How to Run Powershell x86 Inside Visual Studio Code x64?

To run the PowerPoint x86 inside the virtual studio code x64 we will first update the PowerShell to the latest version and then do some configuration inside the visual studio code so that it loads the Powershell x86 as the default version whenever we execute the code, following are the steps we need to take:

Step 1: Open Powershell as Administrator

We need to update the PowerShell to the latest version available, for this go to the start menu and open the PowerShell by clicking on “Run As Administrator”

Step 2: Update Powershell Using Command

To update the PowerShell to the latest version available we use the following command:

winget install --id Microsoft.PowerShell --source winget

Note: Make sure you have active internet connection as this step requires downloading the latest version.

This command will give us the following output:

Step 3: Open the Search Bar in Visual Studio Code

This step requires opening the search bar in the top corner, simply click on the search bar that says “hello” and it will allow you to type your required settings.

Step 4: Open Default Terminal Profile Settings

Type the following command in the search bar and select the option from the menu:

>Terminal: Select Default Profile

(as described in the image below)

Step 5: Select Powershell x86 as Default

After completing the above step click on the option that says PowerShell x86 in its path (in my case it is in the first option but in yours, it can be 2nd or 3rd option)

Step 6: Check if Powershell is Default

We will check whether the setting we just made has been applied or not, for this go to terminal > new terminal or simply type Ctrl + ` [backtick] to open the terminal window, then click on the + icon and make sure that PowerShell is set to default.

Windows PowerShell is a popular tool that is used as a command line tool, also called a modern command line tool as it includes the best of the features for popular shells, you may have heard about CMD or command line utility in Windows but the Windows PowerShell is more advance and powerful which is why it is used in Visual Studio Code but it becomes an issue if you want to run the PowerShell x86 in a visual studio code that is based on x64 version.

So in this article, we will understand how we can run the PowerShell x86 inside the Visual Studio code that is in the x64 version.