GitHub Copilot not working in Visual Studio [Fix]

GitHub Copilot is an AI chatbot that enables you to write code more efficiently. However, many users have reported that the GitHub Copilot does not work in Visual Studio or Visual Studio Code. This acts as a hindrance to their project and delays deliverables. In this post, we are going to talk about this issue and see what you can do to resolve it.

Why is Copilot not working anymore?

GitHub Copilot may stop working in Visual Studio or VS Code due to expired credentials, software bugs, or network issues. Running Visual Studio as an administrator can help grant necessary permissions, while trying an older version of Copilot may fix compatibility problems. Refreshing credentials and re-authenticating the GitHub account can resolve authentication errors. Checking the GitHub service status ensures that Copilot is operational.

Fix GitHub Copilot not working in Visual Studio

If the GitHub Copilot is not working in Visual Studio or VS Code, follow the solutions mentioned below.

1. Run Visual Studio as an admin
2. Try an older version of Copilot
3. Refresh Copilot Credentials
4. Remove and add the GitHub account
5. Check your Internet Connection
6. Check GitHub Service Status
7. Remove and add GitHub Copilot

Let us talk about them in detail.

1] Run Visual Studio as an admin

First of all, we need to run Visual Studio Code or Visual Studio as an administrator and allow Copilot to authenticate and run with all necessary permissions. To do so, all you have to do is search “Visual Studio Code” in the Start Menu, right-click on it, and select Run as administrator. Once the UAC prompt appears, click on Ok.

2] Try an older version of Copilot

There could be a bug in the current version of GitHub Copilot, or a compatibility issue, preventing the AI chatbot from running with Visual Studio. Therefore, we can resort to running an older version of Copilot. To do so, you can follow the steps mentioned below.

1. In Visual Studio or Visual Studio Code, go to the Extensions tab.
2. Now, search for “GitHub Copilot”.
3. Click on the drop-down menu beside the Uninstall button and select Install Specific Version or Install Another Version.
4. Now, select a version older than your current one.

Finally, restart Visual Studio (or VS Code) and check if the issue is resolved. Additionally, you can also try using the pre-release version by clicking on the Switch to Pre-release version button. It provides early access to new features and improvements and allows us to test beta functionalities before the release of the stable version.

3] Refresh Copilot Credentials

If GitHub Copilot is not functioning in Visual Studio, a common problem might be expired credentials. Authentication tokens can occasionally timeout, which prevents Copilot from working effectively. To fix this, you should refresh your credentials and reauthenticate your GitHub account. You can follow the steps mentioned below to do the same.

1. Launch Visual Studio.
2. Now, click on the Copilot badge from the upper-right corner of the IDE.
3. Now, click on Refresh your credentials to reauthenticate your GitHub account.
4. Now, follow the on-screen instructions to sign in again.

Finally, check if the issue is resolved.

4] Remove and add the GitHub account

In some cases, the Refresh your credentials option is missing, therefore, one has to remove the GitHub account and add it again. To do so, you need to follow the steps mentioned below.

Visual Studio Code:

1. In VS Code, click on the drop-down next to the Copilot icon.
2. Select Manage Copilot.
3. Now, click on your profile pic, scroll down, and select Sign out.
4. Finally, sign back into your account.

Visual Studio:

1. Launch Visual Studio.
2. Go to Tools > Options.
3. Now, go to Accounts > GitHub account.
4. You now have to remove your GitHub account and add it again.

Hopefully, this will do the job for you.

Read: Fix getaddrinfo ENOTFOUND Copilot error

5] Check your Internet connection

You should also ensure that you have enough bandwidth to use the GitHub Copilot. To check the same, use a free Internet speed tester. If your bandwidth is low, you need to reboot your router. If that doesn’t work, contact your ISP.

6] Check GitHub Service Status

We need to ensure that the GitHub Copilot service is up and running if Copilot is not working for you. For that, go to githubstatus.com. If the service is down, there is nothing you can do but wait for the issue to be resolved.

Read: Auth Read ECONNRESET Copilot Error [Fix]

7] Remove and add GitHub Copilot

If all else fails, our last resort is to remove and add the GitHub Copilot. You can go to the Extension tab in Visual Studio or VS Code, look for GitHub Copilot, and remove it. Then, from the Extensions tab itself, add the extension, and check if the issue persists. Hopefully, this should do the trick for you.

We hope that these solutions will resolve your issue.

Read: How to use Copilot to generate code

How do I enable GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio?

To enable GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio, first ensure you have a GitHub account with an active Copilot subscription. Open Visual Studio, go to Tools > Options, and sign in with your GitHub account. Then, install the GitHub Copilot extension from the Visual Studio Installer and restart the application. Once installed, Copilot will start suggesting code as you type, helping you write faster and more efficiently.

Also Read: Best free AI Extensions for Visual Studio Code.