[Bug]: MSSQL Extension in VS Code (macOS) won't open after updating to v1.37.0

[qaushqestaj]

Description

I have been having this problem since I updated to v1.37.0. Immediately after I updated, my connection was gone to the SQL Server was gone, and I received the error: Failed to load SQL Tools Service

I tried downloading and installing manually, installing the v1.36.0 and nothing seems to work anymore.

When I try to add connection, I received a different error like this:
Error running command mssql.addObjectExplorer: command 'mssql.addObjectExplorer' not found. This is likely caused by the extension that contributes mssql.addObjectExplorer

Steps to Reproduce

1. 1. Updated to v1.37.0
2. Clicked the extension icon to open the connection
3. Received the error: Failed to load SQL Tools Service

Affected Area

• Connection dialog (SQL Server | Azure browse/Fabric browse)
• Query editor
• Query results panel
• Object Explorer
• GitHub Copilot integration
• Preview/Edit data
• Table Designer
• Schema Designer
• Schema Compare
• Local SQL Server Container provisioning
• SQL database in Fabric provisioning
• DACPAC/BACPAC export/import
• SQL Database projects
• Query Plan Visualizer
• Other (please describe below)

If you selected "Other", please describe the affected area

No response

Environment Information

Operating System:
macOS arm64

VS Code Version:
1.106.2 (Universal)

MSSQL Extension Version:
1.37.0

Connection to SQL Server

Confirmation

• I have searched existing issues and couldn't find a match
• I want to work on this issue

[ps-northwave]

I experience this issue, too. I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling several times. Trying to install 1.36 or 1.35 results in the same error.

[ps-northwave]

It seems there is a problem with downloading the certificate that would mark the sqltoolsservice binaries as trusted by macOS Gatekeeper.

Workaround
I found a workaround that has a security impact and requires enough privileges on the Mac to modify gatekeeper trust, but makes the plugin work again. You have to either completely disable gatekeeper, or mark a number of executables as trusted iteratively as detailed out below

1. Make sure version 1.37 of mssql extension is installed, even though it does not work yet.
2. Close VSCode
3. Manually download the sqltoolsservice package, using the link reported in the installation log (and the attached images)
4. Extract the contents of the tar.gz file somewhere
5. Copy all contents of the tar.gz file to ~/.vscode/extensions/ms-mssql.mssql-1.37.0/sqltoolsservice/5.0.20251117.1/OSX
6. Make sure the privacy and security section of system preferences is open and scroll down all the way
7. Open VSCode
8. A warning will appear several times for different binaries that are untrusted, as soon as you see one, there is also a button to allow this binary to run in the system preferences pane. Click it, then click done in VSCode
9. Another popup will appear with a new button that can be used to trust the binary. Click it and go through the re-identification process
10. This loop will continue a few times. You may need to restart VSCode several times go through the allow procedure again for some different binaries.
11. After a few tries, all required binaries should be trusted and the plugin starts working again.

[aasimkhan30]

@ps-northwave and @qaushqestaj , while we are investigating this issue, maybe you give offline vsix a try.

https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-mssql/releases

Please download the right vsix for your platform and hopefully that should unblock you.

[ps-northwave]

@aasimkhan30 I tried and using the VSIX works without issues. Thanks for the workaround.

[qaushqestaj]

@aasimkhan30 thank you. I tried it too and works without any issues.

[qaushqestaj]

@ps-northwave credits to you too. Nice solution you got there.