Visual Studio Code Locks Windows 10 System With Over 2000 "Git for Windows" Processes in Task Manager

[Steve M]

Not sure if anyone has run into this issue. I needed to use VS Code for a project.

When I launched it, my system slowed to a crawl. I opened Task Manager and saw over 1000 Git for Windows processes running, and more starting. I shut down VS Code, but the processes kept running. 

 

I posted this topic on the VS Code forum on Github (see below): https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/issues/139208

I now think the problem is with Git.exe instead. 

Is it ok to install the latest version of Git?

Thanks,

Steve M.

Answer from Github forum:

Update on this issue. VS Code is one program that launches Git.exe. I uninstalled Git.exe from C:\ProgramFiles\Git\unins001.exe and I was able to use VS Code with no issues. I have not reinstalled Git.exe yet.

Original Post from Github forum:

Does this issue occur when all extensions are disabled?: Yes/No
yes

• VS Code Version: 1.63
• OS Version: Windows 10 21H1 (OS Build 19043.1387)

Steps to Reproduce:

1. Launch VS Code
2. Watch several thousand instances of "Git for Windows" processes in Task Manager lock the system with near 100% CPU and 100% memory. The "taskkill /im git.exe /t /f" fails to kill the processes in an elevated CMD. Clicking on the processes in Task Manager allows me to kill several of the Git for Windows processes long enough for me to restart the system before a total lockup. Restarting the system is the only way to use the system again.

[Philip Oakley]

There were some problems a while back with, if I remember correctly, the way the file system monitor created it's monitoring process, but that's been long fixed.

The version indicated in the gif is 2.27.0.1 ...

Try updating to the latest revision of Git-for-Windows https://github.com/git-for-windows/git/releases/tag/v2.34.1.windows.1