Tips on Visual Studio Code (vscode) IDE Use

Turning off automatic updates

Some students have had problems after VS Code updated itself in the middle of a module. To turn off automatic updates, see the VS Code guide: How do I opt out of VS Code auto-updates?

“‘python’ is not recognized as an internal or external command”

This means VS Code can’t find Python on your own Windows computer. Download the latest Python 3 installer from www.python.org. When you run it, tick “Add python.exe to PATH” on the first screen before clicking Install. Then restart VS Code. You’ll also need the Python extension in VS Code. Search for it under Extensions.

VS Code can’t find my Python file

Spaces in folder or file names can cause this. Rename the folder (for example, My Project to my_project), then restart VS Code.

My code can’t open a file that’s in the same folder

Go to the cog icon at the bottom left, then Settings, and search for python.terminal.executeInFileDir. Tick the box and run your code again.

Make a Backup of My Files to Local Media

Keep a second copy of anything you can’t afford to lose, especially coursework near a deadline. A few easy options:

• Google Drive: every student has Google Drive storage with their umail account. Upload important files, or install Google Drive on your laptop so it syncs automatically.
• Git and GitHub: for code, commit and push your work regularly. You get a full history as well as a backup.
• USB key or external drive: cheap and handy, but easy to lose, so don’t make it your only copy.

Your CS home folder (Z: drive) is backed up by snapshots, so you can get back recent files yourself. See “How can I recover a lost file?” in the FAQs. Your laptop isn’t backed up by us, so a copy in Google Drive or GitHub is worth having.

Managing Disk Space

Windows 11

1. Go to Settings › System › Storage to see how much space you’ve used and what’s using it.
2. Click Cleanup recommendations to clear out temporary files, large unused files and the Recycle Bin.
3. Under Installed apps, sort by size and uninstall anything you don’t use.
4. Turn on Storage Sense so Windows clears temporary files and the Recycle Bin automatically.

macOS

1. Go to Apple menu › System Settings › General › Storage. On older versions, it’s Apple menu › About This Mac › Storage.
2. Follow the recommendations there. Optimise Storage and Empty Bin Automatically are both worth turning on.
3. Clear out your Downloads folder. It’s usually the biggest culprit.

Your CS home folder (Linux labs, csgate)

Your CS home folder has a 1GB limit. To see what’s using it and how to clear space, see “How can I check how much file Storage I have available?” in the FAQs.