The vscode integrated terminal python environment is inconsistent with the bottom bar

[likesnow97]

A few days ago, I reinstalled the win10 system, re-downloaded vscode and miniconda3, when I selected the virtual environment in the bottom bar

to run the python fileas usual, the terminal running the program did not run in the virtual environment I chose, on the contrary, in the terminal, the program first ran with my locally installed python interpreter, and then the following two lines of commands to activate the virtual python environment I selected automatically appeared in the terminal.A cmd window will also flash by during operation.

PS D:\snow\file\postGra> D:/snow/sw/miniconda3/Scripts/activate
PS D:\snow\file\postGra> conda activate base

I tried changing the integrated terminal to cmd, powershell didn't solve my problem.Below is a demonstration video.

vscodeerror.mp4

The version information for the computer system and software is as follows:
Windows10:

Windows 10 Home Edition

miniconda3：

conda 25.5.1

vscode:

edition: 1.102.2 (user setup)
data: 2025-07-22T12:15:48.520Z
Electron: 35.6.0
OS: Windows_NT x64 10.0.18363

[soda92]

HI - I recently get the same error.

I use UV to do version management. I prev use 3.8, but it prompt that min debugger is 3.9, so I change .python-version to 3.9.

however, after uv sync, the bottom bar still shows 3.8, but "select interpreter" correctly shows 3.9.

but after click the 3.9 venv it still shows 3.8. I tried remove venv, reload window, and it don't work.

Finally I find that ms-python plugin has a python version cache. delete that fixed it.

Remove-Item "$env:APPDATA\Code\User\globalStorage\ms-python.python\pythonLocator\*.json" -Force

(below scripts are generated by AI)

for a powershell function that can be saved into $Profile:

function Clear-VSPythonCache {
    <#
    .SYNOPSIS
    Clears the cached Python interpreter list from VS Code's global storage.
    #>
    
    # 1. Define the target path (Standard VS Code)
    $targetPath = "$env:APPDATA\Code\User\globalStorage\ms-python.python\pythonLocator"
    
    # Check if Insiders edition exists (Optional)
    $insidersPath = "$env:APPDATA\Code - Insiders\User\globalStorage\ms-python.python\pythonLocator"

    $paths = @($targetPath, $insidersPath)
    $found = $false

    foreach ($path in $paths) {
        if (Test-Path -Path $path) {
            Write-Host "🧹 Found cache at: $path" -ForegroundColor Cyan
            
            # 2. Get the JSON files
            $files = Get-ChildItem -Path $path -Filter "*.json"
            
            if ($files.Count -gt 0) {
                # 3. Remove them
                $files | Remove-Item -Force
                Write-Host "   ✅ Deleted $($files.Count) cache file(s)." -ForegroundColor Green
                $found = $true
            } else {
                Write-Host "   ✨ Directory is already empty." -ForegroundColor Yellow
            }
        }
    }

    if (-not $found) {
        Write-Host "❌ No Python Locator directories found." -ForegroundColor Red
    } else {
        Write-Host "`n🚀 Done. Please reload VS Code (Ctrl+Shift+P -> Developer: Reload Window)." -ForegroundColor White
    }
}

# Run the function immediately
Clear-VSPythonCache

On Linux for fish:

function fix-vscode-python --description 'Clear VS Code Python Locator cache'
    # 1. Define potential paths (Standard vs OSS)
    set -l targets \
                "$HOME/.config/Code/User/globalStorage/ms-python.python/pythonLocator" \
                "$HOME/.config/Code - OSS/User/globalStorage/ms-python.python/pythonLocator"
    
    set -l found_target 0
    
    # 2. Iterate and clean
    for dir in $targets
        if test -d "$dir"
            echo "🧹 Found cache at: $dir"
            
            # Count files before deleting (for feedback)
            set -l count (count $dir/*.json)
            
            if test $count -gt 0
                rm -f "$dir"/*.json
                echo "   ✅ Deleted $count cache file(s)."
                set found_target 1
            else
                echo "   ✨ Directory is already empty."
            end
        end
    end
    
    if test $found_target -eq 0
        echo "❌ No Python Locator directories found."
    else
        echo "🚀 Done. Please reload VS Code (Developer: Reload Window)."
    end
end

then use funcsave fix-vscode-python to save

[eleanorjboyd]

Hi- this seems similar to command we have python-envs.clearCache or Python: Clear Cache which you can find in the command palette.