Cannot enable authentication provider extension in a workspace

[gjsjohnmurray]

Type: Bug

My VS Code instance has an extension already installed (InterSystems Server Manager) that contributes an authentication provider.

I previously disabled this extension for one of my workspaces. Now when I try to enable it for this workspace I get an error notification:

Cannot change enablement of InterSystems Server Manager extension in workspace because it contributes authentication providers

Why? And how am I supposed to start using it for this workspace?

Pinging @sandy081

VS Code version: Code - Insiders 1.109.0-insider (7722bb2, 2026-01-28T05:03:35.423Z)
OS version: Windows_NT x64 10.0.26200
Modes:

[gjsjohnmurray]

Seems to arise from this 5 year old issue:

#103405

The localize key for the message I'm getting is 'cannot disable auth extension in workspace'

throw new Error(localize('cannot disable auth extension in workspace', "Cannot change enablement of {0} extension in workspace because it contributes authentication providers", extension.manifest.displayName || extension.identifier.id));

But in this case I'm trying to enable the extension.

Even having the restriction on disabling doesn't make a whole lot of sense, since the above issue seemed to arise from authproviders being used by settings sync, which doesn't apply to the one in InterSystems Server Manager.

[gjsjohnmurray]

See #269367 for my previous report about the disabling case. At that time it hadn't occurred to me that enabling is also being blocked.

[sandy081]

I previously disabled this extension for one of my workspaces.

Wondering how you could disable the extension for a workspace with this restriction?

[gjsjohnmurray]

Maybe disabled it before you added this restriction.