Download VS Code only from the official Microsoft source, choose the Windows installer that matches your system, and review the installer options. Adding the command-line launcher to PATH is useful, but you can change settings later.
After installation, add the official Python extension, install Python separately if needed, and select the interpreter for your project. Create a folder, open it in VS Code, and create a virtual environment:Copy
py -m venv .venv
.venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1
python -m pip install requestsUse the Command Palette to select the .venv interpreter. Confirm that Run and Debug use the same interpreter. Configure formatting and linting consistently across the project, and keep workspace settings in source control only when they are team-relevant.
If PowerShell blocks activation, do not lower security blindly. You can run Python through the environment directly or follow Microsoft’s current execution-policy guidance. Keep VS Code and extensions updated, but review extension publishers and permissions before installing third-party tools.
A clean setup is one where the terminal, editor, debugger, and test runner all point to the same project environment.