[BUG] Add "Hard Reset" button to clear Electron cache and global storage

[scottnzuk]

Problem (one or two sentences)

Even after completely removing /Library/Application Support/Code folder and reinstalling VS Code, corrupted Electron files persist in system-level caches outside the main application directory, preventing Roo Code from functioning properly.

Request:
Add a "Hard Reset" button that purges Electron runtime data from ALL locations, including system caches outside the typical VS Code folders.

Why this is needed:
When Electron files get corrupted, the current uninstall process is insufficient. Users have discovered that even nuking the entire ~/Library/Application Support/Code directory doesn't solve the problem because Electron maintains cached data in other system locations that survive full application removal.

Key locations needing cleanup:

~/Library/Caches/com.microsoft.VSCode* (system-level VS Code caches)

~/Library/Caches/Electron/* (shared Electron runtime caches)

Browser-specific IndexedDB that might be shared (~/Library/Application Support/BraveSoftware/.../roo-code*.leveldb)

Any other Electron/Chromium storage outside the main application support folder

Benefit:
Users could recover from Electron corruption without needing advanced technical knowledge to hunt down scattered cache files across the system.

Context (who is affected and when)

Why this is needed:
When Electron files get corrupted, the current uninstall process is insufficient. Users have discovered that even nuking the entire ~/Library/Application Support/Code directory doesn't solve the problem because Electron maintains cached data in other system locations that survive full application removal.

Key locations needing cleanup:

~/Library/Caches/com.microsoft.VSCode* (system-level VS Code caches)

~/Library/Caches/Electron/* (shared Electron runtime caches)

Browser-specific IndexedDB that might be shared (~/Library/Application Support/BraveSoftware/.../roo-code*.leveldb)

Any other Electron/Chromium storage outside the main application support folder

Benefit:
Users could recover from Electron corruption without needing advanced technical knowledge to hunt down scattered cache files across the system.

Reproduction steps

So its very small % of people but working with large codebase and if you have afew system crashes, (usually gray box, or mac crash (very uncommon) then if any of electron storage files get damanged as in my case i think it was indexdb. roo would install but no task request would send or show error, just do nothing.

Expected result

a total purge of VSC and roocode should give you a clean slate, on macos it is not.

Actual result

if electron indexdb and or global storage folders are bad, roo wont function again.

Variations tried (optional)

i went all out nuke on this, removing basically scotched earth. tried nightly, tried VSC insider, but turns out google / electron global storage etc often random number folders are the issue.

App Version

current.

API Provider (optional)

None

Model Used (optional)

No response

Roo Code Task Links (optional)

No response

Relevant logs or errors (optional)

I can share more logs and my deep dive, but dont want to post public.

[roomote]

I'm exploring a potential fix for the Hard Reset feature to clear Electron caches and global storage. I'll work on implementing a solution that addresses the corrupted file persistence issue you've described.

[scottnzuk]

Clearing Plugin Storage in VS Code (Electron/Chromium Context)

When you uninstall a plugin in Visual Studio Code (VS Code) by right-clicking and selecting "Uninstall," VS Code removes the extension's core files from ~/.vscode/extensions/ (on macOS). However, it does not automatically clear all associated storage locations, such as cached data, settings, or workspace-specific files, which can linger and cause issues like the gray crash box you're seeing with the Roo Code extension (rooveterinaryinc.roo-code-nightly). Since VS Code is built on Electron, which embeds Chromium, extensions can store data in various locations, including Chromium's storage mechanisms (e.g., Local Storage, Session Storage, IndexedDB). Below, I address whether there's a supported function to clear these and provide steps to manually purge them, tailored to your issue with crash boxes and minimal plugin usage.
Is There a Supported Function to Clear Plugin Storage?

No Built-In Function: VS Code does not provide a native, supported command or UI option to automatically clear all storage locations (e.g., globalStorage, workspaceStorage, Local Storage, IndexedDB, or project-local files) when you uninstall an extension via right-click > Uninstall. The uninstall process only removes the extension's folder from ~/.vscode/extensions/ and its metadata from VS Code's extension registry.
Extension-Specific Behavior: Some extensions, like Roo Code, may store data outside this directory (e.g., ~/.roo, .roomodes, or Chromium storage for webview-based features). These are not automatically cleared unless the extension explicitly provides a cleanup command, which Roo Code does not appear to offer based on standard extension behavior.
VS Code Command Palette: You can run code --uninstall-extension (e.g., code --uninstall-extension rooveterinaryinc.roo-code-nightly) in Terminal, but this is equivalent to the UI uninstall and doesn't touch additional storage. There’s no built-in --purge or similar flag.

[roomote]

I've opened PR #8420 with an implementation of the Hard Reset feature to address this issue.

The implementation adds a new "Hard Reset" button in the About settings section that:

• Clears all VS Code and Electron cache directories
• Removes IndexedDB, Local Storage, and Session Storage data
• Handles platform-specific cache locations for macOS, Windows, and Linux
• Performs a regular state reset alongside cache clearing
• Provides user feedback and offers to restart VS Code

Most CI checks are passing. There's one failing translation check that may need attention from maintainers.

PR link: #8420

[daniel-lxs]

Hi! Thanks for raising this issue. Completely resetting the Electron cache is outside the scope of the Roo Code extension, so this feature is not planned at this time. Closing this issue accordingly. Thank you for your understanding!