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Refact Documentation

Troubleshooting

Fixing the Refact.ai Plugin in JetBrains IDEs without JCEF

Changing the JBR in JetBrains IDEs to Fix the Markdown Plugin

After installing the Refact.ai plugin in JetBrains IDEs, you may receive a notification indicating that the plugin is not functioning correctly.

JCEF notification

To utilize chat functionality, JCEF - Java Chromium Embedded Framework - is required. JCEF is pre-bundled in the JDK (also referred to as JBR - JetBrains Runtime) with IntelliJ IDEA versions starting from 2020.2.

The solution is to bundle the IDE with a JBR that integrates JCEF.

Fortunately, the JBR can be modified, and JetBrains provides the JBRs for download. JetBrains also offers a guide to change JBR, although compatibility with all versions of the IDE may vary.

Choosing the Boot Java Runtime:

  1. Open the menu Help > Find Action… (⇧ Shift + ⌘ Cmd + A) and search for “Choose Boot Java Runtime for the IDE…” and execute it.
  2. In the dialog, open the drop-down Select runtime. Note: It is advisable to select the same JBR version that was originally set as default in the IDE. JDE selection
  3. Either accept the default selection or choose one that includes JCEF in its title. Confirm your choice by clicking OK. JDE list
  4. After downloading and installing, you must apply the changes by selecting Restart now. JDE confirmation

You are now ready to enjoy the complete Refact.ai experience.

Disabling the JCEF Sandbox

It is highly probable that you will encounter the following message after restarting the IDE: JCEF many restarts notification To resolve this issue:

  • Open the menu Help > Find Action… (⇧ Shift + ⌘ Cmd + A) and search for “Registry…” and execute it.
  • Locate the key ide.browser.jcef.sandbox.enable by typing the initial letters or scrolling through the list.
  • Disable this key. JCEF disable sandbox
  • Close the Registry Editor.
  • Restart the IDE.

JetBrains 2025.* Platform Issues

JCEF Out-of-Process Mode Bug (IJPL-186252)

If you’re experiencing issues with JetBrains IDEs version 2025.*, you may encounter freezes related to the JCEF (Java Chromium Embedded Framework) out-of-process mode. This is a known issue tracked as IJPL-186252.

To resolve this issue, add the following VM option to your IntelliJ IDEA configuration:

-Dide.browser.jcef.out-of-process.enabled=false

This option reverts the IDE to use the in-process JCEF mode, which bypasses the bug.

How to Apply the VM Option

  1. Open your JetBrains IDE
  2. Go to Help > Edit Custom VM Options…
  3. Add the line -Dide.browser.jcef.out-of-process.enabled=false
  4. Save the file and restart the IDE

Long-term Solution

Keep your JetBrains IDE updated to the latest patch release of version 2025.1.x or newer. Future updates are expected to include a permanent fix for IJPL-186252, which will eliminate the need for this manual workaround.