VSCode Copilot extension was unable to edit a file consistently

[anthonypdawson]

Select Topic Area

Bug

Copilot Feature Area

VS Code

Body

Problem:
A specific markdown file (telemetry.md) in my workspace could not be edited using patch/edit tools, even though other markdown files in the same directory worked fine. Attempts to append or modify the file using automated tools always failed, but direct terminal writes (cat/echo) succeeded. The file had standard UTF-8 encoding, no special permissions, and no visible corruption. Renaming, changing permissions, and closing editors did not resolve the issue.

Troubleshooting Steps:

Verified file permissions and encoding (UTF-8, no BOM, not read-only)
Closed all editors and processes that might lock the file
Successfully edited other markdown files in the same directory with patch/edit tools
Created a new file with the same contents—patch/edit tools worked on the new file
Replacing the original file with a new copy did not resolve the issue
Only copying the contents to a brand new file, deleting the old file, and renaming the new one finally allowed patch/edit tools to work

Solution/Workaround:
Copy the file contents to a new markdown file, delete the original, and rename the new file to the original name. This resets any hidden file metadata or corruption that was blocking automated edits.

Environment:

Windows 10/11
VS Code (latest)
GitHub Copilot (or relevant extension)
Python project, but issue is editor/tool related

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