fix(vscode): Migrated from ps-tree to using powershell to find childprocess

[ccastrotrejo]

Cherry-pick of the following PR - #8368

Commit Type

• feature - New functionality
• fix - Bug fix
• refactor - Code restructuring without behavior change
• perf - Performance improvement
• docs - Documentation update
• test - Test-related changes
• chore - Maintenance/tooling

Risk Level

• Low - Minor changes, limited scope
• Medium - Moderate changes, some user impact
• High - Major changes, significant user/system impact

What & Why

Windows 11 installations have removed wmic by default. We were using ps-tree which had wmic as a dependency and caused vscode users to be unable to open designer. We have removed the dependency on ps-tree by using powershell to find the child func process. Permanent fix for #8349

Impact of Change

• Users: Users should no longer need to install WMIC manually in order to get vscode designer working on Windows.
• Developers:
• System:

Test Plan

• Unit tests added/updated
• E2E tests added/updated
• Manual testing completed
• Tested in: Windows 11 with and without WMIC installed.

Contributors

@ccastrotrejo @lambrianmsft

Screenshots/Videos

[github-actions]

🤖 AI PR Validation Report

PR Review Results

Thank you for your submission! Here's detailed feedback on your PR title and body compliance:

✅ PR Title

• Current: fix(vscode): Migrated from ps-tree to using powershell to find childprocess
• Issue: Title is clear and specific. It includes the affected area (vscode), describes the change (migration from ps-tree to powershell), and context (finding childprocess).
• Recommendation: No changes needed.

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✅ Commit Type

• Properly selected (fix)
• Only one selected, which is correct

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✅ Risk Level

• Commit body and label both specify Medium risk. Estimation is accurate based on the dependency shift and direct user impact.

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✅ What & Why

• Current: Windows 11 installations have removed wmic by default. We were using ps-tree which had wmic as a dependency and caused vscode users to be unable to open designer. We have removed the dependency on ps-tree by using powershell to find the child func process. Permanent fix for Unable to open Designer with 5.185.8 #8349
• Issue: Brief and relevant context provided.
• Recommendation: No action needed.

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✅ Impact of Change

• Clearly identifies user impact: Users should no longer need to install WMIC manually.
• Developers/Sys impact: Describes dependency removal and new approach.
• Recommendation: If possible, elaborate on developer and system-side impacts for future PRs.

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✅ Test Plan

• Manual testing completed and details provided.
• Unit/E2E not checked, but manual testing described as sufficient due to the nature of the fix.

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⚠️ Contributors

• Contributors are tagged and present.
• If other PMs or designers contributed, add them for credit next time.

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✅ Screenshots/Videos

• No visual changes, so screenshots/videos not required.

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Summary Table

Section	Status	Recommendation
Title	✅	None
Commit Type	✅	None
Risk Level	✅	None
What & Why	✅	None
Impact of Change	✅	Consider slightly expanding developer/system impact
Test Plan	✅	None
Contributors	⚠️	Add PM/Design credit if they contributed
Screenshots/Videos	✅	Not required

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Everything required in your PR title and body is present and properly formatted. Please consider minor improvements to Impact and Contributors for future submissions. Thank you for helping maintain high-quality documentation for your team!

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Last updated: Fri, 17 Oct 2025 18:02:44 GMT