Fixing VS Code Rendering Issues: When Your Editor Won't Scroll Properly

The Problem#

Have you ever opened VS Code to find that your files only display the first few lines? You try to scroll, but nothing appears—the content just vanishes. Meanwhile, the minimap on the side shows everything is there, mocking you with its tiny preview of your invisible code. The horizontal scrollbar might be dead too, leaving you unable to navigate your files properly.

If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. These rendering issues can make VS Code completely unusable, but fortunately, the fix is often simpler than you might think.

The Culprit: Experimental Features#

In most cases, these rendering problems stem from experimental GPU acceleration features in VS Code. While GPU acceleration can improve performance when it works correctly, experimental implementations can cause bizarre rendering artifacts—or prevent rendering altogether.

The Solution#

Check your settings.json file for these problematic settings:

"editor.experimentalGpuAcceleration": "on"
"terminal.integrated.gpuAcceleration": "on"
"application.experimental.rendererProfiling": true

To fix the issue, either remove these lines entirely or explicitly disable them:

{
  "editor.experimentalGpuAcceleration": "off",
  "terminal.integrated.gpuAcceleration": "off",
  "application.experimental.rendererProfiling": false
}

Also, remove or comment out the editor.largeFileOptimizations setting to let VS Code use its default optimization strategies.

Why This Happens#

VS Code's experimental GPU acceleration attempts to offload rendering work to your graphics card. However, depending on your system configuration, graphics drivers, or VS Code version, these features can conflict with the normal rendering pipeline. The result? Your editor knows the content exists (hence the minimap displaying correctly), but the main viewport fails to render it.

Other Troubleshooting Steps#

If disabling these settings doesn't resolve your issue, try:

1. Run VS Code without extensions: code --disable-extensions
2. Clear the VS Code cache: Delete the Cache and CachedData folders in your VS Code application support directory
3. Start with a minimal configuration: Temporarily rename your settings.json and add back settings gradually

The Takeaway#

While experimental features can be exciting, they're called "experimental" for a reason. If VS Code starts behaving strangely—especially with rendering—check for experimental GPU settings first. It's a quick fix that can save hours of frustration.

Remember: sometimes the most advanced feature isn't the one that uses your GPU, but the one that actually displays your code.