendingMigrationError: navigator is now a global in nodejs, please see https://aka.ms/vscode-extensions/navigator for additional info on this error.
at get (file:///home/henry/.vscode-server/cli/servers/Stable-7adae6a56e34cb64d08899664b814cf620465925/server/out/vs/workbench/api/node/extensionHostProcess.js:356:6146)
at /home/henry/.vscode-server/extensions/github.copilot-chat-0.29.1/dist/extension.js:344:48517
at /home/henry/.vscode-server/extensions/github.copilot-chat-0.29.1/dist/extension.js:1:262
at /home/henry/.vscode-server/extensions/github.copilot-chat-0.29.1/dist/extension.js:344:50910
at /home/henry/.vscode-server/extensions/github.copilot-chat-0.29.1/dist/extension.js:1:262
at /home/henry/.vscode-server/extensions/github.copilot-chat-0.29.1/dist/extension.js:344:51981
at /home/henry/.vscode-server/extensions/github.copilot-chat-0.29.1/dist/extension.js:1:262
at /home/henry/.vscode-server/extensions/github.copilot-chat-0.29.1/dist/extension.js:344:54167
at /home/henry/.vscode-server/extensions/github.copilot-chat-0.29.1/dist/extension.js:1:262
at /home/henry/.vscode-server/extensions/github.copilot-chat-0.29.1/dist/extension.js:351:2591
at /home/henry/.vscode-server/extensions/github.copilot-chat-0.29.1/dist/extension.js:1:262
at /home/henry/.vscode-server/extensions/github.copilot-chat-0.29.1/dist/extension.js:352:2671
at /home/henry/.vscode-server/extensions/github.copilot-chat-0.29.1/dist/extension.js:1:262
at /home/henry/.vscode-server/extensions/github.copilot-chat-0.29.1/dist/extension.js:352:9338
at /home/henry/.vscode-server/extensions/github.copilot-chat-0.29.1/dist/extension.js:1:262
at /home/henry/.vscode-server/extensions/github.copilot-chat-0.29.1/dist/extension.js:354:21442
at /home/henry/.vscode-server/extensions/github.copilot-chat-0.29.1/dist/extension.js:1:262
at /home/henry/.vscode-server/extensions/github.copilot-chat-0.29.1/dist/extension.js:354:25509
at /home/henry/.vscode-server/extensions/github.copilot-chat-0.29.1/dist/extension.js:1:262
at /home/henry/.vscode-server/extensions/github.copilot-chat-0.29.1/dist/extension.js:354:27007
at /home/henry/.vscode-server/extensions/github.copilot-chat-0.29.1/dist/extension.js:1:262
at Object. (/home/henry/.vscode-server/extensions/github.copilot-chat-0.29.1/dist/extension.js:2349:4556)
at Module._compile (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1730:14)
at Object..js (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1895:10)
at Module.load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1465:32)
at Function. (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1282:12)
at e._load (file:///home/henry/.vscode-server/cli/servers/Stable-7adae6a56e34cb64d08899664b814cf620465925/server/out/vs/workbench/api/node/extensionHostProcess.js:356:5519)
at t._load (file:///home/henry/.vscode-server/cli/servers/Stable-7adae6a56e34cb64d08899664b814cf620465925/server/out/vs/workbench/api/node/extensionHostProcess.js:174:22697)
at r._load (file:///home/henry/.vscode-server/cli/servers/Stable-7adae6a56e34cb64d08899664b814cf620465925/server/out/vs/workbench/api/node/extensionHostProcess.js:166:25633)
at TracingChannel.traceSync (node:diagnostics_channel:322:14)
at wrapModuleLoad (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:235:24)
at Module. (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1487:12)
at require (node:internal/modules/helpers:135:16)
at QG.Cb (file:///home/henry/.vscode-server/cli/servers/Stable-7adae6a56e34cb64d08899664b814cf620465925/server/out/vs/workbench/api/node/extensionHostProcess.js:205:1253)
at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:105:5)

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[manvelarz]

I have same issue on local vscode

[sysulq]

Same here

[jmecq]

same situation using local VS Code