To free space safely, find the specific folder using your operating system’s storage tools, identify whether it belongs to an extension, a VS Code profile, a portable installation, or a remote environment, and use that extension’s documented cleanup controls. Avoid routinely deleting VS Code’s generic workspace or global storage folders: they can contain extension-managed state, not just disposable cache files.
Find out what is using the space
Start with your operating system’s storage tools and locate the specific large directory. The official documentation cited here does not establish a built-in VS Code disk-usage analyzer, so do not assume every large folder associated with VS Code is a cache.
Before removing anything, determine which VS Code instance owns the data. It may belong to your usual local profile, a portable installation, or a remote development environment. Those distinctions affect where files are stored and which cleanup action is appropriate.
Understand which VS Code data is safe to change
Workspace and global extension state
Extensions can keep data at different scopes. The VS Code Extension API exposes workspaceState, globalState, storageUri, and globalStorageUri for workspace-specific and global extension data. VS Code manages workspace storage and restores it when the same workspace is opened again, according to its extension data-storage guidance.
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That does not make these directories disposable cache folders. The reviewed official guidance does not provide a blanket safe-delete instruction for generic workspace-storage or global-storage directories. Preserve extension-managed state unless the extension’s own documentation gives a specific cleanup procedure and you understand what data it affects.
Settings and workspace configuration
Settings files are configuration, not generic caches. User settings are stored at these platform-specific paths:
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- Windows:
%APPDATA%CodeUsersettings.json - macOS:
$HOME/Library/Application Support/Code/User/settings.json - Linux:
$HOME/.config/Code/User/settings.json
Project settings for a single-folder workspace are commonly in .vscode/settings.json. Multi-root workspace settings can be stored in the .code-workspace configuration file. See the VS Code documentation for settings and workspace configuration. Do not delete these files as a cache-clearing measure.
Remove extensions you no longer need
If the large directory is an installed extension you no longer use, remove it through VS Code’s Extensions view or the documented command-line workflow. To identify installed extensions, run code --list-extensions; to remove one, run code --uninstall-extension publisher.extension, replacing the example identifier with the extension’s actual publisher and name. The official extension management documentation describes extension installation paths and management.
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By default, installed extensions are stored under %USERPROFILE%.vscodeextensions on Windows and ~/.vscode/extensions on macOS and Linux. The location can differ if VS Code was launched with --extensions-dir or the VSCODE_EXTENSIONS environment variable. Prefer the Extensions view or uninstall command over deleting extension folders manually, so VS Code can manage the removal.
Clear a cache using its extension’s controls
There is no supported universal “clear all VS Code caches” procedure in the cited documentation. A cache path or reset control for one extension should not be applied to another. Check the current documentation for the extension that owns the files.
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Microsoft C/C++ IntelliSense cache
The Microsoft C/C++ extension documents its IntelliSense cache under ipch in these locations:
- Windows:
%LocalAppData%/Microsoft/vscode-cpptools - Linux:
$XDG_CACHE_HOME/vscode-cpptools/, or$HOME/.cache/vscode-cpptools/ifXDG_CACHE_HOMEis not defined - macOS:
$HOME/Library/Caches/vscode-cpptools/
These paths apply to the C/C++ extension, not to VS Code caches generally. Its setting C_Cpp.intelliSenseCacheSize controls an approximate cache-size limit; setting it to 0 disables that cache. Consult the extension’s C/C++ FAQ for the setting and cache details. The limit is approximate, not a promise of a particular amount of disk space reclaimed.
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Account for portable and remote installations
Portable mode
In portable mode, VS Code stores data beside the application: in a data directory for supported Windows ZIP and Linux TAR.GZ distributions, or code-portable-data on macOS. This data can include user data, extensions, and session information, so do not treat the whole directory as disposable. On Windows, portable mode applies to the ZIP distribution, not the User or System installer. See the official portable mode documentation for platform and installation requirements.
Remote windows
When you use SSH, a dev container, or WSL, the extension environment can differ from your local one. VS Code’s Settings Sync documentation notes that extensions are not synchronized to or from remote windows. Check whether the space is being used locally or in the remote environment before removing anything; deleting a local extension does not necessarily address remote storage. See Settings Sync documentation.
Use this safe cleanup sequence
- Use your operating system’s storage tools to identify the exact directory consuming space.
- Determine whether it belongs to your local profile, a portable installation, or a remote environment.
- If it is an extension you no longer need, remove it through the Extensions view or
code --uninstall-extension publisher.extension. - If it is a known extension cache, follow that extension’s current documentation. For C/C++, review
C_Cpp.intelliSenseCacheSizeand its documented cache paths. - Leave generic workspace/global storage, user settings,
.vscodeconfiguration, and.code-workspacefiles in place unless there is extension-specific guidance for the data you intend to remove. - Restart or reopen the affected workspace, then check the storage tools again and confirm the extension behaves as expected.
If you use Settings Sync and need to recover local settings data, VS Code provides the command Settings Sync: Open Local Backups Folder. It opens the local backup location; it is not a general cache-cleanup command.
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