[userDataSync] [error] TypeError: Cannot convert undefined or null to object

[Mellbourn]

• VSCode Version: 1.48.2
• OS Version: macOS Catalina 10.15.6

I have also reproduced the problem on 1.49.0-insider (recurred after selecting the Stable settings)

Steps to Reproduce:

1. Start VS Code
2. Run the command Settings Sync: Show Log
3. It shows

[2020-08-28 22:42:28.859] [userDataSync] [info] Auto Sync: Triggered by Activity
[2020-08-28 22:42:29.101] [userDataSync] [info] Settings: No changes found during synchronizing settings.
[2020-08-28 22:42:29.109] [userDataSync] [info] Keybindings: No changes found during synchronizing keybindings.
[2020-08-28 22:42:29.113] [userDataSync] [info] Snippets: No changes found during synchronizing snippets.
[2020-08-28 22:42:29.121] [userDataSync] [error] TypeError: Cannot convert undefined or null to object
    at Function.keys (<anonymous>)
    at e.format (file:///Applications/Visual Studio Code.app/Contents/Resources/app/out/vs/code/electron-browser/sharedProcess/sharedProcessMain.js:462:573)
    at e.generateSyncPreview (file:///Applications/Visual Studio Code.app/Contents/Resources/app/out/vs/code/electron-browser/sharedProcess/sharedProcessMain.js:459:728)
    at async e.doGenerateSyncResourcePreview (file:///Applications/Visual Studio Code.app/Contents/Resources/app/out/vs/code/electron-browser/sharedProcess/sharedProcessMain.js:442:532)
[2020-08-28 22:42:29.121] [userDataSync] [error] globalState: Cannot convert undefined or null to object
[2020-08-28 22:42:29.225] [userDataSync] [info] Extensions: No changes found during synchronizing extensions.
[2020-08-28 22:42:29.225] [userDataSync] [info] Sync done. Took 158ms

Also:

1. I do Settings Sync: Show Synced Data
2. in the tree SYNC ACTIVITY (REMOTE) I chose Ui State
3. and click on the latest globalState.json
4. instead of showing a diff, a blank diff window shows briefly and then disappears
5. In the lower right corner I get the error Unable to open 'globalState.json (Remote) ↔ globalState.json (Local)': Cannot convert undefined or null to object.

Also, I tried to disable and then enable the entire settings sync:

1. I did the command Settings Sync: Turn Off...
2. I restarted VS Code
3. I did the command Settings Sync: Turn On...
4. In the lower right corner I get the message Error while starting Sync: Cannot convert undefined or null to object and the Settings sync is not turned on!
5. If I try to turn on Settings Sync again, but this time I choose to exclude UI State, then I can successfully turn on settings sync.
6. I can then choose Settings Sync: Configure... and check ? UI State, which "works", but then I get the above error in the logs again.

This seems similar to #94175

I just started using Settings Sync for the first time today. I did look at the logs, and for the first few hours, there were no errors.
Just about the time the problem started, I tried to do a Restore on globalState.json to a previous version.

Things I tried that did not help:

• Restarting vscode
• Disabling and then enabling UI sync
• Restore to a previous version
• Disabling and then enabling Setting Sync - see above

The problem has propagated to other computers that are synced. :/

Does this issue occur when all extensions are disabled?: Yes

What finally fixed it:

• On the 1.49.0-insider build, I did a Restore to a really old (more than an hour) version of globalState.json. Then the error stopped being reported. This fix propagated to the stable installation as well.

[duongleh]

I'm facing the same issue. Is there any update on this?

[sandy081]

Can you please try with latest insiders and let me know if you still see the issue?

[duongleh]

@sandy081 Is the fix for this issue included in the September release?

[sandy081]

Yeah, fix is in September release, but the fix is not validated because I cannot repro it.

[duongleh]

@sandy081 I can confirm that this is no longer an issue to me in the September release.