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Intellisense (file and directory) suggestions not appearing for $ENV paths #5528
Description
Prerequisites
- I have written a descriptive issue title.
- I have searched all open and closed issues to ensure it has not already been reported.
- I have read the troubleshooting guide.
- I am sure this issue is with the extension itself and does not reproduce in a standalone PowerShell instance.
- I have verified that I am using the latest version of Visual Studio Code and the PowerShell extension.
- If this is a security issue, I have read the security issue reporting guidance.
Summary
Scenario:
$ENV:APPDATA\is typed in an editor and/or the integrated terminal (either PS 5.1 or 7+ -- both behave the same way)- Using a fresh install of VS Code with default settings (except tab completion, which is enabled) in Windows Sandbox
- Enabled settings:
-
editor.suggest.showFiles -
editor.suggest.showFolders -
editor.tabCompletion
-
Behavior:
Editor Window
- ❌ Pressing Ctrl+Spacebar one or more times displays (an empty) suggestions box
- ❌ Pressing TAB inserts a tab character rather than performing tab completion
Integrated Terminal
- ❌ Pressing Ctrl+Spacebar once displays (an empty) suggestions box
- ✔ Pressing Ctrl+Spacebar a second time triggers PSReadLine's
MenuCompletefunction, and paths are correctly expanded/displayed
- ✔ Pressing Ctrl+Spacebar a second time triggers PSReadLine's
- ✔ Pressing TAB performs tab completion, and paths are correctly expanded/displayed
PowerShell Version
PS C:\> $PSVersionTable; $Host
Name Value
---- -----
PSVersion 7.6.3
PSEdition Core
GitCommitId 7.6.3
OS Microsoft Windows 10.0.19041
Platform Win32NT
PSCompatibleVersions {1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 5.1, 6.0, 7.0}
PSRemotingProtocolVersion 2.4
SerializationVersion 1.1.0.1
WSManStackVersion 3.0
Name : Visual Studio Code Host
Version : 2025.4.0
InstanceId : 91c2ed31-fa5d-44e7-87ea-4a7eb71a2030
UI : System.Management.Automation.Internal.Host.InternalHostUserInterface
CurrentCulture : en-US
CurrentUICulture : en-US
PrivateData : Microsoft.PowerShell.ConsoleHost+ConsoleColorProxy
DebuggerEnabled : True
IsRunspacePushed : False
Runspace : System.Management.Automation.Runspaces.LocalRunspaceVisual Studio Code Version
PS C:\> code --version
1.125.0
93cfdd489c3b228840d0f86ec77c3636277c93ea
x64Extension Version
PS C:\> code --list-extensions --show-versions | Select-String powershell
ms-vscode.powershell@2025.4.0Steps to Reproduce
- Type an environment path variable in an editor window, e.g.
$ENV:APPDATA\ - Press Ctrl+Spacebar
- Witness the empty suggestions box
- Breath
Visuals
2026-06-17.13.40.23.mp4
Logs
No response
Reacted by github-actions
Activity
JustinGrote commentedon Jun 18, 2026
So I did a trace and the completions are actually coming from the engine, but I think because the prefix isn't the same, it's not coming up in the results. I'll have to investigate if there's a way to tell vscode this is a file path if the prefix changes.
You see this in when you tab-complete in the terminal as well
20260618-0335-04.3202187.mp4
Completions usually don't completely rewrite, they append, so we'll have to see if there's something we can do here but no promises as this might end up in the "exotic" behavior category, because we'd have to manually find every special environment variable and track it which would be a bug farm.
If I have leftover copilot quota at the end of the month I'll set it loose on things like this unless Andy Jordan (@andyleejordan) wants to take a stab at it. The resolution would be in PowerShellEditorServices.