VSCode Setup Backup and Restore

Automatically saves your VS Code extensions, settings, and keyboard shortcuts to a private GitHub repository — so you never lose them, and can get them back on any computer in a couple of clicks.

What it does

• Watches for when you install/uninstall an extension or change your settings.
• Automatically saves a backup to GitHub — no need to remember to do it yourself.
• Lets you restore everything on a new or reinstalled VS Code with one click.

Getting started

1. Install the extension from the VS Code Marketplace (search "VSCode Setup Backup and Restore"), or install the .vsix file via Extensions view → ... menu → Install from VSIX.
2. Open Settings (Ctrl+,) and search "VSCode Setup Backup and Restore".
3. Set repoPath to a folder on your computer where the backup will be kept (e.g. C:\Users\you\vscode-backup).
4. That's it — leave everything else as default.

The first time it runs, VS Code will ask you to sign in to GitHub. Approve it, and a private backup repository will be created for you automatically.

How to use it

Click the Setup Backup icon in the sidebar (left-hand strip of icons). You'll see two buttons:

• Backup Now — saves your current extensions and settings to GitHub right away.
• Restore from GitHub — brings back your extensions and settings from your last backup. Useful after reinstalling VS Code or setting up a new computer.

You don't need to click Backup Now often — it happens automatically whenever something changes.

Prefer typing commands over clicking? Press Ctrl+Shift+P to open the Command Palette and type "Backup" — the same actions (Sync Now, Restore from GitHub, and a couple of others) are available there too. The sidebar panel and the commands do exactly the same thing; use whichever feels more natural.

Restoring on a new computer

1. Install the extension (step 1 above).
2. Set repoPath to an empty folder, and githubRepoName to the same repo name you used before (default is vscode-setup-backup).
3. Click the Setup Backup icon in the sidebar → Restore from GitHub.
4. Confirm the prompts, and your extensions and settings will be restored.

Settings, explained simply

You'll find these under Settings (Ctrl+,) → search "VSCode Setup Backup and Restore". Most people never need to touch anything beyond repoPath.

Frequently asked questions

Is my GitHub password or token stored anywhere? No. Sign-in is handled entirely by VS Code's own built-in GitHub login — the same one used for Settings Sync. This extension never sees, stores, or writes your token to disk. It's only ever held briefly in memory to complete each backup.

Can anyone else see my backup? No — the repository is created private by default, visible only to you. You can always change that later in GitHub's own repo settings if you want to, but there's no reason to.

Is anything sent anywhere other than my own GitHub account? No. The extension talks only to GitHub, using your own account. Nothing goes to the extension's author or anywhere else.

What if my settings.json has a password or API key saved in it? It would be backed up along with everything else, since the extension can't tell the difference between ordinary settings and sensitive ones. This is uncommon (most secrets are stored in dedicated password/secret managers, not settings.json), but worth knowing. Since the repo is private, the risk is low — but avoid making the repo public if you're not sure what's in your settings file.

I installed a new extension but it's not showing up in my backup — why? A backup only runs while VS Code is open, and there's a short delay (5 seconds by default) after a change before it saves, so you don't get dozens of tiny backups in a row. Give it a few seconds, or click Backup Now to force it immediately.

I disabled an extension instead of uninstalling it — will it still show up in my backup? No — VS Code only reports currently enabled extensions to any extension, including this one. A disabled extension will disappear from the backup until you re-enable it. This is a limitation of VS Code itself, not something this extension can work around.

Does this run in the background even when VS Code is closed? No. It only watches for changes while VS Code is actually open. If you install extensions through some other method entirely (not through VS Code), it won't catch those either.

I've never customized a keyboard shortcut — will keybindings.json still get backed up? Yes. If you haven't set any custom shortcuts, VS Code doesn't even create that file yet — the extension handles this by saving an empty placeholder so your backup stays complete and predictable either way.

I already have a Git repository from something else — can I still use this? Yes. Point repoPath at that existing folder and the extension will use it as-is, adding its files alongside whatever's already there.

Do I need to know Git or use the command line? No. Everything — creating the repository, saving changes, syncing to GitHub — happens automatically in the background. You never need to type a Git command.

Is this free? Yes, the extension itself is free. It uses your own GitHub account, which is also free for private repositories at the usage level this creates.

Can I use this to sync settings between two computers I use regularly, not just for backup? It's built for backup-and-restore rather than live two-way sync — meaning if you change settings on Computer A and then Computer B, the version you restore most recently "wins." It works well for occasional restores (a new laptop, a reinstall), but isn't meant to keep two machines continuously in sync with each other in real time.

How do I check what it's doing, or troubleshoot if something goes wrong? Go to View → Output, then choose "VSCode Setup Backup and Restore" from the dropdown at the top of that panel. It logs every step of each backup and restore, which is the first place to look if something doesn't seem right.