Visual Studio Code on Windows

Installation

1. Download the Visual Studio Code installer for Windows.
2. Once it is downloaded, run the installer (VSCodeUserSetup-{version}.exe). This will only take a minute.
3. By default, VS Code is installed under C:\users\{username}\AppData\Local\Programs\Microsoft VS Code.

Alternatively, you can also download a Zip archive, extract it and run Code from there.

Note: .NET Framework 4.5.2 or higher is required for VS Code. If you are using Windows 7, make sure you have at least .NET Framework 4.5.2 installed.

Tip: Setup will add Visual Studio Code to your %PATH%, so from the console you can type 'code .' to open VS Code on that folder. You will need to restart your console after the installation for the change to the %PATH% environmental variable to take effect.

32 bit versions

If you need to run a 32 bit version of VS Code, both a 32 bit Installer and Zip archive are available.

Updates

VS Code ships monthly releases and supports auto-update when a new release is available. If you're prompted by VS Code, accept the newest update and it will be installed (you won't need to do anything else to get the latest bits). If you'd rather control VS Code updates manually, see How do I opt out of auto-updates.

Next Steps

Once you have installed VS Code, these topics will help you learn more about VS Code:

• Additional Components - Learn how to install Git, Node.js, TypeScript and tools like Yeoman.
• User Interface - A quick orientation to VS Code.
• User/Workspace Settings - Learn how to configure VS Code to your preferences through settings.

Common Questions

What command line arguments are supported by the Windows Setup?

VS Code uses Inno Setup to create its setup package for Windows. Thus, all the Inno Setup command line switches are available for use.

Additionally, you can prevent the Setup from launching VS Code after completion with /mergetasks=!runcode.

Scrolling is laggy and not smooth

On certain devices, editor scrolling is not smooth but laggy for an unpleasant experience. If you notice this issue, you can configure the setting window.smoothScrollingWorkaround: true as a workaround.

I'm having trouble with the installer

Try using the zip file instead of the installer. To use this, unzip VS Code in your AppData\Local\Programs folder.

Note: When VS Code is installed via a Zip file, you will need to manually update it for each release.

Icons are missing

I installed Visual Studio Code on my Windows 7 or 8 machine. Why are some icons not appearing in the workbench and editor?

VS Code uses SVG icons and we have found instances where the .SVG file extension is associated with something other than image/svg+xml. We're considering options to fix it, but for now here's a workaround:

Using the Command Prompt:

1. Open an Administrator Command Prompt.
2. Type REG ADD HKCR\.svg /f /v "Content Type" /t REG_SZ /d image/svg+xml.

Using the Registry Editor (regedit):

1. Start regedit.
2. Open the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT key.
3. Find the .svg key.
4. Set its Content Type Data value to image/svg+xml.
5. Exit regedit.