VSCode Copilot Completely Unusable with Freezes Since Latest Update

[wokkuyay]

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Hi,

I am writing due to the fact that after updating VSCode to the latest version just 12 hours ago, I have faced 20+ hangs while using GitHub Copilot - just as the Agent is completing a request (even if no code was changed). They have unfortunately been getting more and more frequent, to the point I can't send a single request to Copilot.

I have never faced this issue, and have been using GitHub Copilot for many months. Unfortunately, VSCode updated automatically on restart this morning, otherwise I would have never gone ahead with the update. This update is quite literally rendering Copilot completely useless.

System Details:

Dell Latitude 5421 Laptop
Intel i5-11500H
16GB DDR4 RAM
256GB SSD
Windows 11 Pro 24H2

No third-party antivirus.
Windows Defender disabled.
Working on the exact same project as I was working on before the update and the crashes.

Things Noticed:

• Crash ONLY occurs at the end of a request (not every request, but a decent amount). No discernible rhythm or pattern to it - happens whether the Agent makes changes to the code or not, happens whether the code is running or not.
  Code: localhost API and app, one terminal with Python 3.11.x with FastAPI, one terminal with a NextJS web app (though even if nothing is running, the crash occurs - even on a fresh laptop restart, the crash sometimes occurs on the first request).

• No CPU/disk/RAM spikes during this.

• Visually, I am able to SEE the rest of VSCode work fine - terminals outputting logs perfectly, application still running on localhost. However, completely unable to interact with VSCode at all. Unable to close it too, except through force quit via Task Manager.

Only pattern I noticed is this:

• Usually, Copilot responds by checking files, making changes, and then talking about them/summarizing findings/changes.
• However, this bug occurs after checking files or making changes - exactly when Copilot is summarizing its findings/changes. It even continues to complete the response as the freeze has occured.
• When I force-quit and reopen VSCode, the "checking xyz files" or "changed file +12 -4" still show up in the chat. However, the summary of findings/changes disappears.

EDIT: Unfortunately, the above pattern does not seem to hold in ALL cases, although for a majority of cases I faced, it was the case. Right after writing this post, I had a VSCode freeze but Copilot's full response did NOT disappear on relaunch.

Please let me know what else you would require from me! Looking for an answer as soon as possible, as VSCode has become completely unusable, and this has been bothering me for 12 hours; the only relevant thread I saw was from 8 months ago, and I wonder if it is the same bug still affecting Copilot users. If so, that would be extremely, extremely disappointing.

Kind regards,
A

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[NickVerhelst]

Any updates on this?

[wokkuyay]

Genuinely surprised by how awful this is. Since my post, I've had 8 more crashes. That's nearly once every 7 minutes. Literally since the update this morning. Extremely disappointed.

[cezare1]

i have the same on windows - i move my project to ubuntu - and there is okay. MS Code + AI

[wokkuyay]

Ah i see! Unfortunately don’t have a linux setup right now and honestly don’t have the time to spend setting it up. Just going to switch to Cursor. At least they seem like they have it together

[cezare1]

cmon - A virtual machine + ubuntu - all configuration wil be done less than a hour. and evrything work's there as harm

[fgiering]

Freezing appears during the status in the statusbar: Saving 'filename.ts': Writing into file... (loading-spinner is still spinning)
Trying to start another instance of vscode in the freezing-state is giving me this error:

[Window Title]
Visual Studio Code

[Main Instruction]
Another instance of Code is running but not responding

[Content]
Please close all other instances and try again.

[Close]

[phannhat17]

I have the same issue. VSCode work find til I open a github copilot chat, the log from terminal still running but cannot interact with VSCode at all and have to close it via task manager

[jan-hlavsa-mindplexic]

Same situation here. Please, fix it. I just updated VS Code to the latest version and it is completely unusable. Windows 11.

I am in the middle of important project with really long conversations in Copilot Chat (agent mode) and it just frezes every few minutes. Yes, the IDE seems to be somehow running since eg. the text cursor is stil blinking and copilot continues to output text for some time. However, except of that, VS Code is in complete freeze.

[jan-hlavsa-mindplexic]

Since yesterday, I have potentially quite important observation: It happens for me only when I switch windows.

a) When I am working only inside of VSC, it is without any issue for hours (without mentioned freeze).
b) In a case I start some work in Copilot and agent is active (writing output, editing files, anything), and I switch the window with Alt+Tab to another window (eg. browser) and back to the VSC window, it freezes. Not always, but when I am working on frontend, I switch windows quite frequently and the freeze occures every few minutes because of that.

Update: Aditional info - it happens also when I am using VSC over Win remote (RDP) and I just minimalize the window with the RDP client on the Host computer for some time when the Copilot is active and doing something.

[danewalton-msft]

yup same here. Seems mainly when I swap windows which is frustrating since I prefer leaving it to do its thing while i go off to do other things

[jan-hlavsa-mindplexic]

Any chance for a reaction from somebody who belongs to the GitHub Copilot team?

The software is unusable.

Not a joke, especially for users with high tier paid subscriptions.

[cezare1]

this is not github failure but vscode.. as i told before - i switch my project from Windows OS to Linux - Ubuntu - and .. everything work's right there.

[phannhat17]

this is not github failure but vscode.. as i told before - i switch my project from Windows OS to Linux - Ubuntu - and .. everything work's right there.

Yes, i switch to macos and linux and everything work. Not only vscode freezes, but also windows settings and a few apps occasionally freeze. But vscode still always freezes when using Copilot Chat.

[phannhat17]

I think I understand what the problem is. It's likely a bug with the WpnUserService service. The freezing is happening with both Explorer and Discord.

• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5550931/is-windows-11-file-explorer-constantly-crashing
• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5662132/explorer-hangs-and-taskbar-becomes-unresponsive-wh
• https://www.reddit.com/r/discordapp/comments/1olr040/discord_keeps_freezingcrashing/
• https://www.reddit.com/r/WindowsHelp/comments/1orl7wl/issues_with_windows_explorer_after/

And a temporary solution is to disable the WpnUserService service using registry.

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WpnService]
"Start"=dword:00000004

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WpnUserService]
"Start"=dword:00000004

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WpnUserService_xxxx]
"Start"=dword:00000004

Some people say that updating to the new version will fix the bug.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/december-1-2025-kb5070311-os-builds-26200-7309-and-26100-7309-preview-5cd455bf-3291-47fa-b0bf-e5f60d0ea7af

[jan-hlavsa-mindplexic]

I tried to disable notifications in Windows but it did not helped. Also, it seems that 'KB5070311' update I have already installed.

However, it led me to additional investigation.

It seems that following settings in VSC resolves the issue (as a workaround)

{
"chat.notifyWindowOnConfirmation": false,
"chat.notifyWindowOnResponseReceived": false
}

In UI it is in Settings -> Features -> Chat -> **

For context (my VSC details):
Version: 1.107.1 (system setup)
Commit: 994fd12f8d3a5aa16f17d42c041e5809167e845a
Date: 2025-12-17T14:15:14.850Z
Electron: 39.2.3
ElectronBuildId: 12895514
Chromium: 142.0.7444.175
Node.js: 22.21.1
V8: 14.2.231.21-electron.0
OS: Windows_NT x64 10.0.26200

--
OS details: Windows 11, 26200.7462

Based on my investigation, it seems to be a bug in Electron - see https://releases.electronjs.org/release/v39.2.5

If I am right, next version of VSC should be working again (0.108) since they upgraded the Electron to newer version.

Edit: Additionally I found this: microsoft/vscode#275010 and there is somebody mentioning the exact same fix.

[jeff0778]

Im using version 1.109.4 VSCode and this problem still is occuring.

It looks like those work arounds you mentioned have got this up and running again for me. This has been a mojor issue for me, so appreciate the work and post.

[LeRobert]

If it helps, I have described the solution that worked for me at the following link:
https://forum.cursor.com/t/cursor-freezes-on-final-review-changes-step-in-agent-mode/144457/22

[netferret]

I have the same on both VSCode and Visual Studio. Its like "what state is this actually in", so not sure if its trying to summarise and freezes. Not great and wastes a lot of time, restarting etc. Also really need a clean way to clear down all the old chats which I think is probably related to the issue as its trying to use the old chats for some sort of context.

[Rowdster]

Is this issue resolved in latest insider build?

I am no longer seeing the lockups.

[Rowdster]

As you can see here, it was auto updated as I caught this. Will see if the freezing/lockup issue is gone still after restart.

[Rowdster]

Looking really good after restart as well.