To properly restart Visual Studio Code after making changes to your extensions configuration, you can use a couple of methods. The simplest way is to use the command palette: press Ctrl + Shift + P (or Cmd + Shift + P on macOS), type “Reload Window,” and hit Enter. This will refresh the current window and apply any configuration changes without fully quitting the application. If you’ve made more significant changes or if you’re encountering issues, you might want to perform a full restart. Close Visual Studio Code completely and open it again, ensuring that all processes associated with it are terminated, which can be verified via your system’s task manager.

To ensure everything loads smoothly after a restart, it’s a good practice to check for any extension updates or conflicts. Before restarting, consider disabling any extensions that you suspect might cause issues to isolate the problem. After relaunching, keep an eye on the Output and Debug Console for any error messages that might indicate problematic extensions or configuration issues. Also, make sure your settings in settings.json are correctly formatted, as a syntax error can prevent extensions from loading properly. Keeping your extensions up-to-date can significantly reduce potential compatibility issues, so regularly check for updates from the Extensions view.