PowerShell 5.1 (x64) fails to start in VS Code 1.101.0 with PSES v3.0+ — no logs, EditorServicesHost.exe not launched

[mmunchandersen]

System Info

• VS Code version: 1.101.0 (64-bit, Stable)
• PowerShell extension version: 2025.0.0 (also tried 2023.10.2 and Insiders)
• PowerShell 5.1 version: 5.1.19041.5965 (x64)
• OS: Windows 10 64-bit
• PowerShell 7.5.1: works fine in VS Code

---

Problem Summary

PowerShell 5.1 (x64) fails to start in the PowerShell extension. The Integrated Console never appears. Logs show:

2025-06-16 17:39:01.606 [info] Visual Studio Code: v1.101.0 64-bit on Windows 64-bit
2025-06-16 17:39:01.606 [info] PowerShell Extension: v2025.0.0
2025-06-16 17:39:01.606 [info] Starting 'PowerShell (x64)' at: C:\Program Files\PowerShell\7\pwsh.exe
2025-06-16 17:39:02.105 [info] PowerShell process started with PID: 18672
2025-06-16 17:39:05.768 [info] Started PowerShell v7.5.1.
2025-06-16 17:39:06.935 [info] PowerShell is up-to-date.
2025-06-16 17:40:19.081 [info] Restarting session...
2025-06-16 17:40:19.136 [info] Starting 'PowerShell (x86)' at: C:\Program Files (x86)\PowerShell\7\pwsh.exe
2025-06-16 17:40:19.331 [info] PowerShell process started with PID: 28268
2025-06-16 17:40:22.033 [info] Started PowerShell v7.4.0.
2025-06-16 17:40:22.907 [info] Prompting to update PowerShell v7.4.0 to v7.5.1.
2025-06-16 17:40:38.762 [info] Restarting session...
2025-06-16 17:40:38.808 [info] Starting 'Windows PowerShell (x86)' at: C:\WINDOWS\SysWOW64\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe <<< this is where it hangs
2025-06-16 17:40:39.010 [info] PowerShell process started with PID: 23992
2025-06-16 17:42:04.695 [warning] Re-entered 'start' so waiting... <<< this is the debugger hanging after pressing F5

In an all new installation, with a dedicated PowerShell profile, this is the extension log
ms-vscode.powershell appears to load without error:

2025-06-16 17:38:32.840 [info] Extension host with pid 26888 started
2025-06-16 17:38:32.840 [info] Skipping acquiring lock for c:\Users\Morten\AppData\Roaming\Code\User\workspaceStorage\58eda7e5534856e8773a6577f6c9b333.
2025-06-16 17:38:32.877 [info] ExtensionService#_doActivateExtension vscode.github-authentication, startup: false, activationEvent: 'onAuthenticationRequest:github'
2025-06-16 17:38:32.902 [info] ExtensionService#_doActivateExtension vscode.configuration-editing, startup: false, activationEvent: 'onLanguage:jsonc'
2025-06-16 17:38:32.912 [info] ExtensionService#_doActivateExtension vscode.json-language-features, startup: false, activationEvent: 'onLanguage:jsonc'
2025-06-16 17:38:32.967 [info] ExtensionService#_doActivateExtension vscode.typescript-language-features, startup: false, activationEvent: 'onLanguage:jsonc'
2025-06-16 17:38:33.018 [info] ExtensionService#_doActivateExtension vscode.emmet, startup: false, activationEvent: 'onLanguage'
2025-06-16 17:38:33.311 [info] ExtensionService#_doActivateExtension vscode.git-base, startup: true, activationEvent: '', root cause: vscode.git
2025-06-16 17:38:33.316 [info] ExtensionService#_doActivateExtension vscode.git, startup: true, activationEvent: ''
2025-06-16 17:38:33.357 [info] ExtensionService#_doActivateExtension vscode.github, startup: true, activationEvent: '*'
2025-06-16 17:38:33.458 [info] Eager extensions activated
2025-06-16 17:38:33.460 [info] ExtensionService#_doActivateExtension vscode.debug-auto-launch, startup: false, activationEvent: 'onStartupFinished'
2025-06-16 17:38:33.464 [info] ExtensionService#_doActivateExtension vscode.merge-conflict, startup: false, activationEvent: 'onStartupFinished'
2025-06-16 17:38:33.482 [info] ExtensionService#_doActivateExtension aaron-bond.better-comments, startup: false, activationEvent: 'onStartupFinished'
2025-06-16 17:38:33.494 [info] ExtensionService#_doActivateExtension eamodio.gitlens, startup: false, activationEvent: 'onStartupFinished'
2025-06-16 17:38:33.625 [info] ExtensionService#_doActivateExtension GitHub.copilot, startup: false, activationEvent: 'onStartupFinished'
2025-06-16 17:38:35.223 [info] ExtensionService#_doActivateExtension GitHub.copilot-chat, startup: false, activationEvent: 'onStartupFinished'
2025-06-16 17:38:35.563 [info] ExtensionService#_doActivateExtension usernamehw.errorlens, startup: false, activationEvent: 'onStartupFinished'
2025-06-16 17:38:35.570 [info] ExtensionService#_doActivateExtension vscode-icons-team.vscode-icons, startup: false, activationEvent: 'onStartupFinished'
2025-06-16 17:39:01.450 [info] ExtensionService#_doActivateExtension ms-vscode.powershell, startup: false, activationEvent: 'onLanguage:powershell'
2025-06-16 17:39:55.455 [info] ExtensionService#_doActivateExtension vscode.debug-server-ready, startup: false, activationEvent: 'onDebugResolve'
2025-06-16 17:39:55.461 [info] ExtensionService#_doActivateExtension TylerLeonhardt.vscode-inline-values-powershell, startup: false, activationEvent: 'onDebugResolve:PowerShell'

c:\Users\Morten\AppData\Roaming\Code\logs\logs.zip:
logs.zip

[PSES] Server initialisation failed.
Message: Pending response rejected since the connection got disposed
Code: -32097

• No EditorServices.log or other PSES logs are created
• EditorServicesHost.exe does not launch (even manually)
• Happens in a clean user profile with --user-data-dir, "editorServicesLogLevel": "Diagnostic", and no other extensions
• PowerShell 5.1 launches fine manually ($PSVersionTable.PSVersion = 5.1.19041.5965)
• Execution policy is RemoteSigned and profile is disabled/renamed
• Cleaned all of:
  • %USERPROFILE%\.vscode\
  • %APPDATA%\Code\
  • %LOCALAPPDATA%\Code\
  • %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Code*
• Tried with multiple PowerShell extension versions and stable + insiders VS Code
• Starting VSCode as an administrator does not help

---

Settings

{
  "powershell.powerShellAdditionalExePaths": {
    "PowerShell 5.1 (x64)": "C:\\Windows\\System32\\WindowsPowerShell\\v1.0\\powershell.exe"
  },
  "powershell.powerShellDefaultVersion": "PowerShell 5.1 (x64)",
  "powershell.developer.editorServicesLogLevel": "Diagnostic"
}

(by default PS51 was attempted loaded using PowerShell at 'C:\WINDOWS\SysWOW64\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe' (which also failed, and which I can execute manually)

---

Steps to Reproduce

1. Configure settings.json for 5.1 x64 as above
2. Open a .ps1 file
3. Observe no Integrated Console, no logs, no running EditorServices process

---

Expected Behavior

PowerShell 5.1 (x64) should launch and show the Integrated Console like PowerShell 7.x does.

---

Additional Info

This looks like a regression or crash in how PSES is hosted under .NET Framework when launched from VS Code. I’m happy to help trace further if needed.

I can run scripts in both 5.1 and 7.5 using Product:
PowerShell Studio 2025 (64 Bit)
Build: v5.9.256
OS: Windows 10.0.19045
PS Version(s): 5.1.19041.1, 7.5.1, 7.4.0

[EdCallahan]

I haven't dug into it as deeply as @mmunchandersen, but I am having the same issue. Powershell extension is just not starting, unable to run powershell 5 scripts. I'm on Win11 but otherwise same platform.

I am in a corporate environment with UAC rights controlled by Admin By Request, which may not be relevant. But I find if I start vscode with Administrator rights, the extension starts and I can work as normal.

[jppar1]

Same problem here, enable to start Powershell Extension terminal on Powershell 5.
I rolled back to version 1.100.3 of vscode and everything is working.

[mmunchandersen]

Thanks @jppar1 for pointing out the obvious solution. I, too, rolled back to 1.100.3, (https://code.visualstudio.com/updates/v1_100) and now I can again switch between 5.1 and 7.5

( I also disabled vscode auto update: "update.mode": "manual" )

Consequences:
GitHub Copilot Chat: Extension is not compatible with Code 1.100.3. Extension requires: ^1.101.0-20250523. This extension is using the API proposal 'languageModelDataPart' that is not compatible with the current version of VS Code.

[andyleejordan]

This looks similar to this upstream bug: microsoft/vscode#251446 something that seems to have broken between VS code versions which points us to the shell integration script but we don't know what the problem is yet. For now, can you try the version of VS code that was broken, but with shell integration explicitly disabled? That would help us confirm the first part of the theory. /cc @Tyriar

[scriptingstudio]

Try to comment setting powershell.powerShellDefaultVersion. It worked for me on several computers.

[EdCallahan]

can you try the version of VS code that was broken, but with shell integration explicitly disabled?

I added:

"terminal.integrated.shellIntegration.enabled": false

to my settings.json and restarted vscode, but same behavior.

[EdCallahan]

Try to comment setting powershell.powerShellDefaultVersion. It worked for me on several computers.

That is already set in my settings.json

"powershell.powerShellDefaultVersion": "Windows PowerShell (x64)",

[scriptingstudio]

@EdCallahan
The value of Windows PowerShell (x64) does not work (dont know why) and causes the PS extension never start.

[EdCallahan]

(https://github.com/EdCallahan) The value of Windows PowerShell (x64) does not work (dont know why) and causes the PS extension never start.

@scriptingstudio Oh, I see what you meant. I commented that line out, and then I don't get the endless spinning behavior, but I get the PS7 terminal by default. The issue seems to be with Powershell 5

[mmunchandersen]

This looks similar to this upstream bug: microsoft/vscode#251446 something that seems to have broken between VS code versions which points us to the shell integration script but we don't know what the problem is yet. For now, can you try the version of VS code that was broken, but with shell integration explicitly disabled? That would help us confirm the first part of the theory. /cc @Tyriar

Please give me a little direction.

BTW
I spun up a Windows 10 Pro virtual machine to simulate my environment.
On this I can switch between PS5.1 and PS7.5 without problems in vscode:
Version: 1.101.0 (system setup)
Commit: dfaf44141ea9deb3b4096f7cd6d24e00c147a4b1
Date: 2025-06-11T15:00:50.123Z
Electron: 35.5.1
ElectronBuildId: 11727614
Chromium: 134.0.6998.205
Node.js: 22.15.1
V8: 13.4.114.21-electron.0
OS: Windows_NT x64 10.0.19045

[andyleejordan]

My coworker and I discussed this a bit, and our best guess is that something in the start of process of VS code is causing it to inherit a PSModulePath setting from PowerShell 7, as that would cause the exact error we're seeing. But we have no idea what exactly is doing that. We know we have seen this in the past when users have explicitly started VS code from within a PowerShell 7 session and then try to switch to PowerShell 5.1.

[andyleejordan]

I know that this setting says it "has no effect on Windows" but I can reproduce the hang when it's set to its default (true) and it stops hanging when I set it to false. Can anyone else confirm?

terminal.integrated.inheritEnv

[andyleejordan]

Yup, can consistently repro. With that setting on, when VS Code launches PowerShell 5.1:

Command line:	C:\WINDOWS\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command "Import-Module 'c:\Users\andschwa\.vscode\extensions\ms-vscode.powershell-2025.0.0\modules\PowerShellEditorServices\PowerShellEditorServices.psd1'; Start-EditorServices -HostName 'Visual Studio Code Host' -HostProfileId 'Microsoft.VSCode' -HostVersion '2025.0.0' -BundledModulesPath 'c:\Users\andschwa\.vscode\extensions\ms-vscode.powershell-2025.0.0\modules' -EnableConsoleRepl -StartupBanner \"PowerShell Extension v2025.0.0
Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation.

https://aka.ms/vscode-powershell
Type 'help' to get help.
\" -LogLevel 'Warning' -LogPath 'c:\Users\andschwa\AppData\Roaming\Code\logs\20250619T112134\window1\exthost\ms-vscode.powershell' -SessionDetailsPath 'c:\Users\andschwa\AppData\Roaming\Code\User\globalStorage\ms-vscode.powershell\sessions\PSES-VSCode-16108-890272.json' -FeatureFlags @() "

It's sending a PSModulePath with PowerShell 7 modules:

PSModulePath=C:\Users\andschwa\Documents\PowerShell\Modules;C:\Program Files\PowerShell\Modules;c:\program files\powershell\7\Modules;C:\Program Files\WindowsPowerShell\Modules;C:\Windows\system32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\Modules;C:\ES.DevProd\VMSetupScripts

Hence the hang. Ok @Tyriar what is up.