Fixing VS Code Material Theme Automatic Uninstallation Issue

Problem Overview

Many VS Code users encounter a persistent notification stating: "We have uninstalled 'equinusocio.vsc-material-theme' which was reported to be problematic." This message appears repeatedly even after manually removing the extension, and VS Code appears to attempt reinstalling it on startup.

The issue stems from Microsoft's security measures that automatically flagged and removed the Material Theme extension due to concerns about obfuscated code and suspicious dependencies. While the extension has since been restored to the marketplace after being verified as a false positive, users who had it installed continue to experience this recurring notification.

Complete Solution: Manual Removal

The most effective solution involves manually removing all traces of the extension from your system:

Step 1: Remove the Extension Folder

Open your terminal and navigate to VS Code's extensions directory:

Linux/macOS

cd ~/.vscode/extensions
rm -rf equinusocio.vsc-material-theme-*

Windows

cd $env:USERPROFILE\.vscode\extensions
rmdir /s equinusocio.vsc-material-theme-*

Step 2: Edit extensions.json

Navigate to your VS Code user data directory and open the extensions.json file:

Linux/macOS

# Typically located at:
# ~/.vscode/extensions/extensions.json
# or
# ~/.config/Code/User/globalStorage/extensions.json

Windows

# Typically located at:
# %USERPROFILE%\.vscode\extensions\extensions.json
# or
# %APPDATA%\Code\User\globalStorage\extensions.json

Search for any entries containing equinusocio.vsc-material-theme and remove the entire JSON object for that extension. The entry will look similar to:

{
  "identifier": {
    "id": "equinusocio.vsc-material-theme",
    "uuid": "dffaf5a1-2219-434b-9d87-cb586fd59260"
  },
  "version": "34.7.9",
  "location": {
    "$mid": 1,
    "path": "/path/to/extension/equinusocio.vsc-material-theme-34.7.9",
    "scheme": "file"
  },
  // Additional metadata properties...
}

WARNING

If you use VS Code workspaces or profiles, check their respective settings directories as well, as they may contain separate extensions.json files that need cleaning.

Prevent Reinstallation Using extensions.allowed Setting

For a more permanent solution that prevents VS Code from attempting to reinstall the extension, use the extensions.allowed setting introduced in VS Code version 1.96 (November 2024):

1. Open VS Code settings (Ctrl+, or Cmd+, on macOS)
2. Search for extensions.allowed
3. Click "Edit in settings.json"
4. Add the following configuration:

"extensions.allowed": {
  // Allow other extensions not explicitly listed
  "*": true,
  
  // Specifically block the problematic theme
  "equinusocio.vsc-material-theme": false
}

This configuration will prevent VS Code from installing or enabling the blocked extension while allowing all others.

Alternative Theme Options

Since the original Material Theme extension was involved in a security controversy, consider these vetted alternatives:

Official Microsoft Alternative

• MaterialKit by Microsoft: ms-vscode.Theme-MaterialKit

Community-Maintained Fork

• Material Theme But I Won't Sue You: t3dotgg.vsc-material-theme-but-i-wont-sue-you

This fork maintains the visual style while removing potentially problematic elements:

• No obfuscated code
• Removed exec calls, web views, and client-side JavaScript
• Maintained by a trusted community member

New Premium Version

The original author has released a completely rewritten premium version called Vira Theme, available at vira.build. This version contains no dependencies and addresses the security concerns raised by Microsoft.

Background Context

In early 2025, Microsoft automatically uninstalled the Material Theme extension from VS Code due to security concerns about obfuscated code and suspicious dependencies. While the extension was later reinstated to the marketplace after being verified as a false positive, the automatic removal process left residual configuration that causes the persistent notification.

INFO

The extension has been restored to the marketplace, but users who had it installed during the removal period need to manually clean their configuration to stop the recurring notifications.

Troubleshooting Tips

If the problem persists after following these steps:

1. Restart VS Code after making changes to allow the settings to take effect
2. Check all workspaces - each workspace may have its own extensions.json file
3. Verify profile settings - if you use VS Code profiles, check each profile's configuration
4. Clear VS Code cache - sometimes cached extension data needs to be cleared

For most users, the combination of manually removing the extension files and updating the extensions.json file will resolve the recurring notification issue permanently.