VS Code extension installation without admin rights

Question

I am thinking of asking my IT-Department of gaining the right to install VS-Studio Code, and using it with some extensions. Like Python.

My Question is: Can I install the extensions without having to use an admin user, under windows?

I got this exact Problem with Notepad++, where i can only install the Editor, via the Software deployment tool, but not the extensions(via the editor myself).

Answer 1

You have the option to unpack the zip file and use the editor without running the installer. You will lack some features like 'Open with Code' in the contextmenu of the file explorer.

Windows setup without installer

Answer 2

After the latest VS Code revision 1.26 (currently 1.25 insiders) it will be possible to install VS Code as a User and also updating all the extensions inside this directory.

See this link VS Code 1.25 release Notes

Answer 3

Short answer No for installing VSCode and ~yes for installing extensions.

You seem to assume VSCode would install without admin privileges however that is not the case. There is an open issue since 2015 with a feature request to allow user level installations. There is another known bug which would prevent VSCode from launching without an admin account after an update.

To answer your question about installing an extension, it would depend on extension and if you've write access to your path for installing extensions which defaults to

%USERPROFILE%\.vscode\extensions

A lot of extensions seem to require root access under Linux, however on Windows most of the extensions install without any admin privileges ever since 1.0 release.

(Let me admit I now use VSCode as my primary editor and have stopped playing around all those icon packs & themes which used to require admin rights almost always so maybe it has nothing to do with post 1.0 releases).