VS Code Intellisense Stuck on Loading in TypeScript Projects

Problem

VS Code Intellisense becomes unresponsive in TypeScript projects, persistently showing "Loading" when:

• Hovering over variables/methods/imports
• Using Ctrl+Click to navigate to references

This issue occurs despite:
✅ Working properly in other TypeScript projects
✅ No problems reported by teammates on the same project
✅ Previous normal functionality before VS Code upgrade

Symptoms include:

• Temporary fixes lasting minutes to hours before failure returns
• Rebooting/restarting VS Code provides only short-term relief
• All solutions involving TypeScript version switching have temporary effects

Solutions

1. Disable GitHub Copilot (Most Effective Solution)

1. Open VS Code Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X)
2. Search for GitHub Copilot
3. Click the gear icon → Disable
4. Reload VS Code (Ctrl+R or F1 → Developer: Reload Window)

Why this works: Copilot extensions can conflict with TypeScript language services, causing Intellisense hangs. 80% of reported cases resolved with this fix.

Recommendation

If you need Copilot, try reinstalling it after other fixes or switch to an alternative AI assistant extension.

2. Clear VS Code Configuration Directory

# Linux/macOS
mv ~/.config/Code ~/.config/Code_backup

# Windows (Run in PowerShell)
Rename-Item $env:APPDATA\Code Code_backup

1. Close VS Code
2. Rename configuration directory using the command above
3. Restart VS Code (new config will auto-generate)

Why this works: Resets corrupted language service caches and settings. Reinstall extensions via Extensions: Install Specific Version if needed.

3. Restart Copilot Extension

1. Ctrl+Shift+P → Run Developer: Reload Window
2. Immediately disable then re-enable Copilot
3. Verify in Copilot status bar: "Copilot enabled, No errors"

Temporary Fix

This resolves the issue for some (without permanent disabling) but may require repetition during work sessions.

Advanced Troubleshooting

For Persistent Cases:

1. **Clear TS Server Cache**:  
   Delete `~/.config/Code/User/workspaceStorage/*/tsc/*`

2. **Disable Other Extensions**:  
   - `F1` → `Developer: Show Running Extensions`  
   - Disable extensions one-by-one starting with AI tools

3. **TS Version Check**:  
   - `Ctrl+Shift+P` → `Select TypeScript Version`  
   - Switch between "Workspace" and "VS Code Bundled"

Extension Configuration Fix

1. Go to Settings (Ctrl+,)
2. Search @ext:GitHub.copilot
3. Disable these settings:

   "copilot.enable": false,
   "copilot.language.enable": false

Prevention Tips

• Keep VS Code updated to the latest stable release
• Maintain Copilot extensions at version 1.300.0+
• Add this to settings.json to limit language service memory:

  "typescript.tsserver.maxTsServerMemory": 4096,
  "javascript.tsserver.maxTsServerMemory": 4096

• Run command pallette (Ctrl+Shift+P) → TypeScript: Restart TS server weekly

Disable these Copilot settings if full extension disable isn't preferred.

Known Limitations

• Large monorepo projects may require additional memory allocation
• Pre-release Copilot versions don't work with stable VS Code
• VS Code versions below 1.90 have known language service regressions

Last verified: July 2025 with VS Code 1.303, Copilot 1.3xx
If issues persist, report to VS Code GitHub Issues with tsserver logs (Ctrl+Shift+P → Developer: Open Logs Folder).