When Copilot stops working in VS Code, start with a reload, the correct account and diagnostic evidence. Do not assume every failure is a corrupt local cache. Deleting VS Code’s CachedData or an entire globalStorage directory is not a documented general reset for Copilot’s models or suggestions.
The sequence below is designed to preserve your projects, settings and extension data while narrowing down the cause.
Identify the Symptom Before Resetting Anything
Write down whether the problem affects sign-in, inline suggestions, chat or only one workspace. Check GitHub’s troubleshooting guidance for service incidents and version compatibility. Confirm that the signed-in account has the expected access.
Check the Copilot status dashboard for usage allowances. A temporary rate limit and an exhausted allowance are not cache corruption, and deleting files does not reset them. If suggestions are merely irrelevant, verify the language mode, active file and supplied context first.
Save your work before reloading. Do not remove project files, credentials or local chat history as an exploratory first step.
Reload and Refresh Authentication When Needed
- Open the Command Palette with Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows/Linux or Cmd+Shift+P on macOS.
- Run Developer: Reload Window.
- Retry the same small, non-sensitive example. For chat, also compare a new session using the same model and prompt.
A reload restarts the window’s components. It does not prove that every persisted cache, conversation or credential was erased.
If the error specifically concerns authentication, use the Accounts menu to sign out of the affected GitHub account, reload the window, then sign back in to the account with Copilot access. This is the sequence GitHub documents. Be aware that other extensions using that account may also need to reconnect.
Verify success by obtaining a response or suggestion in the affected feature, not by expecting a particular icon color. If access is managed by your organization, check its seat and policy rather than repeatedly reauthorizing the wrong account.
Isolate Settings and Extensions Without a Broad Deletion
Update VS Code and its Copilot components to compatible releases. If one existing profile behaves differently from a clean configuration, test with Profiles: Create a Temporary Profile. Enable only the components needed for the test and sign in as required. A temporary profile lets you compare settings and extensions without replacing your normal profile.
This is an isolation test, not a security sandbox or a guarantee that all account state is separate. Do not import the entire old profile before testing, because that can reintroduce the setting or extension you are trying to identify.
For a project-only problem, compare a harmless small folder with the affected workspace. Inspect workspace settings, content exclusions and remote-environment differences. Do not disable organization safeguards just to make the test pass.
Collect Evidence for Persistent Failures
Open View → Output and choose the Copilot-related channel. Reproduce the problem once and record the relevant error and time. If needed, use Developer: Set Log Level to enable Trace temporarily, then restore the previous level afterward. See GitHub’s log instructions.
For connection failures, search the palette for Chat Diagnostics and check reachability. For unexpected responses, compare the actual context and instructions in the session. VS Code’s AI troubleshooting guide separates these diagnostic paths.
Before sharing logs, remove tokens, passwords, private code and other sensitive content. Include the application version, active profile, local or remote environment, and what changed after each test.
If support identifies a specific corrupt data directory, follow the product- and version-specific recovery instructions and preserve a recoverable copy first. Do not create a startup script that deletes broad VS Code directories; it can destroy evidence or unrelated state without fixing the cause.
Official documentation checked: October 14, 2026.