GitHub Copilot works in Visual Studio Code on a current 64-bit Windows client installation: use Copilot Free to try it, Copilot Pro for regular individual use, Pro+ or Max only when you need substantially higher AI-credit allowances or premium-model access, and Business/Enterprise only when an organization supplies and manages the license. Install the current VS Code User Setup installer, sign in with the GitHub account that owns the Copilot plan, then enable AI features from the Copilot status-bar menu. This guide is supported for 64-bit Windows 11. Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025; these steps can still be useful on a Windows 10 device covered by an applicable Extended Security Updates arrangement, but an up-to-date Windows 11 installation is the recommended supported configuration. VS Code does not support Windows Server.

Prerequisites and compatibility​

Have the following ready before you begin:
  • A personal GitHub account, or a GitHub account granted a Copilot license by your employer or school.
  • An Internet connection that permits GitHub sign-in and Copilot services.
  • A supported 64-bit Windows client installation.
  • About 500 MB of free disk space for VS Code, plus room for your projects and extensions.
  • A standard Windows account for the recommended per-user VS Code installation. Administrator rights are needed only if you choose the all-users System Setup installer.
  • A current web browser for GitHub authentication.
VS Code is lightweight; Microsoft recommends at least a 1.6 GHz processor and 1 GB of RAM. For normal development, more memory is advisable if you will run browsers, containers, language servers, or local databases at the same time.
Choose the Copilot plan before installing anything:
If you are…ChooseWhat it means
Trying Copilot, learning, or using it occasionallyCopilot FreeNo-cost access with limited features, model access, inline suggestions, and AI-credit allowance.
An individual who codes regularlyCopilot Pro$10 USD per month; unlimited code completions, selected models, cloud agent access, and a monthly AI-credit allowance.
A frequent individual user who needs more premium-model usageCopilot Pro+$39 USD per month; includes Pro features with a higher AI-credit allowance and premium-model access.
A high-volume individual AI userCopilot Max$100 USD per month; the largest individual allowance and priority access to new models and features.
A verified student, teacher, or eligible open-source maintainerCopilot Student or eligible free accessCheck eligibility first; it can provide premium access without an individual monthly charge.
Using Copilot for company codeBusiness or Enterprise, assigned by your organizationYour organization manages licenses, policies, models, repository access, and potentially billing. Do not buy a personal plan to work around company policy.
Important: As of April 22, 2026, GitHub has temporarily paused new self-service Copilot Business sign-ups for organizations on GitHub Free and GitHub Team. If your organization needs Business, use its approved procurement or GitHub sales path rather than expecting the normal self-service option to appear.

Set up GitHub Copilot and VS Code​

  1. Confirm which GitHub account will use Copilot.
    In a browser, sign in to GitHub with the account you intend to use in VS Code.
    Select your profile picture, then select Settings. In the left pane under Access, select Billing & licensing > Licensing.
    Under Current plan, check whether you already have Copilot Free, Pro, Pro+, Max, Student, Business, or Enterprise access.
    • If you already have an organization-provided Business or Enterprise license, use that same account in VS Code.
    • If you do not have access, select the available Copilot upgrade or enrollment option and complete the prompts.
    • If you need only a trial experience, select Copilot Free when offered.
    Expected result: your GitHub account shows an active Copilot plan or a license assigned by an organization.
  2. Optionally adjust the individual data-training setting before using Copilot.
    This applies to individual Copilot Free, Pro, Pro+, and Max accounts. It does not appear for Business or Enterprise accounts because those plans have separate data protections and organization controls.
    Warning: Copilot prompts may contain source code, file context, error output, or business information. Do not paste passwords, private keys, access tokens, customer data, or other secrets into chat, regardless of your plan.
    On GitHub, select your profile picture, then select Copilot settings. Find Allow GitHub to use my data for AI model training and select Disabled if you do not want your interactions used for this purpose.
    Expected result: the setting displays Disabled. If the setting is absent, confirm whether the account has a Business or Enterprise license.
  3. Download the recommended VS Code installer.
    Download the current Visual Studio Code User Setup for Windows installer from the official VS Code download page.
    Choose User Setup unless the computer is shared and an administrator specifically requires VS Code for every Windows account. User Setup:
    • Does not require administrator rights.
    • Installs under %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Microsoft VS Code.
    • Provides the smoothest update experience.
    • Is the preferred option for most personal Windows PCs.
    Choose System Setup only if you need VS Code installed for all users. It installs under C:\Program Files, requires administrator approval, and future in-product updates also require elevation.
  4. Install Visual Studio Code.
    Run the downloaded installer, normally named similar to VSCodeUserSetup-{version}.exe.
    Follow the setup wizard and keep the default install location unless your organization requires another approved location. Complete the installation, then select Finish to launch Visual Studio Code.
    No Windows restart is required.
    Expected result: VS Code opens to its Welcome screen or a blank editor window.
  5. Restart any terminal windows after installation.
    The installer adds VS Code’s command-line launcher to your user Path environment variable. Existing Command Prompt, PowerShell, or Windows Terminal sessions do not automatically inherit the change.
    Close and reopen the terminal, then run:
    code --version
    Expected result: the terminal returns the installed VS Code version, commit identifier, and architecture.
    To open the current folder in VS Code later, use:
    code .
  6. Sign in and enable Copilot in VS Code.
    In VS Code, find the Copilot icon in the Status Bar at the bottom of the window. Hover over it, then select Use AI Features.
    Choose the GitHub sign-in method and complete the browser prompts. When the browser asks to open VS Code, select Open Visual Studio Code.
    If VS Code requests GitHub authorization, approve only after confirming the browser is signed in to the intended GitHub account.
    VS Code installs the required Copilot components automatically during first-time setup; you normally do not need to find and install separate Copilot extensions manually.
    Expected result: the Copilot status indicator changes from a setup/sign-in state to an active state, and Copilot Chat becomes available.
  7. Create and open a dedicated practice folder.
    Do not begin in a folder containing production code or confidential files. Create a local test folder first, such as Documents\Copilot-Test.
    In VS Code, select File > Open Folder…, choose the new folder, then select Select Folder.
    If Windows displays a workspace trust prompt, select Yes, I trust the authors only for a folder you created or otherwise trust. Use restricted mode for unknown downloaded projects until you have reviewed them.
    Expected result: the folder name appears in the Explorer pane at the left.
  8. Test Copilot Chat without changing files.
    Open Copilot Chat by selecting the chat icon in the VS Code title bar, or press:
    Ctrl+Alt+I
    Enter a low-risk question, such as:
    Explain the difference between a variable and a constant in JavaScript, with a short example.
    Press Enter.
    Expected result: Copilot returns an answer in the Chat view. A response confirms that sign-in, entitlement, extensions, and network connectivity are functioning.
  9. Test an inline code completion.
    In Explorer, select New File, name it test.js, and enter:
    function calculateDaysBetweenDates(begin, end) {
    Pause briefly after the opening brace. Copilot should offer a gray inline suggestion. The exact code will vary.
    Press Tab to accept the suggestion, or press Esc to dismiss it.
    Expected result: accepting with Tab inserts the suggested code. Dismissing it leaves your file unchanged.
  10. Review AI-generated changes before keeping them.
    Warning:     Agent-mode and chat-generated edits can create, replace, or delete multiple files. Do not select Keep or accept a bulk change until you have read the diff, checked file paths, and verified that no secrets, configuration files, or unrelated code are affected.
    If you ask Copilot to create or modify project files, inspect the proposed changes in VS Code’s diff or review interface. Choose Keep only for changes you understand. Use Undo immediately if an accepted change is wrong, then review the Source Control view before committing anything to Git.

Verification of success​

Your setup is complete when all of the following are true:
  1. Help > About in VS Code shows a current 64-bit installation.
  2. Running code --version in a newly opened terminal returns version information rather than a “not recognized” error.
  3. The VS Code Status Bar shows Copilot as available rather than asking you to sign in.
  4. Ctrl+Alt+I opens Copilot Chat and it returns an answer.
  5. A supported code file receives a gray inline suggestion after you begin a recognizable function, comment, or code pattern.
  6. In GitHub, Settings > Billing & licensing > Licensing shows the expected Copilot plan.

Alternate method: install VS Code for all Windows users​

Use this only when the PC is genuinely shared and you have administrator approval.
  1. Download Visual Studio Code System Setup for Windows instead of User Setup.
  2. Right-click the installer and select Run as administrator.
  3. Complete installation using the default Program Files location.
  4. Sign in to Copilot separately from each Windows user account that needs access.
The VS Code application becomes available to all users, but Copilot access remains tied to each user’s own GitHub account and license. Do not share a GitHub account merely to share Copilot.

Troubleshooting and rollback/escalation​

Copilot says you are signed in, but features are unavailable​

The most common cause is that VS Code is signed in to a different GitHub account than the account with the Copilot plan.
  1. In VS Code, select the Accounts icon in the Activity Bar.
  2. Select Sign out for the current GitHub account and confirm Sign Out.
  3. Select Sign in with GitHub to use GitHub Copilot.
  4. Complete sign-in with the account verified in GitHub billing settings.
If you use both personal and work accounts, select Accounts > Manage Extension Account Preferences > GitHub Copilot Chat, then choose the intended account for the current workspace and profile.

Copilot Chat is missing, disabled, or asks you to set up again​

First, select the Copilot icon in the Status Bar and choose Use AI Features or Sign in to use Copilot.
If this is a work account, your organization may have disabled Copilot Chat, specific models, cloud-agent features, or extension installation. You cannot override organization policy locally. Confirm with your organization’s GitHub administrator that you have an assigned license and that Copilot Chat is permitted.

code is not recognized in PowerShell or Command Prompt​

Close every open terminal window, reopen PowerShell or Windows Terminal, and try again:
code --version
If it still fails, verify that VS Code launches from the Start menu. Then check whether this folder exists:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Microsoft VS Code\bin
For a default User Setup installation, add that folder to your user Path only if it is missing. Open Start, search for Edit environment variables for your account, select Path under User variables, select Edit, then select New and add the folder above. Close and reopen the terminal afterward.

Copilot cannot connect, or you see ETIMEDOUT, ECONNRESET, or certificate errors​

From PowerShell, test the Copilot service connection:
curl.exe --verbose
A successful connection returns HTTP 200. For a Chat-specific test, run:
curl.exe --verbose
If the test fails on a work network, disconnect from a nonessential VPN only if company policy permits, then test again. Otherwise, provide the result to your IT team. A corporate proxy, TLS inspection device, firewall, or custom certificate may need a company-side change.
Warning: Do not disable certificate validation as a routine fix. In VS Code, the setting File > Preferences > Settings > Application > Proxy > Proxy Strict SSL weakens protection against untrusted connections when disabled.
If corporate IT explicitly directs you to test it, make the change temporarily, retest Copilot, then restore Proxy Strict SSL to enabled immediately. Prefer the safer fix: have IT install the required trusted root certificate correctly or exempt the approved Copilot endpoints from TLS interception.

VS Code will not update or behaves oddly after being run as Administrator​

A User Setup installation does not update normally when VS Code is run as Administrator. Close VS Code, then launch it normally from the Start menu without elevation. Use administrator elevation only when you specifically need it and understand the consequences.
If the installation is damaged, uninstall and reinstall VS Code.
  • Windows 11: Settings > Apps > Installed apps > Visual Studio Code > … > Uninstall.
  • Windows 10: Settings > Apps > Apps & features > Visual Studio Code > Uninstall.
Reinstall using the User Setup installer. Your personal settings and extensions normally remain.
For a full reset, first back up any important settings and extensions. Then uninstall VS Code and delete these folders:
Code: 
%APPDATA%\Code
%USERPROFILE%\.vscode
This removes VS Code user data and extensions, returning the editor to a near-first-install state. Reinstall VS Code, sign in again, and re-enable Copilot.

References​

  1. Related coverage: code.visualstudio.com

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    code.visualstudio.com
  2. Official source: docs.github.com

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    docs.github.com
  3. Official source: docs.github.com

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    docs.github.com
  4. Related coverage: code.visualstudio.com

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    code.visualstudio.com
 

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