Claude Code History Retrieve

Fix for the VS Code Claude Code extension showing empty "Past Conversations" on virtual/mapped drives.

Affected: Windows users with rclone mounts, subst drives, mapped network drives, or WinFsp/FUSE mounts.

Related: anthropics/claude-code#12872 (30+ affected users)

The Problem

The Claude Code VS Code extension computes a project directory name from your workspace path. For example, workspace Z:\ maps to ~/.claude/projects/z--/.

However, the extension calls fs.realpath() on the workspace path before computing the directory name. On virtual drives, realpath resolves to the underlying path:

Drive Type	Workspace	realpath resolves to	Extension looks in
rclone SFTP	Z:\	\\server\share\	--server-share-
subst	Z:\	C:\Users\me\project	C--Users-me-project
Network	Z:\	\\nas\data\	--nas-data-

The CLI stores sessions in z-- but the extension looks in --server-share- (or similar). Mismatch = empty Past Conversations.

The CLI's claude --resume still works because it uses the raw path without realpath.

Quick Fix

python fix_sessions.py Z:\

This creates an NTFS directory junction linking the extension's expected directory to the CLI's actual session directory.

Usage

# Fix a specific drive
python fix_sessions.py Z:\

# Diagnose only (no changes)
python fix_sessions.py Z:\ --diagnose-only

# Scan all drives for mismatches
python fix_sessions.py --scan

# Group sessions by topic/project (preview)
python fix_sessions.py --group z-- --diagnose-only

# Group sessions by topic/project (apply titles)
python fix_sessions.py --group z--

# Auto-detect and group all projects
python fix_sessions.py --group

Example Output

=== Claude Code Session Fix Diagnostic ===

1. Workspace path: Z:\
   CLI directory name: z--
   CLI directory exists: True
   Sessions in CLI dir: 23 .jsonl files

2. Resolved path: \\server\hgcc_workspace\
   Extension directory name: --server-hgcc-workspace-
   Extension directory exists: False

3. MISMATCH DETECTED!
   CLI uses:       z--
   Extension uses: --server-hgcc-workspace-
   Sessions are in CLI dir (23 files), extension dir is empty/missing.

4. FIX: Creating directory junction...
   SUCCESS! Junction created.

5. Now reload VS Code: Ctrl+Shift+P -> 'Developer: Reload Window'
   Then check Past Conversations in Claude Code extension.

After Running

1. Reload VS Code: Ctrl+Shift+P -> "Developer: Reload Window"
2. Click Past Conversations in the Claude Code extension
3. Your sessions should now appear

Notes

• The junction persists across reboots -- you only need to run this once
• If you change your rclone/mount configuration, re-run the script
• Make sure the virtual drive is mounted before opening VS Code
• No admin rights needed (NTFS junctions don't require elevation)
• Requires Python 3.6+ (no external dependencies)

Session Grouping

When you have many sessions about the same project (e.g., 10 Centromere sessions), they appear as separate entries in Past Conversations. The --group feature auto-detects which sessions belong together and applies numbered custom titles:

Before:                          After:
  iridescent-conjuring-rocket      Project3_NicheQTL [1/1]
  reactive-spinning-walrus         Project2.1_NUMT_Fu_reproduce [1/1]
  proud-rolling-teapot             Project1_Centromere [1/8]
  tidy-conjuring-cloud             Project1_Centromere [2/8]
  curious-jumping-key              Project1_Centromere [3/8]
  ...                              ...

How grouping works (data-driven, no hardcoded keywords)

The script uses three layers of evidence from ~/.claude/, falling back automatically:

1. search.db file_changes (strongest) -- SQLite database tracks which files each session edited. File paths reveal the project folder (e.g., z:/Project1_Centromere/src/Snakefile -> Project1_Centromere).

2. file-history/ hash overlap -- Sessions that modified the same files (matching content hashes) are grouped together via connected-component clustering.

3. First prompt path extraction (fallback) -- Extracts project folder names from file paths referenced in the session's first user message.

This works for any user without configuration -- it reads data Claude Code already stores locally.

How It Works

1. Takes your workspace path (e.g., Z:\)
2. Computes the CLI's directory name: z--
3. Resolves the real path via os.path.realpath(): \\server\share\
4. Computes the extension's expected directory name: --server-share-
5. Creates an NTFS junction: ~/.claude/projects/--server-share- -> ~/.claude/projects/z--

Both the CLI and VS Code extension now read/write to the same session directory.

License

MIT