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Windows-MCP for VS Code: Setup & Config

VS Code: Let an AI assistant interact with Windows applications, windows, and input controls.

What you can do with Windows-MCP in VS Code

Choose native Windows automation with optional DOM inspection and documented remote-access controls.

  • Automate application and window interactions on a Windows desktop.
  • Inspect web page content using the browser DOM mode.

Before you start: Windows-MCP in VS Code

  • Windows
  • Python 3.13+
  • uv with uvx
  • An MCP-compatible client

This is the documented default stdio launch. English is preferred for App-Tool; disable that tool for other Windows languages. For network access, configure authentication and TLS rather than using an unprotected listener.

Windows-MCP VS Code configuration

  1. Choose VS Code configuration scope

    For Windows-MCP, open Workspace: .vscode/mcp.json. Merge into servers; preserve existing inputs.

  2. Add Windows-MCP to VS Code

    Use the Windows-MCP entry below in servers. Keep Windows-MCP's documented stdio connection fields and your other VS Code entries.

  3. Check Windows-MCP in VS Code

    Windows-MCP: Start in VS Code’s MCP controls; inspect output and trust prompts.

Config file · Workspace: .vscode/mcp.json

JSON
{
  "servers": {
    "Windows-MCP": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "windows-mcp",
        "serve"
      ],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

Windows-MCP tools available to VS Code

Windows-MCP's stored tool list documents 5 tools; compare it with VS Code's connected tool list, because the stored list is not a live check.

Screenshot

Look for Screenshot among VS Code's agent-mode tools after starting Windows-MCP through the MCP controls.

Click

Look for Click among VS Code's agent-mode tools after starting Windows-MCP through the MCP controls.

Perform a mouse click; this tool name appears in the README's tool-selection example.

Snapshot

Look for Snapshot among VS Code's agent-mode tools after starting Windows-MCP through the MCP controls.

Inspect desktop state; this tool name appears in the README's tool-selection example.

PowerShell

Look for PowerShell among VS Code's agent-mode tools after starting Windows-MCP through the MCP controls.

Expose PowerShell capability, which the README demonstrates excluding from the enabled tool set.

Registry

Look for Registry among VS Code's agent-mode tools after starting Windows-MCP through the MCP controls.

Windows-MCP: full stored tool descriptions

Troubleshooting Windows-MCP in VS Code

  • Make uvx windows-mcp (from uv, for Python tools) available in the workspace, container, or remote environment hosting Windows-MCP. Start through VS Code's MCP controls; inspect output and trust prompts.
  • Windows-MCP uses stdio here: VS Code must keep the configured process running; protocol output belongs on stdout and diagnostics on stderr.
  • Known limitation: Requires Windows-side execution even when the assistant runs in WSL.
  • Known limitation: Python 3.13+ is required by the documented setup.
  • Known limitation: Non-English Windows setups may need the application tool disabled.
  • General VS Code troubleshooting lives in the /clients/vscode guide.

Windows-MCP — details. VS Code guide

Frequently asked questions

For Windows-MCP, edit workspace .vscode/mcp.json. VS Code requires servers rather than mcpServers; preserve the displayed type on each entry.

VS Code's Windows-MCP example uses stdio.

Windows-MCP's VS Code configuration invokes uvx windows-mcp (from uv, for Python tools).

Windows-MCP's stored list contains 5 tools, including Screenshot, Click, Snapshot. Compare those names with VS Code's connected tool list; the stored list is not a live check.

No. The README says it does not depend on traditional computer vision or a specially fine-tuned model.

Yes. --tools selects an allowlist and --exclude-tools disables named capabilities; the README illustrates excluding PowerShell and Registry.