cannot open vscode on macOS after update

Question

Vs code was running perfectly fine on my MacBook Pro mid 2012 with macOS Catalina 10.15.7 (19H2026). But then I clicked on "restart to update Jupyter extension" the app closed and did not restart. Now when I click the app icon nothing happens. The little dot below the app pops up for one second indicating the app is open and then immediately disappears.

I restarted my Mac, downloaded vscode again and "reinstalled" it (just overwritten the old app), still the same issue.. Even deleting my settings.json does not do anything.. Is there another way to "reset" it?

Equestrienne

Now I deleted the complete "code" folder from application support, still does not open.. – Equestrienne

Did you try to start it from the command line with vscode? (I don’t use VSCode, I’m just guessing) – Fluidize

I tried this: rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Code rm -rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.microsoft.VSCode.plist rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/com.microsoft.VSCode rm -rf ~/Library/Saved\ Application\ State/com.microsoft.VSCode.savedState did not help.. – Equestrienne

I mean, is there some way to start the editor from the command-line, rather than from the icon? Sometimes it can help because it may print some helpful message. – Fluidize

I am looking for a way, but cannot find it, the documentation from vscode to start from terminal seems deleted from their website – Equestrienne

I found this section – Fluidize

Its an issue with VSCODE 1.89.1 (Universal) and macOS Catalina or other older versions. I restored the old version and it works, after the next automatic update same issue, then copied and replaced the old app again.. works.. – Equestrienne

They are working on it: github.com/microsoft/vscode/issues/219893 – Equestrienne

This question is similar to: Visual Studio Code 1.91.0 not opening on macOS 11. If you believe it’s different, please edit the question, make it clear how it’s different and/or how the answers on that question are not helpful for your problem. – Varico

Answer 1

It's an issue with Version 1.89.1. They are working on a fix. https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/issues/219893

Equestrienne

It's now fixed: github.com/microsoft/vscode/issues/… ("Fix is now available in latest release 1.91.1") – Nickelodeon

Answer 2

experienced this issue this morning but found a work around

1. uninstall vscode
2. download the may 2024 version of vscode here https://code.visualstudio.com/updates/v1_90
3. problem should be fixed

Poser

Answer 3

I had same promblem: in the meantime, I downgraded the vsc version from https://code.visualstudio.com/updates/v1_91

Pay attention: disable auto updates in Settings>Updates>Application>Updates choosing “none” or “manual”. Maybe you need to rewrite again the app in Applicatoons folder due a background update running when you were disabling it.

Cache

Answer 4

I was facing the same issue, tried to reinstall the May 2024 (version 1.90) version and that is working fine on macOS Catalina 10.15.7

Steps I followed:

1. Uninstall your current Vscode.
2. Go to https://code.visualstudio.com/updates/v1_90 and install the May 2024 version by clicking on universal.
3. Unzip and open your Vscode, it will be opened and will work perfectly fine.
4. Go to settings in Vscode and search for "updates". You will see Update: mode with the default option, select "none" and it will ask you to restart Vscode. Follow this setting change to avoid updates in Vscode that resist opening your app.

Incursive

Answer 5

For me (VS Code version 1.94.0) (macOS version 15.0):

All I had to do was remove the VS Code icon from the toolbar, open it from the applications window, and then save that to the toolbar.

Winker