Alex Ruben
How To Open a Project in Visual Studio Code 2025 and Unzip Visual Studio Projects
If you’ve ever downloaded a zipped project and then stared at it wondering how to actually get it open in Visual Studio Code 2025 without losing your mind, this is for you. Sometimes it’s just not obvious where to start—especially when the unzip process bugs out or VS Code refuses to read the folder. Doing this right will save some time, avoid frustration, and get your project ready for editing faster than you thought. From locating the archive to making sure VS Code actually loads it properly, these steps cover the essentials, plus a couple of tips from real world mess-ups.
How to Fix Unzipping and Opening a Project in Visual Studio Code 2025
Locate your zipped project file before doing anything else
First off, make sure you remember where that ZIP file ended up. Usually, it’s in your Downloads folder or somewhere you intentionally saved it. Right-click the file and check the name—sometimes the file is fine, but you’ve got the wrong one. Also, double-check that it’s not corrupted — if it won’t unzip or seems weird, try re-downloading it from the original source.
Unzipping the project files — the easy way (but not always)
Next, you wanna unzip that sucker. On Windows, right-click the ZIP file and select Extract All…. You can also use other tools like 7-Zip or WinRAR if you want more control — especially if you notice any issues with the default extractor. Picking the right destination folder is key — it can be the same folder, or create a new one somewhere easy to find like Documents/Projects. After clicking Extract, wait a sec because big projects need some time to decompress.
Pro tip: If you’re on a Mac, double-clicking the ZIP generally works, or use tools like The Unarchiver if things get weird. Linux users probably do this from the terminal with unzip.
Open Visual Studio Code and get ready to load your project
Honestly, Visual Studio Code 2025 isn’t that picky — usually. Open it up from the start menu or desktop shortcut. When VS Code launches, click on the Explorer icon (the folder-looking thing) in the Activity Bar on the left. It’s the easiest way to browse your files.
Loading your project folder — don’t mess it up
Now, you need to tell VS Code where your project lives. Hit the Open Folder… button (big button in the Explorer panel). If it’s not there, go to File > Open Folder…. Navigate through your directories to find the folder you just unzipped. Sometimes, users pick the wrong subfolder or forget to select the main project folder — avoid that. Once you’ve got the right one, hit Open. VS Code will load all files, which might take a second for larger projects. Keep in mind: if your project has a README.md or configuration files (like package.json or .code-workspace), they should appear in the explorer now.
Side note: Sometimes, if VS Code seems sluggish or files aren’t showing up immediately, restart it or close/open the folder again. Windows can be weird about that.
Additional tips — avoid the common pitfalls
- If the project folder doesn’t seem to load — double-check that you unzipped it correctly and selected the right folder. Sometimes, extracting to a different directory makes a difference.
- On bigger projects, VS Code might take a moment to index everything, especially if you’re opening a huge repo or folder with lots of dependencies.
- If opening the folder with no luck, try restarting Visual Studio Code. Or, open VS Code via the command line with
code <path-to-folder>. For example, open terminal/PowerShell and run:code C:\Users\YourName\Documents\Projects\MyApp. This often forces it to load the project properly.
If you find the unzip process or folder loading still a pain, there are more advanced options—like syncing with version control or using dedicated project managers—but this basic method covers most situations.
Wrap-up
Getting your project from zipped archive into a fully loaded Visual Studio Code workspace isn’t rocket science, but it can be a little finicky sometimes. Double-check your folders, be patient for large projects, and don’t be shy about trying the command line if the GUI acts stubborn. Works for most people — well, most of the time.
Summary
- Locate your ZIP file carefully, re-download if needed
- Unzip using default or third-party tools into a clear folder
- Open VS Code, navigate to File > Open Folder…
- Select your unzipped project folder and give it a sec to load
- If stuck, try opening via command line with
codecommand
Conclusion
In most cases, these steps will get your project up and running in Visual Studio Code 2025. The key is making sure you pick the right folder and load it correctly. If something still goes sideways, re-try the process, or tweak your extraction path. Fingers crossed this helps — at least it worked for me (more than once).