It is only absent when no ports were discovered. I have encountered a problem where it did not discover ports even though they were present, which is being tracked here:
opened 03:54PM - 23 Oct 21 UTC
closed 08:31AM - 17 Oct 22 UTC
topic: code
type: imperfection
**Describe the bug**
From time to time, the IDE exhibits the follow symptoms … when I open it:
- No ports are shown under the IDE's board/port menu
- The "**Select Board**" dialog (accessed via "**Select Other Board & Port**") shows "**NO PORTS DISCOVERED**"
- The **Tools > Port** menu is missing
However there are multiple detectable Arduino boards and generic serial ports on my computer and other times when I start the IDE the ports are detected just as expected.
**To Reproduce**
1. Start Arduino IDE
1. Check if ports are listed. If so, then exit IDE and start again at step 1.
Command line looks like this when the issue occurs:
<details>
<summary>Click to expand</summary>
```text
daemon INFO starting discovery builtin:serial-discovery process
daemon INFO starting discovery builtin:mdns-discovery process
daemon INFO started discovery builtin:serial-discovery process
daemon INFO sending command HELLO 1 "arduino-cli 0.19.1" to discovery builtin:serial-discovery
daemon INFO started discovery builtin:mdns-discovery process
daemon INFO sending command HELLO 1 "arduino-cli 0.19.1" to discovery builtin:mdns-discovery
daemon INFO from discovery builtin:serial-discovery received message type: hello, message: OK, protocol version: 1
daemon INFO from discovery builtin:mdns-discovery received message type: hello, message: OK, protocol version: 1
daemon INFO sending command START_SYNC to discovery builtin:serial-discovery
daemon INFO sending command START_SYNC to discovery builtin:mdns-discovery
daemon INFO from discovery builtin:mdns-discovery received message type: start_sync, message: OK
daemon INFO from discovery builtin:serial-discovery received message type: start_sync, message: OK
daemon INFO from discovery builtin:serial-discovery received message type: add, port: COM3
daemon INFO from discovery builtin:serial-discovery received message type: add, port: COM255
daemon INFO from discovery builtin:serial-discovery received message type: add, port: COM1
daemon INFO from discovery builtin:serial-discovery received message type: add, port: COM7
daemon INFO from discovery builtin:serial-discovery received message type: add, port: COM6
daemon INFO from discovery builtin:serial-discovery received message type: add, port: COM254
root WARN Frontend EditorNavigationContribution.onStart is slow, took: 6466.7 ms
root WARN Frontend WorkspaceService.onStart is slow, took: 175.1 ms
root INFO Changed application state from 'init' to 'started_contributions'.
root INFO Changed application state from 'started_contributions' to 'attached_shell'.
root INFO >>> Restoring the layout state...
root INFO [hosted-plugin: 6156] PLUGIN_HOST(6156) starting instance
root INFO [8115205c-c018-490d-b338-36be2ff33303] Sync of 5 plugins took: 512.1 ms
root ERROR Could not restore layout
root INFO Changed application state from 'attached_shell' to 'initialized_layout'.
root INFO [8115205c-c018-490d-b338-36be2ff33303][marus25.cortex-debug]: Loaded contributions.
root INFO [8115205c-c018-490d-b338-36be2ff33303][arduino.vscode-arduino-tools]: Loaded contributions.
root INFO [8115205c-c018-490d-b338-36be2ff33303][vscode.cpp]: Loaded contributions.
root INFO [8115205c-c018-490d-b338-36be2ff33303][vscode.json]: Loaded contributions.
root INFO [8115205c-c018-490d-b338-36be2ff33303][vscode.json-language-features]: Loaded contributions.
root INFO [8115205c-c018-490d-b338-36be2ff33303] Load contributions of 5 plugins took: 145.0 ms
root WARN Frontend EditorPreviewTreeDecorator.onDidInitializeLayout is slow, took: 146.0 ms
root WARN 'cpp' language is remapped from 'source.cpp.embedded.macro' to 'source.cpp' scope
root WARN a registered grammar configuration for 'cpp' language is overridden
root INFO [hosted-plugin: 6156] PLUGIN_HOST(6156): PluginManagerExtImpl/init()
root INFO [hosted-plugin: 6156] PLUGIN_HOST(6156): initializing(cortex-debug@0.3.10 with C:\ide 2\arduino-ide_2.0.0-beta.11-snapshot.846c22c_Windows_64bit\resources\app\node_modules\@theia\plugin-ext-vscode\lib\node\plugin-vscode-init)
root INFO [hosted-plugin: 6156] Debugger contribution has been registered: cortex-debug
root INFO [hosted-plugin: 6156] PLUGIN_HOST(6156): initializing(vscode-arduino-tools@0.0.1-beta.1 with C:\ide 2\arduino-ide_2.0.0-beta.11-snapshot.846c22c_Windows_64bit\resources\app\node_modules\@theia\plugin-ext-vscode\lib\node\plugin-vscode-init)
root INFO [hosted-plugin: 6156] PLUGIN_HOST(6156): initializing(cpp@1.52.1 with C:\ide 2\arduino-ide_2.0.0-beta.11-snapshot.846c22c_Windows_64bit\resources\app\node_modules\@theia\plugin-ext-vscode\lib\node\plugin-vscode-init)
root INFO [hosted-plugin: 6156] PLUGIN_HOST(6156): initializing(json@1.46.1 with C:\ide 2\arduino-ide_2.0.0-beta.11-snapshot.846c22c_Windows_64bit\resources\app\node_modules\@theia\plugin-ext-vscode\lib\node\plugin-vscode-init)
root INFO [hosted-plugin: 6156] PLUGIN_HOST(6156): initializing(json-language-features@1.46.1 with C:\ide 2\arduino-ide_2.0.0-beta.11-snapshot.846c22c_Windows_64bit\resources\app\node_modules\@theia\plugin-ext-vscode\lib\node\plugin-vscode-init)
root INFO [hosted-plugin: 6156] PLUGIN_HOST(6156): PluginManagerExtImpl/loadPlugin(C:\ide 2\arduino-ide_2.0.0-beta.11-snapshot.846c22c_Windows_64bit\resources\app\plugins\vscode-builtin-json-language-features\extension\client\dist\jsonMain)
root INFO [hosted-plugin: 6156] PLUGIN_HOST(6156): PluginManagerExtImpl/loadPlugin(C:\ide 2\arduino-ide_2.0.0-beta.11-snapshot.846c22c_Windows_64bit\resources\app\plugins\vscode-arduino-tools\extension\dist\bundle)
root INFO Changed application state from 'initialized_layout' to 'ready'.
root INFO [8115205c-c018-490d-b338-36be2ff33303][marus25.cortex-debug]: Started plugin.
root INFO [8115205c-c018-490d-b338-36be2ff33303][arduino.vscode-arduino-tools]: Started plugin.
root INFO [8115205c-c018-490d-b338-36be2ff33303][vscode.cpp]: Started plugin.
root INFO [8115205c-c018-490d-b338-36be2ff33303][vscode.json]: Started plugin.
root INFO [8115205c-c018-490d-b338-36be2ff33303][vscode.json-language-features]: Started plugin.
root INFO [8115205c-c018-490d-b338-36be2ff33303] Start of 5 plugins took: 914.5 ms
```
</details>
(note that the ports were discovered even though not shown in the IDE)
Command line looks like this when the issue does not occur:
<details>
<summary>Click to expand</summary>
```text
daemon INFO starting discovery builtin:serial-discovery process
daemon INFO starting discovery builtin:mdns-discovery process
daemon INFO started discovery builtin:serial-discovery process
daemon INFO sending command HELLO 1 "arduino-cli 0.19.1" to discovery builtin:serial-discovery
daemon INFO started discovery builtin:mdns-discovery process
daemon INFO sending command HELLO 1 "arduino-cli 0.19.1" to discovery builtin:mdns-discovery
daemon INFO from discovery builtin:serial-discovery received message type: hello, message: OK, protocol version: 1
daemon INFO from discovery builtin:mdns-discovery received message type: hello, message: OK, protocol version: 1
daemon INFO sending command START_SYNC to discovery builtin:serial-discovery
daemon INFO sending command START_SYNC to discovery builtin:mdns-discovery
daemon INFO from discovery builtin:mdns-discovery received message type: start_sync, message: OK
daemon INFO from discovery builtin:serial-discovery received message type: start_sync, message: OK
daemon INFO from discovery builtin:serial-discovery received message type: add, port: COM3
daemon INFO from discovery builtin:serial-discovery received message type: add, port: COM255
daemon INFO from discovery builtin:serial-discovery received message type: add, port: COM1
daemon INFO from discovery builtin:serial-discovery received message type: add, port: COM14
daemon INFO from discovery builtin:serial-discovery received message type: add, port: COM7
daemon INFO from discovery builtin:serial-discovery received message type: add, port: COM254
root WARN Frontend EditorNavigationContribution.onStart is slow, took: 5815.9 ms
root WARN Frontend WorkspaceService.onStart is slow, took: 180.9 ms
root INFO Changed application state from 'init' to 'started_contributions'.
root INFO Changed application state from 'started_contributions' to 'attached_shell'.
root INFO >>> Restoring the layout state...
root INFO [hosted-plugin: 12360] PLUGIN_HOST(12360) starting instance
root INFO Attached boards and available ports changed:
root INFO - New port is available on COM255
root INFO ------------------------------------------
root INFO [3d74c3ec-e34f-45d3-9f3b-f98baa68c6de] Sync of 5 plugins took: 582.2 ms
root INFO Attached boards and available ports changed:
root INFO - New port is available on COM1
root INFO ------------------------------------------
root ERROR Could not restore layout
root INFO Attached boards and available ports changed:
root INFO - Attached board: Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 [arduino:samd:mkrwifi1010] on COM14
root INFO ------------------------------------------
root INFO Attached boards and available ports changed:
root INFO - Attached board: Arduino Mega or Mega 2560 [arduino:avr:mega] on COM7
root INFO ------------------------------------------
root INFO Changed application state from 'attached_shell' to 'initialized_layout'.
root INFO [3d74c3ec-e34f-45d3-9f3b-f98baa68c6de][marus25.cortex-debug]: Loaded contributions.
```
</details>
**Expected behavior**
All connected ports and boards are always shown in the IDE.
**Screenshots**
If applicable, add screenshots to help explain your problem.
**Desktop (please complete the following information):**
- OS: Windows 10
- Version: 2.0.0-beta.11-snapshot.846c22c
Date: 2021-10-06T15:50:55.015Z
CLI Version: 0.19.1 alpha [718bbbf2]
**Additional context**
Possibly related:
- https://github.com/arduino/arduino-ide/issues/365
- https://github.com/arduino/arduino-ide/issues/540
- https://forum.arduino.cc/t/not-possible-to-setup-a-coms-port-for-uploading-sketch/918369
Unfortunately, the issue occurs intermittently (maybe once every 10 open/close cycles) and I have not been able to identify any pattern to its occurrence. I have not noticed any correlation with
I have never had this problem with the Java IDE, even when I check it at the same time IDE2 is failing.
Thanks to [a tip from @RudolfAtHome](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/not-possible-to-setup-a-coms-port-for-uploading-sketch/918369/2?u=ptillisch), I learned that new ports are still discovered when the IDE is in this condition, including previously unrecognized ports after disconnecting and then reconnecting the board.
As mentioned there, I find this issue to be intermittent, meaning that if I restart the IDE once or twice it will then show the ports. The port will also appear if I unplug and then replug the board while the IDE is running. If you try those things, do you get a port finally, or do you never get ports?
There is another report that seems to be the latter:
opened 12:45AM - 14 Nov 21 UTC
closed 01:02AM - 14 Dec 21 UTC
conclusion: resolved
topic: code
type: imperfection
**Describe the bug**
IDE could not discover any board
**To Reproduce**
Step… s to reproduce the behavior:
1. Open the IDE
2. Install Arduino AVR Boards
3. Found no ports connected
4. Pull out my USB connected board and plug it in again
5. Still found no ports connected
**Expected behavior**
IDE should have found my Arduino Mega 2560 board.
**Screenshots**
**Desktop (please complete the following information):**
- OS: Windows 10 Professional 19043.1348
- IDE: 2.0.0-beta.12
**Additional context**
Both windows device manager and MATLAB can discover my board. MATLAB scripts can normally connect to and operate on the board.
I rolled back to beta.11 and everything went fine. There must be something wrong in beta.12.