# Hermes Agent troubleshooting

> Fixes for common Hermes Agent problems, written from the official docs.

Canonical: https://hermeswatcher.com/troubleshoot

## Memory & context

- [Hermes Agent memory not carrying over between sessions](https://hermeswatcher.com/troubleshoot/memory-did-not-persist.md): Check the actual write, profile and session boundary before adding more reminders to the prompt.
- [Hermes Agent ignoring your project instructions](https://hermeswatcher.com/troubleshoot/project-instructions-not-loaded.md): Verify the active directory, chosen context file and loading evidence before rewriting the rules.
- [Hermes Agent forgets things mid-conversation](https://hermeswatcher.com/troubleshoot/forgets-mid-conversation.md): Why a long Hermes session can lose earlier details after context compression, and how to keep the important parts in view.

## Automation & scheduling

- [Hermes Agent scheduled job didn't run](https://hermeswatcher.com/troubleshoot/scheduled-job-missed-run.md): Separate a stopped scheduler, an unwritable store and a failed job before recreating the schedule.
- [Hermes Agent stuck in a tool loop](https://hermeswatcher.com/troubleshoot/tool-loop-or-stuck-task.md): How to stop a Hermes turn that keeps calling tools or seems frozen, and the documented limits and settings that prevent it happening again.

## Messaging & the gateway

- [Hermes Agent task finished but no message arrived](https://hermeswatcher.com/troubleshoot/task-finished-but-no-delivery.md): The task ran but no message arrived? Check the saved result and intended destination before you run the whole task again.
- [Hermes Agent bot not responding in your chat app](https://hermeswatcher.com/troubleshoot/gateway-bot-not-responding.md): What to check when your Hermes bot on Telegram, Discord or another chat app stays silent, replies 'unauthorized', or works in DMs but not in groups.

## Skills, plugins & MCP

- [Hermes Agent MCP tool missing or failing](https://hermeswatcher.com/troubleshoot/mcp-tool-missing-or-failing.md): Separate discovery, connection, authentication and operation failures using one known read-only request.
- [Hermes Agent not using your skill](https://hermeswatcher.com/troubleshoot/skill-not-being-used.md): What to check when Hermes ignores a skill you wrote or installed, from file location and frontmatter to platform filters, trust and session timing.

## Models, providers & cost

- [Hermes Agent still using the wrong model](https://hermeswatcher.com/troubleshoot/model-change-not-taking-effect.md): Compare effective settings with the running process before editing keys repeatedly.
- [Hermes Agent rate limits and provider errors](https://hermeswatcher.com/troubleshoot/rate-limits-and-provider-errors.md): How to read 429s, quota errors, auth failures and stream errors from your model provider, and how retries, credential pools and fallback providers can keep Hermes working.
- [Hermes Agent local model won't start or goes silent](https://hermeswatcher.com/troubleshoot/local-model-context-too-small.md): Fix the context-window and tool-calling mismatches behind most local model failures with Ollama, llama.cpp, vLLM and LM Studio.
- [Hermes Agent OAuth login stuck or expired](https://hermeswatcher.com/troubleshoot/oauth-login-expired-or-stuck.md): Diagnose expired or revoked subscription logins, MCP OAuth that never returns, and logins that worked but landed in the wrong Hermes home.

## Security & permissions

- [Hermes Agent task denied when scheduled](https://hermeswatcher.com/troubleshoot/unattended-task-permission-denied.md): Find the blocked operation and execution policy instead of disabling approvals for every unattended task.

## Running & deploying

- [Hermes Agent terminal can't find files or programs](https://hermeswatcher.com/troubleshoot/terminal-cannot-find-files-or-programs.md): Check where the command actually runs, then verify paths and dependencies inside that environment.
- [Hermes Agent on Windows: command not found and other fixes](https://hermeswatcher.com/troubleshoot/windows-specific-problems.md): Work through the documented Windows pitfalls for native installs and WSL2, from PATH and encoding to editors, shell scripts and the login-time gateway task.

## Getting started

- [Hermes Agent install or update failed](https://hermeswatcher.com/troubleshoot/install-or-update-failed.md): Symptom-led fixes for a Hermes install script that errors out, a missing hermes command, Python or permission problems, and updates that leave things half-done.

---

HermesWatcher is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Nous Research. The [official Hermes Agent documentation](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs) and [repository](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent) from Nous Research are the authority; each page here lists the official sources it was written from. If this site and the official docs disagree, trust the official docs. Index for agents: https://hermeswatcher.com/llms.txt