Fix VS Code Running Slow / High CPU / Lag

Last updated: April 2, 2025

VS Code slow or using lots of CPU? Spot heavy extensions, trim settings, exclude big folders from file watching, add antivirus exclusions or reset VS Code.

Not sure this is your exact issue? Every WindowsHelper guide is scoped to one specific problem — not a generic troubleshooting checklist — so if the title above matches what you're seeing, this is the right guide.

What this helps with

What to expect: Easy difficulty • usually about 5-10 minutes.

This is one of 28 Developer Tools & Programming fixes in the WindowsHelper library. The full step-by-step fix for this is in the WindowsHelper app.

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You might also run into

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