How to Reset VS Code Extension Settings (Step-by-Step)

To reset VS Code extension settings, open the Settings editor by pressing Ctrl+, (or Cmd+, on macOS), type the extension's name in the search bar, click the gear icon next to any modified setting, and select Reset Setting. Alternatively, remove the extension's configuration keys directly from your settings.json file.

Why Might You Need to Reset VS Code Extension Settings?

You need to reset VS Code extension settings when conflicting configurations, deprecated extension keys, or accidental syntax toggles trigger silent editor crashes, broken keybindings, or unresponsive language servers. Resetting rolls back extension configurations to their default states, isolating corrupted preferences without forcing you to completely reconfigure your core editor workspace.

Extensions make modern development significantly faster, but accumulating dozens of them across multiple projects creates friction. A common issue occurs when two tools attempt to handle the exact same task. For instance, if Prettier and ESLint are both configured to format code on save with conflicting rules, your editor can freeze or produce erratic formatting loops. Over time, extension updates also deprecate older setting names, leaving behind "ghost keys" in your config files that throw subtle warnings in your developer output logs.

Rather than spending hours manually inspecting dozens of toggles across user and workspace scopes, wiping an extension's saved options back to factory defaults provides a clean starting point.

Resetting Individual Extension Settings via the UI

To reset an individual extension's settings through the graphical interface, press Ctrl+, (or Cmd+, on macOS) to open Settings, type the extension's name into the search bar, look for settings marked with a blue vertical indicator bar, click the gear icon next to the setting, and choose Reset Setting.

Using the built-in UI is the safest route because it prevents JSON syntax errors. VS Code visually flags any option you've customized away from its default value. When viewing settings, customized options display a subtle blue line on the left border.

To quickly spot every change you've made without scrolling endlessly, type @modified into the Settings search bar. This filters the list exclusively to modified preferences across all installed extensions. From there, click the gear icon alongside any setting causing trouble and select Reset Setting to revert it instantly.

Clearing Extension Configurations in settings.json

To clear extension configurations directly, press Ctrl+Shift+P (or Cmd+Shift+P), choose Preferences: Open User Settings (JSON), find the JSON block associated with your extension (such as "python." or "prettier."), and delete those specific lines before saving the file.

Every change you make in the graphical interface ultimately writes to a plain-text file. If an extension breaks so thoroughly that the graphical UI won't render its options, editing this file directly gets around the problem.

Depending on your operating system, your primary user settings file sits at one of these standard locations:

• Windows: %APPDATA%\Code\User\settings.json
• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Code/User/settings.json
• Linux: ~/.config/Code/User/settings.json

When manually editing this file, ensure you preserve valid JSON syntax. Removing an extension's settings block mid-file often leaves a trailing comma behind, which invalidates the document and prevents VS Code from reading your remaining settings properly.

Resetting All VS Code Extension Settings and Profiles

Resetting all extension settings requires removing user-level extension overrides from your global settings.json file or creating a clean workspace profile. To start fresh without destroying your main layout, create a new profile via Settings > Profiles > Create Profile, which generates an isolated sandbox environment for testing.

Wiping your entire configuration clean used to mean deleting directory folders manually. However, modern VS Code versions include full Profile support, which makes global resets far less risky. Profiles let you create secondary editor configurations with their own isolated extensions, keybindings, and settings.

If you suspect broad system instability across multiple extensions, switch to a brand-new profile first. If the issues disappear in the clean profile, you know the problem lies within your old configuration rather than a bug in VS Code itself. If you decide you genuinely want to clear everything on your main setup, open your user settings.json file, highlight all lines belonging to extension namespaces, and delete them in one go.

Reinstalling vs. Resetting VS Code Extensions

Reinstalling an extension deletes its underlying executable files from disk, whereas resetting settings only restores configuration keys to default values. If an extension continues failing after a settings reset, uninstalling it, deleting its leftover directory inside .vscode/extensions, and reinstalling it from the Marketplace clears underlying file corruption.

It is important to understand that uninstalling an extension from VS Code does not clear your custom settings automatically. VS Code deliberately preserves setting keys in your settings.json file so that if you ever decide to reinstall the extension later, your custom preferences return instantly.

Therefore, if an extension crashes due to bad internal cached state or corrupted extension binaries on your local drive, perform both steps: uninstall the extension, open your settings.json file to wipe its leftover configuration keys, and then install it fresh from the Marketplace.

Backing Up Your VS Code Configurations Before Resetting

Before resetting extension configurations, back up your setup by copying your settings.json file to a secure directory or exporting your current profile through Settings > Profiles > Export Profile. Alternatively, enabling VS Code Settings Sync backs up your keybindings, extensions, and settings directly to your GitHub or Microsoft account.

Never run broad resets without a safety net. The fastest way to guard against accidental data loss is exporting your active profile. Go to Settings > Profiles > Export Profile, select the items you want to keep (Settings, Keyboard Shortcuts, Snippets, Extensions), and save the file to your desktop as a .code-profile backup.

If you prefer a cloud-based safety net, turn on Settings Sync. Click the Accounts gear icon in the bottom-left corner of the editor, click Turn on Settings Sync..., and log in with either GitHub or Microsoft. This preserves a complete version history of your editor state in cloud storage.

Troubleshooting Common Issues After Resetting

If issues persist after resetting, check whether workspace-specific settings in your project's .vscode/settings.json folder are overriding your global preferences. You can inspect active extension errors by navigating to View > Output and selecting your specific extension or Log (Window) from the dropdown channel menu.

When a reset fails to fix erratic behavior, local project overrides are usually the culprit. VS Code prioritizes workspace configurations over global user settings. Even if you completely reset your user options, a project-level `.vscode/settings.json` file inside your repository root will override those choices whenever that workspace is open.

If you cannot tell which extension is causing performance issues or errors, run Help > Start Extension Bisect from the Command Palette. This built-in utility disables half your extensions at a time in a quick process of elimination, pinpointing the broken extension far faster than manual disabling.

Comparison of Extension Reset Methods

Selecting the right reset strategy depends on whether you face an isolated bug, corrupted extension binaries, or system-wide editor crashes. Choosing targeted settings edits preserves your overall workflow, while profile switching or full reinstalls offer clean slates for deeper technical troubleshooting.

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When deciding how to approach a fix, developers generally follow this progression order:

1. GUI Reset: Search @modified in settings to quickly fix single options.
2. Workspace Audit: Inspect `.vscode/settings.json` within your project folder to catch local overrides.
3. Profile Sandbox: Create a secondary profile to test if issues persist in a standard, uncustomized environment.
4. Extension Bisect: Run Extension Bisect to identify conflicting extensions automatically.
5. Manual Reinstall: Delete the extension and manually strip its keys out of settings.json.

FAQ

Can I undo an extension setting reset?

You can only undo a reset if you backed up your settings.json file beforehand or saved a Profile export. If you haven't backed up, deleted settings must be manually reconfigured.

Why are my extension settings still active after a reset?

Workspace settings inside your project's .vscode/settings.json file override global user settings. If an extension behavior persists after a global reset, inspect and clean out the local .vscode folder inside your project directory.

How do I find which extension is causing editor crashes?

Run Help > Start Extension Bisect from the Command Palette. This feature automatically disables half your extensions repeatedly until it pinpoints the exact extension causing performance drops or crashes.

Does uninstalling an extension delete its settings?

No, uninstalling an extension leaves custom configuration keys inside your settings.json file intact. If you reinstall that extension later, it automatically re-applies your previously saved custom settings.

How do I switch to a completely clean VS Code environment without losing settings?

Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P) and select Profiles: Create Profile. Choose Default to start a completely pristine instance while keeping your original custom profile intact.