Create a Custom Detection Script for Visual Studio Code (PowerShell)

Microsoft Endpoint Manager Configuration Manager (MEMCM / SCCM) and Microsoft Intune use Detection Rules to determine the presence of Applications & Win32 Apps. The detection rules ensure that application installations only begin to run if the application is not already installed on the device. This article will serve as an informative guide and give you a clear understanding of how to create an updated custom detection script for each new version of Visual Studio Code using PowerShell.

How to Create a Custom Detection Script for Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code (File Detection Method)

## Check for Microsoft Visual Studio Code (File Detection Method)
$VSCodeExe = (Get-ChildItem -Path "C:\Program Files\Microsoft VS Code\Code.exe","C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft VS Code\Code.exe" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)
$VSCodeExe.FullName
$VSCodePath = $($VSCodeExe.FullName).Replace("C:\Program Files\","").Replace("C:\Program Files (x86)\","")
$FileVersion = (Get-Item -Path "$($VSCodeExe.FullName)" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).VersionInfo.FileVersion

## Create Text File with Microsoft Visual Studio Code File Detection Method
$FilePath = "C:\Windows\Temp\Visual_Studio_Code_Detection_Method.txt"
New-Item -Path "$FilePath" -Force
Set-Content -Path "$FilePath" -Value "If([String](Get-Item -Path `"`$Env:ProgramFiles\$VSCodePath`",`"`${Env:ProgramFiles(x86)}\$VSCodePath`" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).VersionInfo.FileVersion -ge `"$FileVersion`"){"
Add-Content -Path "$FilePath" -Value "Write-Host `"Installed`""
Add-Content -Path "$FilePath" -Value "Exit 0"
Add-Content -Path "$FilePath" -Value "}"
Add-Content -Path "$FilePath" -Value "else {"
Add-Content -Path "$FilePath" -Value "Exit 1"
Add-Content -Path "$FilePath" -Value "}"
Invoke-Item $FilePath
  • Click Run Script (F5)
  • A text file will open with the Visual Studio Code Detection Method script required to detect the current version of Visual Studio Code that is installed on the device you are running the script from.

Example:

If([String](Get-Item -Path "$Env:ProgramFiles\Microsoft VS Code\Code.exe","${Env:ProgramFiles(x86)}\Microsoft VS Code\Code.exe" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).VersionInfo.FileVersion -ge "1.78.2"){
Write-Host "Installed"
Exit 0
}
else {
Exit 1
}

Visual Studio Code (Registry Detection Method)

## Check for Microsoft Visual Studio Code (Registry Detection Method)
$VSCode = Get-ChildItem -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall","HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall" | Get-ItemProperty | Where-Object {$_.DisplayName -match 'Microsoft Visual Studio Code' } | Select-Object -Property DisplayName, DisplayVersion, PSChildName
$VSCode.DisplayVersion
$VSCode.PSChildName

## Create Text File with Microsoft Visual Studio Code Registry Detection Method
$FilePath = "C:\Windows\Temp\Visual_Studio_Code_Detection_Method.txt"
New-Item -Path "$FilePath" -Force
Set-Content -Path "$FilePath" -Value "If([Version](Get-ItemPropertyValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\$($VSCode.PSChildName)','HKLM:\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\$($VSCode.PSChildName)' -Name DisplayVersion -ea SilentlyContinue) -ge '$($VSCode.DisplayVersion)') {"
Add-Content -Path "$FilePath" -Value "Write-Host `"Installed`""
Add-Content -Path "$FilePath" -Value "Exit 0"
Add-Content -Path "$FilePath" -Value "}"
Add-Content -Path "$FilePath" -Value "else {"
Add-Content -Path "$FilePath" -Value "Exit 1"
Add-Content -Path "$FilePath" -Value "}"
Invoke-Item $FilePath
  • Click Run Script (F5)
  • A text file will open with the Visual Studio Code Detection Method script required to detect the current version of Visual Studio Code that is installed on the device you are running the script from.

Example:

If([Version](Get-ItemPropertyValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{EA457B21-F73E-494C-ACAB-524FDE069978}_is1','HKLM:\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{EA457B21-F73E-494C-ACAB-524FDE069978}_is1' -Name DisplayVersion -ea SilentlyContinue) -ge '1.78.2') {
Write-Host "Installed"
Exit 0
}
else {
Exit 1
}

Always make sure to test everything in a development environment prior to implementing anything into production. The information in this article is provided “As Is” without warranty of any kind.