How to Fix VS Code Slow to Start on Windows

What Causes This?

VS Code usually starts slowly on Windows because something is delaying its startup sequence. The most common causes are heavy or misbehaving extensions, large workspaces that trigger file indexing, corrupted user settings or cache files, and background antivirus scans hitting VS Code folders during launch. In some cases, an outdated VS Code build, broken profile, or too many startup apps competing for disk and CPU can also make it feel sluggish.

Common Symptoms

• VS Code takes 10+ seconds to open, even on a fast PC
• The window appears blank or shows “Loading...” for a long time
• CPU or disk usage spikes when VS Code starts
• VS Code opens faster in Safe Mode or with extensions disabled
• Startup is especially slow when opening a large project folder

How to Fix It Manually

1. Test whether extensions are causing the delay

   • Press Win + R to open Run.
   • Type:

     code --disable-extensions

     then press Enter.
   • If VS Code opens much faster, one or more extensions are the problem.
   • In VS Code, press Ctrl + Shift + X to open Extensions and disable recently installed or heavy extensions one by one, then restart VS Code after each change.

2. Check startup performance inside VS Code

   • Open VS Code.
   • Press Ctrl + Shift + P to open the Command Palette.
   • Type Developer: Show Running Extensions and open it.
   • Look for extensions with high startup or activation time.
   • Disable or uninstall any extension that is clearly slowing startup.

3. Try opening VS Code without your current workspace

   • Close VS Code completely.
   • Press Win + R, type code, and press Enter to open a clean window.
   • If that opens quickly, the issue is likely your project folder.
   • Large folders with node_modules, build output, logs, or .git history can slow indexing. In VS Code, open File > Preferences > Settings, search for files.exclude and search.exclude, and exclude large folders you do not need indexed.

4. Reset VS Code cache and user data

   • Close VS Code.
   • Press Win + R, type:

     %APPDATA%\Code

     and press Enter.
   • Rename the Cache, CachedData, and GPUCache folders by adding .old to the end.
   • If startup is still slow, rename User to User.old to test with a fresh profile. This resets settings, snippets, and keybindings, so only do this if needed.

5. Update VS Code and Windows

   • In VS Code, go to Help > Check for Updates.
   • On Windows, press Win + I to open Settings, then go to Windows Update and install pending updates.
   • Restart your PC after updates finish.

6. Check for system load during startup

   • Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
   • On the Processes tab, watch CPU, Memory, and Disk while launching VS Code.
   • If another app is consuming heavy resources, close it.
   • Then go to the Startup apps tab and disable non-essential startup programs that may be slowing Windows and VS Code at the same time.

7. Temporarily test antivirus interference

   • Some antivirus tools scan VS Code files and project folders during launch.
   • If you use third-party antivirus, temporarily disable real-time scanning for a quick test, or add exclusions for VS Code and your development folders.
   • If this fixes the issue, re-enable protection and keep only the safe exclusions you need.

Fix It Automatically with Kudu

Kudu can help pinpoint why VS Code is slow to start by checking for startup bottlenecks, heavy background apps, broken caches, and other Windows performance issues that are easy to miss manually. Instead of digging through extensions, startup items, and system settings one by one, Kudu can surface the likely cause and apply safe fixes faster.

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