Extension Issues

Common problems with the ThinkForge Chrome extension and how to resolve them.

Extension shows "Not Running" or "Not Connected"

Causes:

  • ThinkForge Desktop is not open or has not fully started yet
  • Desktop integration is disabled in extension settings
  • The desktop bridge failed to start (port conflict)

Solutions:

  1. Make sure ThinkForge Desktop is fully loaded (wait for the main window to appear).
  2. In the extension side panel, go to Settings → TF Desktop and confirm the integration toggle is enabled.
  3. Click Refresh Status.
  4. If still disconnected, restart ThinkForge Desktop.

Port conflict on 19222

Symptom: Extension cannot connect even though ThinkForge is running. Desktop logs show a port binding error.

Cause: Another application is using port 19222.

Solution:

  1. Open a terminal and run: netstat -ano | findstr 19222
  2. Identify the process using the port and close it.
  3. Restart ThinkForge Desktop.

Commands time out after 30 seconds

Symptom: Extension actions (capture, search, agent runs) hang and eventually time out.

Causes:

  • ThinkForge Desktop is busy with a heavy operation (large file indexing, agent execution)
  • Desktop went to sleep or is recovering from system standby

Solution: Wait for the desktop operation to finish, then refresh the connection and retry. For large imports or indexing jobs, the desktop app may take time to respond even though it is working normally.

Authentication errors (401)

Symptom: Commands fail and the extension re-discovers the desktop connection.

Cause: The session token has expired because ThinkForge Desktop was restarted (a new token is generated each launch).

Solution: The extension automatically retries discovery once. If it persists, click Refresh Status in extension settings. If still failing, restart both the extension (disable/re-enable in Chrome) and ThinkForge Desktop.

Version mismatch

Symptom: Error messages mentioning "incompatible version" or "unsupported command."

Cause: The extension and desktop app are different versions and a command is not supported by one side.

Solution: Update whichever component the error message identifies. Keep both the extension and desktop app on the latest version for full compatibility.

Bridge error popup

Symptom: A popup appears with an error message like "Bridge error: workspace/push_workspace" or similar.

Cause: The desktop returned an error for a specific command — usually missing parameters, no active project, or a feature-specific issue.

Solution: Read the error text (it includes context about what failed). Common fixes:

  • "No active project" — open a project in ThinkForge Desktop before using the command
  • "content is required" — the command needs input that was not provided
  • "Agent not found" — refresh the agent list or verify the agent exists

Firewall blocking localhost

Symptom: Connection refused even though the desktop is running and nothing else uses port 19222.

Cause: Rare, but security software can block localhost connections.

Solution: Allow ThinkForge (Fire.exe) through your firewall for private network connections. No inbound internet access is needed — the traffic is localhost only.

Extension not showing desktop features

Symptom: Extension works for AI chat navigation but has no Forge Ops tab or desktop commands.

Cause: Desktop integration is not enabled, or the extension is connected but has not detected the desktop yet.

Solution: Enable desktop integration in Settings → TF Desktop, ensure ThinkForge is running, and refresh. Desktop features only appear when the connection is active.

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