diff --git a/src/client/datascience/interactive-common/interactiveBase.ts b/src/client/datascience/interactive-common/interactiveBase.ts
index 01b55deed731..e1f471dcbeea 100644
--- a/src/client/datascience/interactive-common/interactiveBase.ts
+++ b/src/client/datascience/interactive-common/interactiveBase.ts
@@ -943,6 +943,7 @@ export abstract class InteractiveBase extends WebviewPanelHost<IInteractiveWindo
                 await this.ensureNotebook(serverConnection);
             }
         } catch (exc) {
+            traceError(`Exception attempting to start notebook: `, exc);
             // We should dispose ourselves if the load fails. Othewise the user
             // updates their install and we just fail again because the load promise is the same.
             await this.closeBecauseOfFailure(exc);
diff --git a/src/client/datascience/jupyter/jupyterNotebook.ts b/src/client/datascience/jupyter/jupyterNotebook.ts
index c5479a0f2521..8bb6343b5374 100644
--- a/src/client/datascience/jupyter/jupyterNotebook.ts
+++ b/src/client/datascience/jupyter/jupyterNotebook.ts
@@ -277,6 +277,8 @@ export class JupyterNotebookBase implements INotebook {
         this.ranInitialSetup = true;
         this._workingDirectory = undefined;
 
+        traceInfo(`Initial setup for ${this.identity.toString()} starting ...`);
+
         try {
             // When we start our notebook initial, change to our workspace or user specified root directory
             await this.updateWorkingDirectoryAndPath();
diff --git a/src/client/datascience/raw-kernel/liveshare/hostRawNotebookProvider.ts b/src/client/datascience/raw-kernel/liveshare/hostRawNotebookProvider.ts
index d26553cf8695..72d6a799b707 100644
--- a/src/client/datascience/raw-kernel/liveshare/hostRawNotebookProvider.ts
+++ b/src/client/datascience/raw-kernel/liveshare/hostRawNotebookProvider.ts
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ export class HostRawNotebookProvider
         notebookMetadata?: nbformat.INotebookMetadata,
         cancelToken?: CancellationToken
     ): Promise<INotebook> {
+        traceInfo(`Creating raw notebook for ${identity.toString()}`);
         const notebookPromise = createDeferred<INotebook>();
         this.setNotebook(identity, notebookPromise.promise);
 
@@ -143,6 +144,7 @@ export class HostRawNotebookProvider
             ? this.progressReporter.createProgressIndicator(localize.DataScience.connectingIPyKernel())
             : undefined;
 
+        traceInfo(`Computing working directory ${identity.toString()}`);
         const workingDirectory = await computeWorkingDirectory(resource, this.workspaceService);
 
         const rawSession = new RawJupyterSession(
@@ -156,6 +158,8 @@ export class HostRawNotebookProvider
         try {
             const launchTimeout = this.configService.getSettings().datascience.jupyterLaunchTimeout;
 
+            traceInfo(`Getting preferred kernel for ${identity.toString()}`);
+
             // We need to locate kernelspec and possible interpreter for this launch based on resource and notebook metadata
             const kernelConnectionMetadata = await this.kernelSelector.getPreferredKernelForLocalConnection(
                 resource,
@@ -173,6 +177,7 @@ export class HostRawNotebookProvider
             ) {
                 notebookPromise.reject('Failed to find a kernelspec to use for ipykernel launch');
             } else {
+                traceInfo(`Connecting to raw session for ${identity.toString()}`);
                 await rawSession.connect(kernelConnectionMetadata, launchTimeout, cancelToken);
 
                 // Get the execution info for our notebook