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Setting up Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code is a code editor for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Use this article to choose an installation path, check requirements, and find related setup options.

VS Code is lightweight and should run on most available hardware and platform versions. Review the system requirements to check if your computer configuration is supported.

Set up VS Code for your platform

Choose the setup path that matches where you want to work.

Install on Windows

Install on macOS

Install on Linux

Use VS Code for the Web

Note

VS Code ships weekly releases. Most desktop installs support auto-update when a new release is available.

After installation

After you install VS Code, finish setup for your development workflow:

Install additional components, including Git, Node.js, TypeScript, language runtimes, and command-line tools.
Install extensions from the Visual Studio Marketplace to add themes, formatters, debuggers, and language support.
Set up GitHub Copilot to use AI features in VS Code.
Start the VS Code tutorial for a hands-on tour of the user interface and key features.

Tip

New Copilot users can start with the Copilot Free plan, which includes a monthly limit of inline suggestions and chat interactions.

Update cadence

VS Code releases a new version each week with new features and important bug fixes. Most platforms support auto update and prompt you to install the new release when it becomes available.

To check for updates manually, run Help > Check for Updates on Windows and Linux, or run Code > Check for Updates on macOS.

Note

Disable auto-update if you prefer to update VS Code on your own schedule.

Insiders nightly build

To try nightly builds, preview new features, or verify bug fixes, install the Insiders build. The Insiders build installs side by side with the weekly Stable build. The VS Code development team uses the Insiders build every day and welcomes feedback from people trying new features early.

Because Insiders builds are released nightly, multiple builds often share the same product version number. To uniquely identify a specific Insiders build, use the commit ID shown in the About dialog in addition to the version number.

Portable mode

Visual Studio Code supports portable mode. Portable mode stores VS Code data near the application so the installation can move between environments, such as on a USB drive. See the VS Code portable mode documentation for details.

Next steps

These topics help you learn more after setup:

VS Code tutorial - A quick hands-on tour of the key features of VS Code.
Tips and Tricks - A collection of productivity tips for working with VS Code.
AI-assisted coding - Learn how GitHub Copilot in VS Code helps you write code faster.

Common questions

What are the system requirements for VS Code?

Review the system requirements for supported platforms and hardware.

How big is VS Code?

VS Code is a small download, less than 200 MB, and has a disk footprint of less than 500 MB.

How do I create and run a new project?

VS Code doesn't include a traditional File > New Project dialog or preinstalled project templates. Add additional components and scaffolders based on your development workflow. Scaffolding tools like Yeoman and packages from the npm package manager provide templates and tools to create projects.

How do I know which version I'm running?

On Linux and Windows, choose Help > About. On macOS, use Code > About Visual Studio Code. The About dialog shows the version number and the commit ID. For Insiders builds, multiple builds can share the same version number, so use the commit ID to uniquely identify your build.

Why is VS Code saying my installation is unsupported?

VS Code has detected that some installation files have been modified, perhaps by an extension. Reinstalling VS Code will replace the affected files. See our FAQ topic for more details.

How can I do a 'clean' uninstall of VS Code?

To remove all user data after uninstalling VS Code, delete the user data folders Code and .vscode. This returns VS Code to the state before installation and can reset all settings without uninstalling VS Code.

The folder locations vary depending on your platform:

Windows - Delete %APPDATA%\Code and %USERPROFILE%\.vscode.
macOS - Delete $HOME/Library/Application Support/Code and ~/.vscode.
Linux - Delete $HOME/.config/Code and ~/.vscode.

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