can't switch python environment

[ghmole]

Type: Bug

system:window11
python venv:conda
can't switch python runing environment,always use the "base" environtment

VS Code version: Code 1.102.2 (c306e94f98122556ca081f527b466015e1bc37b0, 2025-07-22T12:15:48.520Z)
OS version: Windows_NT x64 10.0.22631
Modes:

[vs-code-engineering]

Thanks for creating this issue! It looks like you may be using an old version of VS Code, the latest stable release is 1.102.3. Please try upgrading to the latest version and checking whether this issue remains.

Happy Coding!

[eleanorjboyd]

Hi! Is this a recent issue? If so, can you try setting "python.useEnvironmentsExtension" to false in your user settings and see if this makes a difference? It may be connected to this: microsoft/vscode-python-environments#581

If that fixes it I would appreciate any extra info you can give one what steps you are taking exactly to try and switch and if you see anything in your python environments extension logs which can help me diagnose and fix this issue. Thanks

[ghmole]

when start vscode, the default environtment is “base"

click the "base" will popup the environment selector

before, one click will change the python environment, but now, manual switch will not be useful. I have try to set "python.useEnvironmentsExtension" true/false with restart vscode, but the issue still existed.

[eleanorjboyd]

this is fascinating- I haven't seen a bug like this before! Let me discuss with coworkers but if you are online in the meantime you could try enabling the python environments extension then click on the python icon in the sidebar. From there you can change the interpreter here and I am wondering if that works or what that displays

[eleanorjboyd]

@jennirinker said

Okay, that's a good tip. Now I can isolate the weird behavior. If I:

Click the environment in a bottom bar.
Click a new environment in the new drop-down bar that appears.
The environment does NOT change. If run a test file, a new terminal is opened but the old environment is still active.
If I then open Select Python interpreter but do NOT select a new environment in the drop-down menu (just hit ESC).
The environment changes to what I selected in Step 2. If I re-run the test file, now a new terminal opens up with the correct environment.
It seems like the bottom menu bar does not properly change the environment, but something happens when I go through "Select Python interpreter" that activates the environment correctly.

I'm happy to go through this process and send you the logs, but I'm not sure how to log it. Is there an article or some guidance somewhere to walk me through the process?

from microsoft/vscode-python-environments#711 (comment)