ado-auth-helper Not Installing or Timing Out in Codespaces

[rika7]

Hey

We have observed multiple occurrences where ado-auth-helper is not installed correctly in GitHub Codespaces. However, when we explicitly run the command ado-auth-helper get-access-token, it successfully generates an access token, which suggests that there is an underlying issue with how the helper is being installed or initialized.

Our devcontainer.json includes the following features:

• "ghcr.io/microsoft/codespace-features/artifacts-helper:latest": {}
• "ghcr.io/microsoft/codespace-features/external-repository:latest": {}

Scenarios Where Errors Occur

1. During Codespaces Creation

When a Codespace is created using external Git configuration, we run external-git config in the post_create script. During initialization, we see the following log:

2026-01-21 21:19:46.581Z: Configuring ADO Authorization Helper

After waiting for 180 seconds, the process times out and logs the following warning:

2026-01-21 21:22:46.793Z: ::warning::AzDO Authentication Helper not found after 180 seconds Expected location: /home/vscode/ado-auth-helper Continuing without Azure Artifacts authentication... .

2. After Codespaces Is Created
   In some cases, the Codespace is created successfully, but ado-auth-helper is either not installed correctly or times out later during usage.

• For example, running git pull results in the following error:

@node:internal/process/promises:394
    triggerUncaughtException(err, true /* fromPromise */);
    ^
 
[AggregateError: All promises were rejected] {
  [errors]: [
    Error: timed-out waiting for auth
        at Timeout._onTimeout (/home/vscode/.vscode-remote/extensions/ms-codespaces-tools.ado-codespaces-auth-1.2.1/out/auth-helper.js:1368:14)
        at listOnTimeout (node:internal/timers:588:17)
        at process.processTimers (node:internal/timers:523:7)
  ]
}
 
Node.js v22.21.1


- In some cases, even after Codespaces is created successfully, ado-auth-helper is not installed correctly.

`::warning::AzDO Authentication Helper not found after 180 seconds
Expected location: /home/vscode/ado-auth-helper
Continuing without Azure Artifacts authentication...
info Lage task runner - let's make it`

[ahutchinson-msft]

i also am seeing this across multiple codespaces @markphip i've seen you active in issues like this previously

[ahutchinson-msft]

@rika7 i found a workaround. In the lower left gear menu inside the codespae, select Backup and Sync Settings, then use the sign in button to log in with your microsoft account, then you might have to select a settings sync option, and after that im seeing the ado auth helper prompt to authenticate