Locking VS Code Updates for a Stable Semester

Overview

OPTIONAL! This guide and these steps are optional. I would suggest attempting this if you are relatively computer savy. If not, you should skip it. The consequences for not locking down surpise updates are not that severe. Some of the code I run might look different to you, minor changes in behavior.

This guide walks you through a one-time configuration that prevents surprise changes in Visual Studio Code during the semester:

  • Disabling automatic VS Code updates
  • Disabling automatic extension updates
  • Installing the Python extension (Microsoft)
  • Verifying your Python interpreter selection
  • Confirming everything still runs normally
Note

Follow this top-to-bottom, in order.
Most problems happen when settings are changed in the wrong place or only partially applied. Again, don’t attempt this if you are not very comfortable problem solving on a PC or MAC.

Prerequisite

This guide assumes you can:

  • open VS Code
  • open a terminal (Mac Terminal / Windows PowerShell)
  • copy/paste text
  • save a file

What you will have when you’re done

By the end of this guide/walkthrough, you should have:

  1. VS Code configured to only update when you choose
  2. Extensions configured to only update when you choose
  3. The Python extension installed
  4. A quick health check confirming Python runs
Tip

If you are working in a class project folder, you can apply these settings at the workspace level so the environment behaves consistently in that folder.

Phase 1 — Make VS Code Updates Manual

1. Open the Settings (JSON) file

  1. Open VS Code
  2. Open Settings
  3. In the upper right, click the icon: Open Settings (JSON)

You are now editing a file that looks like:

{
  // settings live here
}
Important

You must edit Settings (JSON), not the normal Settings UI, so you can copy the exact configuration reliably. Stop here if this looks scary.

2. Add the “stability settings”

Copy and paste the following exactly into your Settings (JSON).
If there are already settings in the file, paste these inside the top-level { ... }.

{
  "update.mode": "manual",
  "extensions.autoUpdate": false,
  "extensions.autoCheckUpdates": false
}

Save the file.

3. Confirm the settings were applied

Do a quick confirmation:

  • Open Settings UI and search for Update Mode
    • It should show Manual
  • Open Settings UI and search for Extensions: Auto Update
    • It should be off/unchecked
Tip

If you accidentally pasted an extra comma or broke the JSON formatting, VS Code will show a warning in the Settings (JSON) editor. Fix formatting first.

Phase 2 — Install Only the Required Extension

4. Install the Python extension (Microsoft)

Note: You may have this installed already… check!

  1. Open the Extensions panel
  2. Search for: Python
  3. Install Python by Microsoft
Important

Do not install preview/insider Python extensions.

Phase 3 — Interpreter Consistency (Common “Hidden” Source of Errors)

5. Select the correct Python interpreter

Even if VS Code is stable, your code can still fail if VS Code uses the wrong interpreter.

  1. Open the Command Palette
    • macOS: Cmd + Shift + P
    • Windows: Ctrl + Shift + P
  2. Choose: Python: Select Interpreter
  3. Select the interpreter you want (This text suggests a UV solution):
    • System Python (if required), or
    • A project environment interpreter (commonly a .venv folder)
Warning

The wrong interpreter is the #1 cause of: - ModuleNotFoundError - “package not found” - code working in terminal but not in VS Code (or vice versa)

6. Quick visual check (bottom-right)

Look at the bottom-right corner of VS Code.

  • You should see a Python version + environment name
  • If you click it, it should show the interpreter you selected

Phase 4 — Manual Updates

7. Updating VS Code (manual)

  • Windows / macOS:
    Help → Check for Updates
Note

Do not update VS Code right before an exam, That may lead to unexpectected and frustrating changes to your working environment.

8. Updating extensions (manual)

  1. Open Extensions
  2. Click the … menu in the Extensions panel
  3. Choose Check for Updates
  4. Update only what you need

Optional: Apply These Settings to a Workspace Folder

If you have a project folder (recommended), you can apply settings to that folder only.

Workspace settings file

Inside your project folder, create:

.vscode/settings.json

Then paste the same settings into that file:

{
  "update.mode": "manual",
  "extensions.autoUpdate": false,
  "extensions.autoCheckUpdates": false
}
Tip

Workspace settings are helpful because they travel with the project folder.
User settings apply to all VS Code projects on your machine.

Troubleshooting

“I can’t find Open Settings (JSON)”

Try either of these:

  • Command Palette → Preferences: Open User Settings (JSON)
  • Settings UI → use the top-right icon for JSON

“My JSON is broken”

Symptoms include red underlines and warnings in the settings editor.

Fixes: - Make sure there is only one outer { ... } - Every setting line except the last must end with a comma - Strings must be wrapped in quotes

Correct example:

{
  "update.mode": "manual",
  "extensions.autoUpdate": false
}

“Python works in terminal but not in VS Code”

This is almost always interpreter mismatch.

Checklist: - Run Python: Select Interpreter - Confirm the bottom-right interpreter matches your project environment

Final checkpoint

  • VS Code updates are set to manual
  • Extensions do not auto-update
  • Python extension (Microsoft) is installed
  • VS Code shows the correct Python interpreter
  • You can run a simple Python file successfully