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Confused as to why terminal keeps crashing! Continuously, even when chat does a simple file check, alignment #5452
Description
Prerequisites
- I have written a descriptive issue title.
- I have searched all open and closed issues to ensure it has not already been reported.
- I have read the troubleshooting guide.
- I am sure this issue is with the extension itself and does not reproduce in a standalone PowerShell instance.
- I have verified that I am using the latest version of Visual Studio Code and the PowerShell extension.
- If this is a security issue, I have read the security issue reporting guidance.
Summary
I do not know why it does it, but sometimes it can happen every so many minutes. I can be just asking it to format a file so that it has correct spacing etc. and even for that, it crashes, I have to reload terminal, constantly. But then chat stops at the same time.
PowerShell Version
Name Value
---- -----
PSVersion 7.6.0
PSEdition Core
GitCommitId 7.6.0
OS Microsoft Windows 10.0.26300
Platform Win32NT
PSCompatibleVersions {1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0.}
PSRemotingProtocolVersion 2.4
SerializationVersion 1.1.0.1
WSManStackVersion 3.0Visual Studio Code Version
1.114.0
x64Extension Version
ms-vscode.powershell@2025.4.0Steps to Reproduce
It can vary. Especially if I try and steer or re task chat.
Visuals
No response
Logs
No response
Activity
nellygem-Hub commentedon Apr 20, 2026
I’m seeing what looks like the same class of problem on Windows with the PowerShell VS Code extension in pre-release 2026.1.0.
Symptoms:
PowerShell terminals kept getting spawned / respawned
CPU load and terminal/PTy host activity went up noticeably
the issue could be triggered even during light editor/chat activity
Relevant logs from PowerShell.log:
Sending document notification textDocument/didOpen failed
TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'started')
Connection to PowerShell Editor Services was closed
Additional clue:
disabling the PowerShell extension stopped the behavior
This may be the same issue family as this report, but with a more specific failure in PSES startup / document open handling.
psdarwin commentedon Aug 21, 2026
I'm hitting the same issue and have been systematically narrowing
the cause over several weeks.
Environment:
Key finding: Copilot inline completions are the trigger.
My workspace has a module manifest (
.psd1) with 166 nested.psm1modules. PSES disconnects its named pipe every 30-120 minutes during
normal editing. The disconnection is graceful -- no crash dump, no
Windows Event Log entry, no non-zero exit code.
Controlled test:
powershell.analyzeOpenDocumentsOnly: truepowershell.scriptAnalysis.enable: falsegithub.copilot.enable: { "powershell": false }The issue also reproduces immediately when running Pester tests that
spawn child
pwshprocesses from the Extension Terminal.Hypothesis: Copilot sends frequent language server requests
(hover, completions, signature help). Each request forces PSES to
resolve commands through a large module manifest. Under sustained
load the named pipe response pipeline backs up and PSES disconnects
rather than recovering.
Workaround: Disable Copilot inline suggestions for PowerShell
only (
"github.copilot.enable": { "powershell": false }). CopilotChat still works -- only ghost-text suggestions are lost.