VSCode: "Shell Integration failed to activate" - visual-studio-code

Question

It used to work fine, but recently whenever I run my code (Python), I get the message "Shell Integration failed to activate" when I hover my mouse over the active terminal. The active Python terminal doesn't recognize any command line commands like "pip" anymore (see screenshot)
What can I do? I played around with a couple of settings as described here, but nothing seems to work. My current setting.json file looks like this:
{
"python.defaultInterpreterPath": "C:\\Users\\cleme\\AppData\\Local\\Programs\\Python\\Python310\\python.exe",
"terminal.integrated.profiles.windows": {
"PowerShell": {
"path": "C:\\Windows\\system32\\WindowsPowerShell\\v1.0\\powershell.exe",
"source": "PowerShell",
"icon": "terminal-powershell",
}
},
"terminal.integrated.defaultProfile.windows": "PowerShell"
}

Answer 1

I ended up deleting the whole Code folder within the C:\Users\AppData\Roaming.
Note: You have to check the box - view Hidden Files to see these folders within File Explorer.
This solved it.
There must have been some weird corrupted cache issue at the heart of this.
I found this in C:\Users<profile>\AppData\Roaming\Code\logs<datetimestamp>\ptyhost.log
[2022-10-17 07:25:50.695] [ptyhost] [warning] Couldn't get layout info, a terminal was probably disconnected Could not find pty on pty host
[2022-10-17 07:25:54.040] [ptyhost] [warning] Shell integration cannot be enabled for executable "C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe" and args []
[2022-10-17 07:26:57.939] [ptyhost] [warning] Shell integration cannot be enabled for executable "C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe" and args []
I think it is related to this.
BTW: I had tried adding a couple of PowerShell VSCode IDE Extensions when things went awry.
IIRC they were:
PowerShell
PowerShell Preview
I had upgraded PowerShell to the latest version 7 too.
$PSVersionTable yielded the following from the respective executables.
Executable Path
Version
C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe
5.1.17763.1852
C:\Program Files\PowerShell\7\pwsh.exe
7.2.6
Maybe that combo hosed things
Follow up note: Whilst it seemed to have fixed the issue once... soon after the problem manifested itself again. This time I couldn't reset VS Code to a working environment.
Then I realised had opened the Project folder in the explorer on the left of the IDE.
I had a subfolder that had a PS1 file within that.
It didn't have its own .vscode\settings.json
When I copied it down from the parent folder, suddenly everything worked again.
.vscode\settings.json just contained this:
{
}
Again this ended up being a one time solution.
I ended up back at:
Shell activation failed to activate for cmd.exe
I posted this as a new ticket here
In the end I found this to be more of a display issue than anything else!
You can actually type cls then hit ENTER, to restore things to the status quo.
The Terminal section is black with no prompt to begin with. But you can type in it!!!
Perhaps the Prompt is black text on a black background initally, since when you start typing cls, it's quite a way to the right of the left margin.

Answer 2

Closing VSCode, verifying that powershell works, then reopening it worked for me.