Safe Upgrade Procedures

Managing Cursor IDE updates effectively ensures you get the latest features while maintaining stability. This guide covers everything from choosing update channels to handling rollbacks when things go wrong.

Update Channels

Cursor offers two distinct update channels, each serving different needs and risk tolerances.

Default Channel (Stable)

The Default channel provides thoroughly tested releases with proven stability. This is the recommended choice for:

• Production development work
• Team environments (mandatory for teams)
• Risk-averse developers
• Mission-critical projects

Characteristics:

• Stable, tested releases
• Bug fixes from pre-release testing
• Default for all users
• Only option available for team/business accounts
• Updates typically arrive 3-7 days after Early Access

Early Access Channel

The Early Access channel [[memory:3110751]] delivers cutting-edge features before general release. Choose this for:

• Exploring new features early
• Contributing to bug reports
• Personal development environments
• Non-critical projects

Characteristics:

• Pre-release versions with newest features
• May contain bugs or stability issues
• Not available for team accounts
• Faster access to innovations
• Direct feedback channel to developers

Team Restrictions

Team and business accounts are restricted to the Default channel to ensure consistent environments across team members.

Configuring Update Settings

Switching Update Channels

1. Open Cursor Settings with Ctrl+Shift+J (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+J (macOS)

2. Navigate to the Beta section in the sidebar

3. Locate Update frequency settings

4. Select your preferred channel:

   • Default - Stable releases only
   • Early Access - Pre-release builds

5. Cursor will check for updates based on your selection

Tip

After switching to Early Access, you may need to manually check for updates to receive the latest pre-release build immediately.

Auto-Update Configuration

Cursor handles updates automatically by default, but you can control this behavior:

{
  "update.mode": "manual",           // Options: "none", "manual", "default"
  "update.showReleaseNotes": true,   // Show changelog after updates
  "update.enableWindowsBackgroundUpdates": true
}

Pre-Upgrade Checklist

Before upgrading Cursor, especially to major versions, follow this systematic approach:

1. Backup Critical Data

Configuration

Export your current profile to preserve settings:

# Export profile via Command Palette
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + P → "Preferences: Export Profile"

This saves:

• Extensions and their settings
• Keybindings
• User settings
• Snippets
• UI state

Project Rules

Backup your project-specific configurations:

# Backup .cursor directory
cp -r .cursor .cursor.backup-$(date +%Y%m%d)

# Backup rules specifically
cp -r .cursor/rules .cursor/rules.backup

Chat History

For important conversations, export them before upgrading:

1. Click the ”…” menu in chat
2. Select “Export conversation”
3. Save as markdown for future reference

2. Check System Requirements

Ensure your system meets requirements for the new version:

• Disk Space: At least 2GB free (4GB recommended)
• Memory: 8GB RAM minimum (16GB for large projects)
• OS Compatibility: Verify OS version support in release notes

Caution

Low disk space during updates can cause data loss, particularly chat history. Always maintain adequate free space.

3. Review Breaking Changes

Check the changelog for:

• Deprecated features
• API changes
• Extension compatibility
• Configuration migrations

4. Coordinate with Team

For team environments:

1. Announce the upgrade - Notify team members of planned update
2. Schedule wisely - Avoid critical deadlines
3. Stagger rollout - Have one member test first
4. Document issues - Share findings in team chat
5. Synchronize timing - Update together to maintain compatibility

Performing the Upgrade

Automatic Updates

When an update is available, Cursor displays a notification bar. The update process:

1. Notification appears - “Update available” banner shows at top
2. Click “Update” or use Command Palette: Check for Updates
3. Download begins - Progress shown in status bar
4. Restart prompt - Click “Restart to Update” when ready
5. Migration runs - Settings and extensions migrate automatically

Manual Update Check

To manually check for updates:

# Via Command Palette
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + P → "Check for Updates"

# Or through menu
Help → Check for Updates

Staged Rollouts

Cursor uses staged rollouts for new versions:

• 10% initial release - Random selection of users
• Gradual increase - Expanded over 2-3 days
• Full release - 100% availability within a week

Note

If you don’t see an update immediately after a changelog announcement, it’s likely still in staged rollout. Wait 2-3 days or switch to Early Access for immediate access.

Post-Upgrade Verification

After upgrading, verify everything works correctly:

Essential Checks

Extensions

• Verify all extensions loaded
• Check for compatibility warnings
• Update outdated extensions

Settings

• Confirm settings migrated
• Test custom keybindings
• Verify theme applied correctly

MCP Servers

• Test MCP connections
• Verify tool availability
• Check auto-run permissions

Performance

• Monitor CPU/RAM usage
• Check indexing status
• Test response times

Testing Workflow

Run through your typical workflow to ensure functionality:

AI Features

// Test core AI functionality
// 1. Tab completion
const test = // Should see suggestions

// 2. Inline edit (Cmd+K)
// Select code and press Cmd+K

// 3. Chat functionality
// Open chat and test a query

// 4. Agent mode
// Try a simple file edit task

Git Integration

# Test version control
git status              # Should work in terminal
@git                   # Should work in chat
# Check Git lens features in editor

Remote Development

# Remote development via SSH
# 1. Install Remote - SSH extension in Cursor
# 2. Use Command Palette: "Remote-SSH: Connect to Host"
# 3. Enter: user@hostname

# Verify connection and features work

Rollback Strategies

When an update causes issues, you have several rollback options:

Method 1: Checkpoint Restoration (Immediate)

Cursor’s checkpoint system tracks AI-made changes:

1. Look for “Restore Checkpoint” button on previous requests
2. Click to revert to that state
3. Note: Only reverts AI changes, not manual edits

Caution

Checkpoints are session-based and cleared automatically. They’re not a replacement for version control.

Method 2: Previous Version Installation

To downgrade to a previous Cursor version:

Windows

# 1. Uninstall current version
# Search "Add or Remove Programs" → Cursor → Uninstall

# 2. Clear app data (optional but recommended)
rd /s /q %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Programs\cursor*
rd /s /q %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Cursor*
rd /s /q %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Cursor*

# 3. Download specific version from cursor.com/changelog
# 4. Install the older version

macOS

# 1. Remove current version
rm -rf /Applications/Cursor.app

# 2. Clear app data (optional)
rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Cursor
rm -f ~/.cursor.json

# 3. Download specific version
# 4. Install from DMG

Linux

# 1. Remove current AppImage
rm ~/cursor.appimage

# 2. Clear configuration
rm -rf ~/.cursor ~/.config/Cursor/

# 3. Download previous version
# 4. Make executable and run
chmod +x cursor-*.appimage

Method 3: Profile Restoration

If you exported your profile before upgrading:

1. Open Command Palette: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + P
2. Run “Preferences: Import Profile”
3. Select your backup profile file
4. Choose what to import (settings, extensions, etc.)
5. Restart Cursor

Method 4: Git-Based Recovery

For code changes, use version control:

# View recent commits
git log --oneline -10

# Revert to pre-upgrade state
git checkout <commit-before-upgrade>

# Or create a branch from that point
git checkout -b pre-upgrade-backup <commit-hash>

Common Update Issues

Issue: Update Notification Not Appearing

Symptoms: Changelog shows new version but no update prompt

Solutions:

1. Manually check: Help → Check for Updates
2. Staged rollout - wait 2-3 days
3. Switch to Early Access channel
4. Check firewall/proxy settings

Issue: Extensions Breaking After Update

Symptoms: Extensions fail to load or work incorrectly

Solutions:

1. Open Extensions view: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + X
2. Check for updates to all extensions
3. Disable problematic extensions
4. Use Extension Bisect to identify issues
5. Reinstall if necessary

Issue: High Resource Usage Post-Update

Symptoms: Increased CPU/RAM usage after upgrading

Solutions:

# 1. Disable extensions temporarily
cursor --disable-extensions

# 2. Clear cache and restart
# 3. Check Process Explorer
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + P → "Developer: Open Process Explorer"

# 4. Adjust performance settings
"performance.maxMemory": "4096MB"

Issue: MCP Servers Not Working

Symptoms: MCP tools unavailable after update

Solutions:

1. Refresh MCP settings
2. Check Node.js compatibility
3. Reinstall MCP servers:

   npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-name

4. Verify configuration in ~/.cursor/mcp.json

Issue: Chat History Lost

Symptoms: Previous conversations disappeared

Prevention:

• Maintain adequate disk space
• Export important chats before updating
• Regular backups of app data

Recovery:

• Check if data exists in backup locations
• Unfortunately, lost chat history usually cannot be recovered

Best Practices for Safe Updates

For Individual Developers

1. Time Updates Wisely

   • Avoid updating before deadlines
   • Update at the start of a new sprint
   • Have time to test and adapt

2. Monitor Early Access Feedback

   • Check Forum for issues
   • Read changelog carefully
   • Wait if critical bugs reported

3. Maintain Backups

   • Regular profile exports
   • Version control discipline
   • Document custom configurations

For Teams

1. Establish Update Protocol

   ## Team Update Protocol
   1. Designated tester tries update first
   2. 24-hour testing period
   3. Report findings in team channel
   4. Coordinate team-wide update
   5. Document any issues encountered

2. Version Synchronization

   • All team members on same version
   • Document required version in README
   • Use .cursor/settings.json for shared configs

3. Communication Strategy

   • Announce planned updates
   • Share issue resolutions
   • Maintain upgrade log

For Enterprise

1. Compliance Considerations

   • Review security patches
   • Validate with IT policies
   • Test in sandbox environment

2. Phased Deployment

   • Dev team first
   • QA validation
   • Production rollout

3. Documentation Requirements

   • Change management records
   • Impact assessments
   • Rollback procedures

Emergency Recovery

When all else fails, perform a clean installation:

1. Export current data (if possible)

   • Settings, keybindings, snippets
   • Extension list
   • Project configurations

2. Complete uninstall

   • Remove application
   • Clear all app data
   • Remove configuration files

3. Fresh installation

   • Download latest stable version
   • Install with default settings
   • Gradually restore customizations

4. Incremental restoration

   • Import settings first
   • Add extensions one by one
   • Restore project configurations

Next Steps

Version History Explore the complete changelog and feature evolution

Feature Adoption Learn how to effectively adopt new features as they're released

Troubleshooting Guide Comprehensive solutions for common Cursor issues

Remember: Updates bring powerful new capabilities, but approach them strategically. With proper preparation and these rollback strategies, you can upgrade confidently while maintaining productivity.