vscode: Close, minimize and maximize buttons missing on macOS after using the restart to update option

Does this issue occur when all extensions are disabled?: No (but presumably due to restart of VSCode)

VS Code Version: 1.71.2 (updating from 1.70.X)
OS Version: macOs Monterey 12.5.1 (21G83)

As stated in the issue title, once VSCode updates and restores the windows it fails to show the close/maximize/minimize icons:

This does not happen on all restored windows. The one showing the buttons was previously in fullscreen mode. Screenshot 2022-09-23 at 13 26 53

I imagine it is difficult to replicate this issue so I will list out exactly the steps I took regardless of if I think they are relevant.

Steps to Reproduce:

Have multiple VSCode windows open. One on the ‘desktop’ (ie. not fullscreen mode) and one maximised (fullscreen mode).
See the notification for the latest update and dismiss it
Open the command pallet and manually select the ‘Restart Code to update’ option
Wait for VSCode to restart

Outcome:

The maximized (full screen mode) windows all have the ability to minimize/control the window as expected
The windows that were not in full screen mode no longer have the ability to control the window as the top toolbar is hidden.
Using shortcut keys CTRL + CMD + F to enter fullscreen mode works on the window with the toolbar but not the one that restarted minimized

About this issue

Original URL
State: open
Created 2 years ago
Reactions: 11
Comments: 55 (18 by maintainers)

Most upvoted comments

same issue, restart vscode not solving the problem

What I usually do that fixes is going to: Window > Tile Window to Left of Screen and then the traffic lights reappears. Then it’s just a matter of maximising it again.

+13

eduelias on Mar 2, 2023

Same issue for me in Arch Linux:

Since this issue ticket is related to MacOS, I opened https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/issues/165481 for Arch Linux. I noted that the issue is related to electron19 19.1.4 version. Downgrading it to 19.0.13 and restarting Code, the three buttons are shown.

I don’t know if also on MacOS, Code uses Electron…

D3vil0p3r on Nov 4, 2022

I experience the same issue with vscode-insiders in Windows 11 (w/ WSL2):

vscode-err

PS: Restarting the app (or the OS) didn’t fix the issue.

cip8 on Nov 3, 2022

The issue doesn’t seem to be resolved for me, @eisa-rezaei. Still happens several times a week. @eduelias “Tile Window…” fix has been working for me so far.

I was using the insider version of vscode it was working as expected, and recently I changed my vscode to stable version, and it was resolved there too, try the insider version see if it’s working correctly for you or not or check if the current version is up-to-date.

eisa-rezaei on Jun 5, 2023

It is User/globalStorage/storage.json and the key is windowsState

bpasero on Mar 2, 2023

This issue is for macOS. For the issue on Windows, see #165337.

rzhao271 on Nov 3, 2022

Dito after the vscode insiders updated itself, i don’t see the close/maximize/minimize buttons any more on the toolbar.

pradhyu on Nov 3, 2022

For anyone else encountering this issue (because I still hit it on every update), this comment from @deepak1556 fixes the issue for me:

Can you try deleting the key windowsState in ~/Library/Application\ Support/Code/User/globalStorage/storage.json and restart the application, see if that helps as a workaround.

karimsa on Jul 17, 2023

The issue doesn’t seem to be resolved for me, @eisa-rezaei. Still happens several times a week. @eduelias “Tile Window…” fix has been working for me so far.

calumx on Jun 5, 2023

Same issue on latest version macOS Ventura. Any fix available ?

Aviral-Gupta101 on Dec 23, 2022