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Code won't update on macOS

Fresh3 days ago
Mar 14, 20260 views
Confidence Score95%
95%

Problem

- VSCode Version: Version 1.3.0-insider (1.3.0-insider) 6bc81df453ab2156d2630fbb89ad7d0c80620420 - OS Version: OS X 10.11.5 Steps to Reproduce: 1. A message pops up saying there's a new version and Insiders will be updated after it restarts. 2. Click 'Update Now'. Code closes but doesn't reopen even after waiting a very long time. 3. After manually reopening it it's still on the previous version This has been happening for the last few weeks so it isn't a recent development, but with the daily builds now it's a little more annoying. Downloading the most recent version from the website and replacing it works fine. The stable build of Code I have installed does the automatic update fine. I have both builds installed in my Applications folder.

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1 Fix

Canonical Fix
Unverified Fix
New Fix โ€“ Awaiting Verification

Manually Update VSCode Insiders on macOS

Medium Risk

The issue arises due to a conflict between the automatic update mechanism of VSCode Insiders and the existing installation of the stable version. The update process may not complete successfully, causing the application to remain on the previous version even after attempting to update.

Awaiting Verification

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  1. 1

    Close VSCode Insiders

    Ensure that VSCode Insiders is completely closed before proceeding with any updates. Check for any running instances in Activity Monitor and terminate them if necessary.

    bash
    killall 'Visual Studio Code - Insiders'
  2. 2

    Remove VSCode Insiders Preferences

    Delete the preferences folder for VSCode Insiders to ensure that any corrupted settings do not interfere with the update process. This folder is typically located at ~/Library/Application Support/Code - Insiders.

    bash
    rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Code\ -\ Insiders
  3. 3

    Download Latest VSCode Insiders Version

    Visit the official VSCode Insiders download page and download the latest version of the application. Ensure that you are downloading the correct version for macOS.

    bash
    open https://code.visualstudio.com/insiders/
  4. 4

    Install the Downloaded Version

    Drag the downloaded VSCode Insiders application into the Applications folder to replace the existing version. This ensures that you have the latest version installed.

    bash
    cp -R /path/to/downloaded/Visual\ Studio\ Code\ -\ Insiders.app /Applications/
  5. 5

    Launch VSCode Insiders

    Open VSCode Insiders from the Applications folder to verify that the latest version is running. Check the version number in the 'About' section to confirm.

    bash
    open /Applications/Visual\ Studio\ Code\ -\ Insiders.app

Validation

To confirm the fix worked, open VSCode Insiders and navigate to 'Code' > 'About Visual Studio Code - Insiders'. Ensure that the version displayed matches the latest version downloaded from the website.

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Environment

Submitted by

AC

Alex Chen

2450 rep

Tags

vscodeideeditorbugupstreaminstall-updatemacos