Keep getting "Couldn't run get_file" Message

[TroyCoderBoy]

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Bug

Copilot Feature Area

Copilot Agent Mode

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Can you please fix? Pretty please?

Microsoft Visual Studio Professional
Channel: Insiders
Version: 18.0.0 Insiders [11109.219]

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[acozy03]

Hi there! This essentially means that Copilot Chat tried to read files from your workspace for context but couldn’t access them.

Here are a few things you can try to fix it:

Trust your workspace – Go to the top bar in VS Code -> Manage Workspace Trust -> mark your folder as Trusted. Copilot can’t read files in untrusted workspaces.

Open the full folder, not just individual files. Copilot needs to see the workspace root.

Update your extensions – make sure both GitHub Copilot and GitHub Copilot Chat are fully up to date.

If you’re using GPT-5 in agent mode, try switching to GPT-4 temporarily, just to eliminate any variables.

After doing these steps, re-run your prompt and the “get_file” errors should disappear. If all else fails, try restarting VSCode as well :)

Hope that helps!

[TroyCoderBoy]

I'm not using VSCode I'm using Visual Studio, and the Workspace Trust issue is not relevant because it works fine for a few prompts then crashes out as per the image I posted. This happens every session. It works fine for a while then suddenly dies.

[TroyCoderBoy]

Btw why does everyone just assume we are all using VS Code? Very bizarre.

[acozy03]

Oh understood! My apologies, I wish I could be of more help but am not familiar with Visual Studio Professional. Have you been trying different models or observing Co-Pilot logs during these failures?

[TroyCoderBoy]

No worries. Sorry for my tone but agent mode in Visual Studio has been a buggy mess across all models since release and it is massively frustrating that they can't get it stable after all these months. Also, I'm paying a Pro+ subscription, and it feels like I'm using a product that is in an Alpha state, not even Beta quality, let alone release state. Anyway... I will post logs next time it happens. Another issue that's started is that copilot will corrupt code in a file that it is working on that is not relevant to the prompt. e.g. it will remove a brace or change a command word causing a compile error, so then has to do another pass to fix it. LOL. Sometimes I feel like head butting a brick wall, it drives me nuts because it has the potential to be a great product, but they just can't get it stable.

[acozy03]

You're all good! I didn't take it personally. Everybody that uses these coding agents has to deal with some sort of bad hallucinations, (for me it was Gemini 2.5 Pro that would be really bad about breaking already functional code). I started using Codex since the operations run in the cloud and I can merge changes and revert back to my local state if they do mess up. I try and stay away from agents that modify my files locally with full permissions as that tends to get kinda messy fast.

[CarlosAg]

I am getting the same error in Visual Studio 2022 latest update (17.14.16 with GitHub Copilot 17.14.1231.31060), I see in the GitHub Copilot log:

[Conversations Information] Copilot auth status: OK. Copilot badge status: Active
[Conversations Warning] [CopilotClient] Failed to deserialize tool call arguments for tool call toolu_vrtx_01GvPEM2xvQ9VaZyVsxnqLsD with name get_file. Arguments: {"filename": "MyProject\\Program.cs"}{"filename": "MyProject\\WinForms\\MainForm.cs"}
[FunctionInvoker Error] Calling function 'get_file' failed: StreamJsonRpc.RemoteInvocationException: Invalid arguments to method, missing parameter filename.
   at StreamJsonRpc.JsonRpc.<InvokeCoreAsync>d__156`1.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
   at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.Conversations.Copilot.FunctionInvoker.<InvokeAsync>d__6.MoveNext()
RPC server exception:
System.ArgumentException: Invalid arguments to method, missing parameter filename.
      at Microsoft.VisualStudio.Copilot.Internal.CopilotFunction.GetArguments(CopilotFunctionInvocationContext context, IReadOnlyDictionary`2 arguments, CancellationToken cancellation) in D:\a\_work\1\s\src\Copilot\Functions\CopilotFunction.cs:line 120
      at Microsoft.VisualStudio.Copilot.Internal.CopilotFunction.<InvokeAsync>d__1.MoveNext() in D:\a\_work\1\s\src\Copilot\Functions\CopilotFunction.cs:line 26
   --- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
      at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
      at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
      at Microsoft.DiagnosticsHub.VisualStudio.DataWarehouse.Copilot.PerformanceProfilerFunctionProxy.<InvokeAsync>d__6.MoveNext()

[acozy03]

https://developercommunity.visualstudio.com/t/couldnt-run-get_file-error/10977033

Seems like this is being actively investigated. Apologies that I can't find a solution at the moment since it seems to be on Co-Pilot and not the fault of the user.

[parko65]

Same experience here, downgrade to Claude Sonnet 4 solves issue.

[merthsoft]

I am getting similar errors with Claude Sonnet 4.5, but not other models. Are these failed calls using up our premium requests?

[merthsoft]

It's working much better for me, now, but I think about 20 of my premium requests were just total errors.

[merthsoft]

I spoke too soon and it's back to erroring out with the file errors.

[TroyCoderBoy]

These glitches have been happening since day one. Are GitHub incompetent and unable to fix the problems, or do they just not care?

Remember we are paying a premium to use supposedly premium tools. Visual Studio 2022/2026 and Pro+ Copilot subscription are not cheap.

[merthsoft]

I feel like I'm paying to be a QAer, whereas QA is a role that should be paid very well.

[shushu789]

I have the same problem, but I don't have this problem in VS Code. I keep getting these errors in Visual Studio 2022/2026. To be honest, the experience of using Copilot in Visual Studio is very poor. As a result, I often need to open a VS Code in my development process so that I can use Copilot normally.

[TroyCoderBoy]

CORRECT! Copilot in VS Code is SUPERIOR to Visual Studio 2022/2026 which has been plagued with glitches from day one!
I thought Visual Studio 2022/2026 was supposed to be the premium product. What is going on here? Would be interested if anyone could shed some light on this.

[TroyCoderBoy]

The typical experience of a Visual Studio 2022/2026 Copilot user.

[TroyCoderBoy]

I was excited to see the Visual Studio 2022/2026 updates available this morning. So, maybe they've fixed the problems now? Answer - NOPE!

The very first Copilot request after upgrading gave...

[correonp]

Same error here "couldn't run get_file" using Visual Studio 2026 INSIDERS.