Troubleshooting

April 12, 2026 · View on GitHub

This guide helps recover from common Engram setup and installation problems.

1. IDE did not pick up MCP config after install

Symptom

The install command completed, but Engram tools do not appear in the agent or IDE.

Likely cause

The IDE was open during installation and did not reload the new MCP configuration.

Fix

  1. Fully close the IDE.
  2. Reopen the IDE.
  3. Start a fresh session.
  4. Try running engram_status again.

2. Wrong MCP config file was updated

Symptom

Install appears to succeed, but the IDE still cannot see Engram.

Likely cause

The installer wrote to the wrong config location, or the user checked the wrong config file.

Fix

  1. Confirm which IDE you are using.
  2. Check that IDE’s MCP configuration file.
  3. Verify that the Engram MCP entry exists there.
  4. Restart the IDE after confirming the config.

3. workspace.json is missing or corrupted

Symptom

Joining or loading a workspace fails, or Engram reports that the workspace is invalid.

Likely cause

The workspace file is incomplete, manually edited incorrectly, or corrupted.

Fix

  1. Remove the broken workspace.json if it is clearly invalid.
  2. Re-run the workspace setup or join flow.
  3. Avoid manually editing the file unless the format is documented.
  4. Retry engram_status after setup completes.

4. NLI model failed to download on first run

Symptom

First-time setup hangs, errors, or fails during model download.

Likely cause

A network interruption, blocked download, or incomplete first-run setup.

Fix

  1. Check your internet connection.
  2. Retry the setup command.
  3. Wait for the first-run download to finish completely.
  4. If the problem continues, capture the terminal error and include it in an issue.

5. engram_status shows unconfigured after join

Symptom

Workspace join appears to complete, but engram_status still shows the system as unconfigured.

Likely cause

Setup did not finish cleanly, the workspace file was not written correctly, or the IDE has stale config.

Fix

  1. Restart the IDE.
  2. Re-run the join or setup flow.
  3. Confirm that workspace.json exists and is valid.
  4. Run engram_status again in a fresh session.

6. Claude Desktop setup fails because Node.js or mcp-remote is missing

Symptom

Claude Desktop integration fails or cannot start the MCP connection.

Likely cause

Node.js is not installed, or the required MCP bridge command is unavailable.

Fix

  1. Install Node.js.
  2. Confirm Node is available by running node -v.
  3. Re-run the Engram setup flow.
  4. Restart Claude Desktop and try again.

7. Windows install fails because PATH is incorrect

Symptom

Commands are not recognized, or install scripts fail on Windows.

Likely cause

Required tools are installed but not available in the system PATH.

Fix

  1. Close the terminal.
  2. Reopen the terminal after installation.
  3. Verify the required commands are available.
  4. If needed, update PATH and retry the install.

8. IDE was not restarted after config changes

Symptom

The config file looks correct, but Engram still does not show up.

Likely cause

The IDE cached old configuration and did not reload the updated MCP settings.

Fix

  1. Fully quit the IDE.
  2. Reopen it.
  3. Start a new session instead of reusing an old one.
  4. Check whether Engram tools now appear.

9. MCP config file contains invalid JSON

Symptom

The IDE rejects the config, ignores Engram, or fails silently.

Likely cause

A missing comma, quote, bracket, or other JSON formatting issue.

Fix

  1. Open the MCP config file.
  2. Check for JSON syntax errors.
  3. Fix any missing commas, quotes, or braces.
  4. Save the file and restart the IDE.

10. Backend URL is incorrect or blocked

Symptom

Engram appears configured, but requests fail or cannot connect.

Likely cause

The configured backend endpoint is wrong, unavailable, or blocked by network settings.

Fix

  1. Verify the configured backend URL.
  2. Confirm it matches the expected setup value.
  3. Check whether your network or firewall is blocking access.
  4. Retry after correcting the endpoint.

12. Command not recognized

Symptom

Running engram shows "Error: No such command 'xyz'"

Likely cause

Using an old Engram version that doesn't include the command.

Fix

  1. Update Engram: pip install --upgrade engram
  2. Or reinstall: curl -fsSL https://engram-memory.com/install | sh
  3. Check available commands: engram --help

General recovery steps

If setup fails and the exact cause is unclear:

  1. Close the IDE completely.
  2. Reopen the terminal.
  3. Retry the setup flow from the beginning.
  4. Check engram_status.
  5. Capture the exact error output before opening an issue.

When reporting a problem, include:

  • your operating system
  • your IDE
  • the exact command you ran
  • the full error message
  • whether this was a first-time install or a reconfiguration