Fix Window Terminated Unexpectedly Error In Visual Studio Code

You may encounter different error codes such as:

reason: ‘crashed’, code: ‘1073741819’ or ‘6’reason: ‘oom’ (Out of Memory), code: ‘-536870904’reason: ‘killed’, code: ‘9’

These errors are often caused by outdated graphics drivers, problematic extensions, Electron or Chromium bugs, corrupted cache or backup files, or even a specific project file crashing the window. Now that you understand the error codes and possible causes, here are several working solutions:

1. Restart Your Computer

Restarting your system can resolve this error by clearing frozen or unstable processes. Since Visual Studio Code runs its interface using Electron, a crash in its background renderer can be cleared after a full reboot. Restarting also refreshes GPU drivers and reinitializes memory resources, which helps if the issue is tied to memory overload or driver instability.

2. Delete the Backup Folder

VS Code stores unsaved changes in a backup folder. If this folder becomes corrupted, it may cause crashes on launch. Warning: This will remove any unsaved work from your previous sessions.

3. Disable the Chromium Sandbox (Advanced)

Electron apps like VS Code use Chromium’s sandbox for process isolation and security. However, in rare cases, this sandbox can conflict with your system and trigger renderer crashes. Warning: Disabling the Chromium sandbox reduces security protections. Only use this workaround temporarily and in a trusted environment.

4. Force Close VS Code

Sometimes, background processes from previous sessions continue to run even after you close the window. Force-closing these processes ensures VS Code restarts fresh.