Installation

System Requirements

Before installing Visual Studio Code, ensure your system meets these requirements:

Minimum Requirements

Processor

1.6 GHz or faster processor

Memory

1 GB RAM minimum2 GB RAM recommended

Storage

200 MB disk space

Operating System Support

Windows: Windows 10 or later (64-bit)
macOS: macOS 10.15 Catalina or later
Linux: RHEL 8+, Debian 10+, Ubuntu 20.04+, Fedora 36+

VS Code is built on Electron version 39.6.0 and uses Node.js for extension development. The current version is 1.111.0.

Installation by Platform

Windows
macOS
Linux

Windows Installation

Visual Studio Code supports both user-level and system-level installations on Windows.

Download the Installer

Download the appropriate Windows installer:

User Installer (recommended): Installs for the current user only, doesn’t require admin privileges
System Installer: Installs for all users, requires administrator privileges
Portable Mode: Run VS Code from a USB drive without installation

Choose your architecture:

64-bit (x64) - Most modern Windows systems
ARM64 - For ARM-based Windows devices

The 32-bit (x86) version is no longer supported as of VS Code 1.83. Use the 64-bit version instead.

Run the Installer

Double-click the downloaded .exe file
Accept the license agreement
Choose installation location (default: %LocalAppData%\Programs\Microsoft VS Code for user installer)
Select additional tasks:
- Add “Open with Code” to Windows Explorer context menu
- Add “Open with Code” to directory context menu
- Register Code as an editor for supported file types
- Add to PATH (allows using code command from terminal)
Click Install to begin installation

# The installer adds VS Code to PATH, allowing you to launch it from PowerShell:
code .

Launch VS Code

After installation completes:

Launch from the Start menu
Use the desktop shortcut (if created)
Run code from Command Prompt or PowerShell
Right-click any folder and select “Open with Code”

Press Win+R, type code, and press Enter to quickly launch VS Code.

Windows-Specific Features

Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) SupportVS Code integrates seamlessly with WSL, allowing you to develop in a Linux environment:

# Install the Remote - WSL extension
code --install-extension ms-vscode-remote.remote-wsl

# Open a folder in WSL from Windows
wsl
cd /home/username/project
code .

Windows Terminal IntegrationSet VS Code as your default editor in Windows Terminal:

{
  "defaultProfile": "{guid}",
  "profiles": {
    "defaults": {
      "environment": {
        "EDITOR": "code --wait"
      }
    }
  }
}

Silent Installation

For automated deployments:

# User Installer
VSCodeUserSetup-x64-1.111.0.exe /VERYSILENT /MERGETASKS=!runcode

# System Installer
VSCodeSetup-x64-1.111.0.exe /VERYSILENT /MERGETASKS=!runcode

Portable Mode

Create a data folder next to the VS Code executable to enable portable mode:

VSCode-win32-x64
├── Code.exe
├── data
│   ├── user-data
│   └── extensions
└── ...

macOS Installation

Download for macOS

Download the appropriate version for your Mac:

Intel Chip: Download the x64 version
Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3): Download the ARM64 version

To check your chip type:

# Check processor type
uname -m
# arm64 = Apple Silicon, x86_64 = Intel

Install from ZIP

Download the .zip file for your architecture
Open the downloaded file (Safari will unzip automatically)
Drag Visual Studio Code.app to your Applications folder
Launch from Applications or Spotlight (press Cmd+Space, type “Visual Studio Code”)

On first launch, macOS may show a security warning. Click Open to confirm you want to run the application.

Add to PATH

Enable the code command in your terminal:

Launch VS Code
Open Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P)
Type “shell command” and select Shell Command: Install ‘code’ command in PATH

Now you can open files and folders from the terminal:

# Open current directory
code .

# Open a specific file
code myfile.js

# Open a folder
code ~/projects/my-app

Alternative Installation Methods

HomebrewInstall using Homebrew package manager:

# Install Homebrew if you don't have it
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

# Install VS Code
brew install --cask visual-studio-code

# Update VS Code
brew upgrade --cask visual-studio-code

MacPorts

sudo port install vscode

macOS-Specific Configuration

Touch Bar SupportIf you have a MacBook with Touch Bar, VS Code provides contextual controls:

{
  "keyboard.touchbar.enabled": true,
  "keyboard.touchbar.ignored": []
}

File AssociationsSet VS Code as the default editor for specific file types:

Right-click a file in Finder
Select Get Info
Under Open with, select Visual Studio Code
Click Change All to apply to all files of this type

Uninstallation

# Remove the application
rm -rf "/Applications/Visual Studio Code.app"

# Remove user data
rm -rf "$HOME/Library/Application Support/Code"
rm -rf "$HOME/.vscode"

Linux Installation

VS Code provides .deb and .rpm packages, as well as a Snap package.

Debian/Ubuntu Installation

Method 1: Download and Install .deb Package

# Download the .deb package (64-bit)
wget -O code.deb 'https://code.visualstudio.com/sha/download?build=stable&os=linux-deb-x64'

# Install the package
sudo dpkg -i code.deb

# Install dependencies if needed
sudo apt-get install -f

Method 2: Use Microsoft Repository (Recommended)This method enables automatic updates:

# Install required packages
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install wget gpg

# Download and install Microsoft GPG key
wget -qO- https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc | gpg --dearmor > packages.microsoft.gpg
sudo install -D -o root -g root -m 644 packages.microsoft.gpg /etc/apt/keyrings/packages.microsoft.gpg

# Add VS Code repository
echo "deb [arch=amd64,arm64,armhf signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/packages.microsoft.gpg] https://packages.microsoft.com/repos/code stable main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vscode.list > /dev/null

# Update package cache and install
sudo apt update
sudo apt install code

The repository method allows you to update VS Code with sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade.

RHEL/Fedora/CentOS Installation

Method 1: Download and Install .rpm Package

# Download the .rpm package (64-bit)
wget -O code.rpm 'https://code.visualstudio.com/sha/download?build=stable&os=linux-rpm-x64'

# Install on RHEL/Fedora/CentOS
sudo rpm -i code.rpm

# Or use dnf on Fedora
sudo dnf install code.rpm

Method 2: Use Microsoft Repository

# Import Microsoft GPG key
sudo rpm --import https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc

# Add repository (Fedora/RHEL 8+)
sudo sh -c 'echo -e "[code]\nname=Visual Studio Code\nbaseurl=https://packages.microsoft.com/yumrepos/vscode\nenabled=1\ngpgcheck=1\ngpgkey=https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc" > /etc/yum.repos.d/vscode.repo'

# Update cache and install (RHEL/CentOS)
sudo yum check-update
sudo yum install code

# Or on Fedora
sudo dnf check-update
sudo dnf install code

Snap Installation (Universal)

Snap packages work across many Linux distributions:

# Install via Snap
sudo snap install --classic code

# Update VS Code
sudo snap refresh code

The --classic flag is required because VS Code needs full system access.

Arch Linux

VS Code is available in the Arch User Repository (AUR):

# Using yay
yay -S visual-studio-code-bin

# Or using paru
paru -S visual-studio-code-bin

# Manual installation from AUR
git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/visual-studio-code-bin.git
cd visual-studio-code-bin
makepkg -si

Linux-Specific Configuration

Desktop EntryVS Code creates a desktop entry at /usr/share/applications/code.desktop. You can customize it:

[Desktop Entry]
Name=Visual Studio Code
Comment=Code Editing. Redefined.
GenericName=Text Editor
Exec=/usr/bin/code --no-sandbox --unity-launch %F
Icon=com.visualstudio.code
Type=Application
StartupNotify=false
Categories=Utility;TextEditor;Development;IDE;
MimeType=text/plain;inode/directory;
Actions=new-empty-window;
Keywords=vscode;

Running as Root (Not Recommended)If absolutely necessary:

code --user-data-dir="/root/.vscode-root" --no-sandbox

Running VS Code as root is not recommended for security reasons. Use a regular user account instead.

GPU Acceleration IssuesIf you experience graphical glitches:

# Disable GPU acceleration
code --disable-gpu

# Or add to your settings
code --disable-gpu-sandbox

Post-Installation Setup

Verify Installation

Confirm VS Code is installed correctly:

# Check VS Code version
code --version

# Expected output:
# 1.111.0
# e802965a9da346fb619bb708f64e54e927167133
# x64

Initial Configuration

Choose a Color Theme

Open Command Palette: Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+P (macOS)
Type “Color Theme”
Select from built-in themes or install custom themes from the marketplace

Popular themes:

Dark+ (Default dark)
Light+ (Default light)
Monokai
Solarized Dark/Light

Configure Auto-Save

Enable automatic file saving:

{
  "files.autoSave": "afterDelay",
  "files.autoSaveDelay": 1000
}

Options:

off: Disable auto-save (default)
afterDelay: Save after a delay
onFocusChange: Save when editor loses focus
onWindowChange: Save when window loses focus

Set Up Extensions

Install essential extensions:

# Install via command line
code --install-extension ms-python.python
code --install-extension dbaeumer.vscode-eslint
code --install-extension esbenp.prettier-vscode
code --install-extension eamodio.gitlens

# List installed extensions
code --list-extensions

Configure Git Integration

VS Code has built-in Git support. Configure your Git settings:

# Set your identity
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "[email protected]"

# Set VS Code as default editor for Git
git config --global core.editor "code --wait"

# Use VS Code as diff tool
git config --global diff.tool vscode
git config --global difftool.vscode.cmd "code --wait --diff $LOCAL $REMOTE"

Advanced Installation Options

Development Container

For contributing to VS Code or developing in isolated environments:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/microsoft/vscode.git
cd vscode

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build from source
npm run compile

# Launch development version
bash scripts/code.sh

Building from source requires at least 4 Cores and 8 GB of RAM (9 GB recommended). See the development container README for details.

Enterprise Deployment

Group Policy (Windows) Configure VS Code across an organization:

# Disable automatic updates
New-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\VisualStudioCode" -Name "Update" -Value "none" -PropertyType String

# Set telemetry level
New-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\VisualStudioCode" -Name "TelemetryLevel" -Value "off" -PropertyType String

Configuration Management Deploy settings via configuration files:

# User settings location:
# Windows: %APPDATA%\Code\User\settings.json
# macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Code/User/settings.json
# Linux: ~/.config/Code/User/settings.json

Updating VS Code

Windows
macOS
Linux

VS Code automatically checks for updates. When available:

Click the gear icon (⚙️) in the lower-left corner
Select Check for Updates
Follow prompts to download and install

Or download the latest installer manually.

Automatic UpdatesVS Code checks for updates automatically.Manual Update

# If installed via Homebrew
brew upgrade --cask visual-studio-code

# Debian/Ubuntu (if using repository)
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade code

# RHEL/Fedora/CentOS
sudo dnf upgrade code

# Snap
sudo snap refresh code

Uninstalling VS Code

Windows
macOS
Linux

Using Control Panel

Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps
Search for “Visual Studio Code”
Click Uninstall

Remove User Data

# Remove settings and extensions
Remove-Item -Recurse -Force $env:APPDATA\Code
Remove-Item -Recurse -Force $env:USERPROFILE\.vscode

# Remove application
rm -rf "/Applications/Visual Studio Code.app"

# Remove user data
rm -rf "$HOME/Library/Application Support/Code"
rm -rf "$HOME/.vscode"

# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt remove code
sudo apt purge code

# RHEL/Fedora
sudo dnf remove code

# Snap
sudo snap remove code

# Remove user data
rm -rf ~/.config/Code
rm -rf ~/.vscode

Troubleshooting

VS Code won't start on Linux

This is often due to missing dependencies:

# Install missing libraries (Debian/Ubuntu)
sudo apt-get install libxss1 libgconf-2-4 libnss3 libasound2

# Check for errors
code --verbose

Permission denied errors on macOS

Reset application permissions:

# Fix permissions
sudo xattr -r -d com.apple.quarantine "/Applications/Visual Studio Code.app"

Slow startup on Windows

Disable Windows Defender scanning:

Open Windows Security
Go to Virus & threat protection > Manage settings
Add exclusions for:
- %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Microsoft VS Code
- %APPDATA%\Code
- Your project folders

Certificate errors behind corporate proxy

Configure proxy settings:

{
  "http.proxy": "http://proxy.company.com:8080",
  "http.proxyStrictSSL": false
}

Next Steps

Now that VS Code is installed:

Quickstart Guide

Learn the basics and write your first code

Keyboard Shortcuts

Master essential shortcuts to boost productivity

Extensions

Customize VS Code with extensions for your workflow

Settings Sync

Sync your settings across multiple machines

Get Started

Core Features

Extensions

Customization

Languages

System Requirements

Minimum Requirements

Processor

Memory

Storage

Operating System Support

Installation by Platform

Windows Installation

Windows-Specific Features

Silent Installation

Portable Mode

macOS Installation

Alternative Installation Methods

macOS-Specific Configuration

Uninstallation

Linux Installation

Linux-Specific Configuration

Post-Installation Setup

Verify Installation

Initial Configuration

Advanced Installation Options

Development Container

Enterprise Deployment

Updating VS Code

Uninstalling VS Code

Troubleshooting

Next Steps

Quickstart Guide

Keyboard Shortcuts

Extensions

Settings Sync

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get Started

Core Features

Extensions

Customization

Languages

​System Requirements

​Minimum Requirements

Processor

Memory

Storage

​Operating System Support

​Installation by Platform

​Windows Installation

​Windows-Specific Features

​Silent Installation

​Portable Mode

​macOS Installation

​Alternative Installation Methods

​macOS-Specific Configuration

​Uninstallation

​Linux Installation

​Linux-Specific Configuration

​Post-Installation Setup

​Verify Installation

​Initial Configuration

​Advanced Installation Options

​Development Container

​Enterprise Deployment

​Updating VS Code

​Uninstalling VS Code

​Troubleshooting

​Next Steps

Quickstart Guide

Keyboard Shortcuts

Extensions

Settings Sync

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

System Requirements

Minimum Requirements

Operating System Support

Installation by Platform

Windows Installation

Windows-Specific Features

Silent Installation

Portable Mode

macOS Installation

Alternative Installation Methods

macOS-Specific Configuration

Uninstallation

Linux Installation

Linux-Specific Configuration

Post-Installation Setup

Verify Installation

Initial Configuration

Advanced Installation Options

Development Container

Enterprise Deployment

Updating VS Code

Uninstalling VS Code

Troubleshooting

Next Steps