VS Code PowerShell keeps opening cmdlet external help unexpectedly

[deadlydog]

Issue Description

The external help documentation constantly being opened unexpectedly while typing a cmdlet name or hovering the mouse over a cmdlet.

Attached Logs

I've attached the PowerShell diagnostic logs of me capturing the problem occurring while typing Get-ChildItem and then again while hovering the mouse over Test-Path.

PowerShell Log Files.zip

You can see it launching Get-Help in EditorServices.log at lines 903 and 985, although I'm unsure why.

I also asked about this issue on Stack Overflow here as well. Here's a quick recap of that post:

Things I've tried to resolve the issue:

• Resetting all custom key bindings and settings. The problem still occurs, so I don't think those are at fault.
• Disabling all extensions. This fixes the problem, but then of course I lose out on intellisense and whatnot since the PowerShell extension is disabled.
• Disabling all extensions except for the PowerShell extension. The problem then occurs again.
• Installing the PowerShell Preview extension and disabling all extensions except for it. The problem still occurs.
• Spinning up a new Windows Sandbox and installing VS Code in there, and then turning on VS Code Settings Sync and having it pull down all of my same extensions, settings, key bindings, etc. Cannot reproduce the problem in Windows Sandbox.
• Uninstall and reinstall VS Code. The problem still occurs.

Here's a gif of the problem in action. Note the only keys I type on the keyboard are Test and I never click the mouse when hovering over the Get-ChildItem cmdlet.

While this gif wasn't the recording used to generate the attached PowerShell diagnostic logs, it is very similar and shows the problem very clearly.

Any suggestions or troubleshooting tips would be appreciated. Thanks!

Environment Information

Visual Studio Code

Name	Version
Operating System	Windows_NT x64 10.0.19041
VSCode	1.51.1
PowerShell Extension Version	2020.6.0

PowerShell Information

Name	Value
PSVersion	5.1.19041.610
PSEdition	Desktop
PSCompatibleVersions	1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 5.1.19041.610
BuildVersion	10.0.19041.610
CLRVersion	4.0.30319.42000
WSManStackVersion	3.0
PSRemotingProtocolVersion	2.3
SerializationVersion	1.1.0.1

Visual Studio Code Extensions

Visual Studio Code Extensions(Click to Expand)

Extension	Author	Version
advanced-new-file	patbenatar	1.2.2
auto-close-tag	formulahendry	0.5.9
auto-rename-tag	formulahendry	0.1.5
azure-account	ms-vscode	0.9.4
azure-pipelines	ms-azure-devops	1.177.0
azurecli	ms-vscode	0.5.0
azurerm-vscode-tools	msazurermtools	0.14.0
beautify	HookyQR	1.5.0
Bookmarks	alefragnani	11.4.0
bracket-pair-colorizer-2	CoenraadS	0.2.0
code-runner	formulahendry	0.11.1
code-spell-checker	streetsidesoftware	1.10.0
codetour	vsls-contrib	0.0.39
csharp	ms-dotnettools	1.23.6
csharpextensions	jchannon	1.3.1
debugger-for-chrome	msjsdiag	4.12.11
dotenv	mikestead	1.0.1
dotnet-interactive-vscode	ms-dotnettools	1.0.156101
EditorConfig	EditorConfig	0.15.1
emojisense	bierner	0.8.0
file-icons	file-icons	1.0.27
gistfs	vsls-contrib	0.1.9
git-project-manager	felipecaputo	1.7.1
githistory	donjayamanne	0.6.14
github-markdown-preview	bierner	0.0.2
gitignore	codezombiech	0.6.0
highlight-matching-tag	vincaslt	0.10.0
html-snippets	abusaidm	0.2.1
indent-rainbow	oderwat	7.4.0
json-tools	eriklynd	1.0.2
jupyter	ms-toolsai	2020.11.372831992
LiveServer	ritwickdey	5.6.1
LogFileHighlighter	emilast	2.10.0
markdown-all-in-one	yzhang	3.4.0
markdown-checkbox	bierner	0.1.3
markdown-emoji	bierner	0.0.9
markdown-preview-github-styles	bierner	0.1.6
markdown-yaml-preamble	bierner	0.0.4
mssql	ms-mssql	1.9.0
npm-intellisense	christian-kohler	1.3.1
path-autocomplete	ionutvmi	1.15.0
powershell	ms-vscode	2020.6.0
puppet-vscode	puppet	1.0.0
python	ms-python	2020.11.371526539
quicktype	quicktype	12.0.46
regexp-preview	LouisWT	0.1.5
remote-containers	ms-vscode-remote	0.148.1
remote-ssh	ms-vscode-remote	0.56.0
remote-ssh-edit	ms-vscode-remote	0.56.0
remote-wsl	ms-vscode-remote	0.51.4
rest-client	humao	0.24.4
shopify-liquid	sissel	2.3.0
sort-lines-by-selection	earshinov	1.0.0
supersharp	craigthomas	0.1.4
vscode-apimanagement	ms-azuretools	0.1.7
vscode-autohotkey-plus	cweijan	2.6.1
vscode-azureappservice	ms-azuretools	0.20.0
vscode-azurefunctions	ms-azuretools	1.0.1
vscode-azureresourcegroups	ms-azuretools	0.2.0
vscode-azurestorage	ms-azuretools	0.11.0
vscode-azurevirtualmachines	ms-azuretools	0.2.0
vscode-colorize	kamikillerto	0.8.17
vscode-cosmosdb	ms-azuretools	0.15.0
vscode-css-peek	pranaygp	4.0.0
vscode-docker	ms-azuretools	1.8.0
vscode-dotnet-runtime	ms-dotnettools	0.2.0
vscode-drawio	hediet	1.1.0
vscode-eslint	dbaeumer	2.1.13
vscode-gutter-preview	kisstkondoros	0.26.2
vscode-hacker-typer	jevakallio	0.1.1
vscode-html-css	ecmel	0.2.3
vscode-import-cost	wix	2.12.0
vscode-kubernetes-tools	ms-kubernetes-tools	1.2.1
vscode-markdownlint	DavidAnson	0.37.2
vscode-node-azure-pack	ms-vscode	0.0.11
vscode-openapi	42Crunch	3.8.0
vscode-pull-request-github	GitHub	0.21.2
vscode-remote-extensionpack	ms-vscode-remote	0.20.0
vscode-solution-explorer	fernandoescolar	0.3.11
vscode-yaml	redhat	0.13.0
vsliveshare	ms-vsliveshare	1.0.3206
vsliveshare-audio	ms-vsliveshare	0.1.91
vsliveshare-pack	ms-vsliveshare	0.4.0
xml	DotJoshJohnson	2.5.1

[deadlydog]

Ok, I figured the issue out myself. Following the advice of this tweet I updated my PowerShell Profile to include $PSDefaultParameterValues.Add("Get-Help:Online", $true). It looks like the PowerShell extension calls the Get-Help cmdlet in order to populate intellisense and tooltips. This was resulting in the intellisense and tooltips launching the help in an external browser window. The solution was to remove the line from my $PSProfile.

I guess this could maybe still be reported as a bug to force the PowerShell extension to launch Get-Help using -Online:$false to prevent this issue in the future.