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Installing Visual Studio Code

Overview

Before you can write HTML, you need a place to write it. This task walks you through installing Visual Studio Code (VS Code) — a free code editor used to write HTML.

Download and Install VS Code

VS Code is the editor you will use to write all of your HTML code.

  1. Open your web browser.

  2. Enter https://code.visualstudio.com in the search bar.

    Google Chrome address bar showing https://code.visualstudio.com typed in and highlighted in a red box with a VS Code autocomplete suggestion appearing below

    Figure 1. Entering the VS Code website URL in the Chrome address bar.

  3. Click the Download button.

    The Visual Studio Code website homepage with the Download for Windows button highlighted in a red box

    Figure 2. The VS Code homepage with the Download for Windows button highlighted.

    What Happens Next?

    The website automatically detects your operating system and suggests the correct version.

  4. Open File Explorer.

  5. Click Downloads.

  6. Double-Click the .exe installer file.

    File Explorer Downloads folder showing the VS Code installer file VSCodeUserSetup-x64-1.113.0.exe highlighted in a red box as step 3, with the Downloads folder circled in the sidebar as step 2 and the File Explorer taskbar icon circled as step 1

    Figure 3. The VS Code installer file in the Downloads folder, ready to be opened.

  7. Select the license agreement.

  8. Click Next.

    VS Code Setup License Agreement window with the I accept the agreement radio button selected and highlighted in a red box as step 1, and the Next button highlighted in a red box as step 2

    Figure 4. Accepting the license agreement in the VS Code Setup window.

  9. Click Next on the Select Destination Location screen.

  10. Click Next on the Select Start Menu Folder screen.

    Warning

    Make sure Add to PATH is selected. If it is not selected, VS Code may not work correctly with some tools later.

  11. Click the box labelled Add to PATH.

  12. Click Register Code as an editor for supported file types.

    VS Code Setup Select Additional Tasks window with Register Code as an editor for supported file types and Add to PATH checkboxes both checked and highlighted in a red box as step 1, and the Next button highlighted as step 2

    Figure 5. Checking the Add to PATH and Register Code checkboxes on the Select Additional Tasks screen.

  13. Click Next.

  14. Click Install.

    VS Code Setup Ready to Install window showing the selected additional tasks summary with the Install button highlighted in a red box

    Figure 6. The Ready to Install screen confirming the selected tasks, with the Install button highlighted.

  15. Click Finish.

    VS Code setup completion screen with the Finish button highlighted

    Figure 7. The installation complete screen with the Finish button highlighted.

    Success

    VS Code should now open automatically after installation.

Conclusion

At this point, you have successfully installed Visual Studio Code.

If your website does not include or had trouble incorporating these features, please seek the troubleshooting-guide.