Fix: VS Code Settings Not Applying

Workspace override (most common)

You changed a setting in User settings, but the workspace has a different value that's overriding it.

How to check:

1. Open Settings UI with Ctrl+,
2. Search for the setting
3. Look for a blue line under the input — that indicates a Workspace override
4. Click the gear icon → "Reset Setting" to remove the workspace value

Or inspect the file directly:

# In your project folder
ls -la .vscode/settings.json

# If it exists, open it — see what's overriding your user settings

JSON syntax error

A single broken character makes VS Code ignore the entire settings file. VS Code usually highlights this, but not always.

Common syntax errors:

// ❌ Trailing comma — invalid JSON
{
  "editor.fontSize": 14,
  "editor.tabSize": 2,
}

// ❌ Missing quote
{
  editor.fontSize: 14
}

// ❌ Comment in a strict JSON file
{
  // this comment breaks the file
  "editor.fontSize": 14
}

// ✅ Valid JSON
{
  "editor.fontSize": 14,
  "editor.tabSize": 2
}

How to verify: Paste the file contents into jsonlint.com. If it fails, that's your problem.

Extension has a companion setting

You changed a setting, but an extension's own setting is overriding it. Extensions can register their own settings that behave differently.

Example: You set editor.formatOnSave: true. But Prettier's prettier.requireConfig is true, so it only formats files that have a Prettier config. If the file doesn't have one, formatting is skipped.

How to check:

1. Search Settings UI for the same key prefix (e.g., prettier., eslint., github.copilot.)
2. Read what each setting does
3. Look for settings that gate behavior (enable/disable toggles)

Window needs a reload

Some settings apply immediately. Others need a window reload to take effect. If you're not sure, reload.

# Open the Command Palette
Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux)
Cmd+Shift+P (macOS)

# Run:
> Developer: Reload Window

Settings that need a reload:

• Language server settings
• Extension toggles
• Terminal profile changes
• Font changes (sometimes)

Extension host crashed

If extension-related settings aren't applying, the extension host process may have crashed silently.

Check:

• Bottom status bar — does it show "Extension host not responding"?
• Command Palette → "Developer: Show Running Extensions" — are they all listed?
• Command Palette → "Developer: Open Extension Logs Folder" — check for crash reports

# Restart the extension host without restarting VS Code
Command Palette → Developer: Restart Extension Host