Complete VS Code Installation & C/C++ Setup with MinGW – Coding With Clicks

Full Guide: Install MinGW, VS Code & Run C/C++ Programs (Windows)

Step 1: Install MinGW

1. Open your browser and type this in the search bar:
👉 http://bit.ly/mingw10

2. Click on the file named mingw-19.0.exe – the download will start automatically.

3. Once the file is downloaded, open it.

4. In the extractor window:

• Remove everything in the address bar after C:\

• Click Extract

Make sure you have a file extractor like WinRAR or 7-Zip installed.

5. After extracting:

• Go to Local Disk (C:)
• Open the MinGW folder
• Open the bin folder
• Copy the address shown in the path bar (e.g. C:\MinGW\bin)

6. Now set the environment path:

• Right-click on This PC or My Computer
• Click on Properties > Advanced System Settings > Environment Variables
• Under System Variables, find and select Path, then click Edit
• Click New, then paste the copied address
• Click OK on all windows

✅ MinGW is now installed successfully!

Step 2: Install Visual Studio Code (VS Code)

1. In your browser, type:
👉 “Visual Studio Code Download”

2. Click the first official website (code.visualstudio.com)

3. If you’re a Windows user, click on the Windows download button – it will start downloading.

4. Once downloaded, open the installer:

• Accept the agreement and click Next
• (Optional) Tick the box to create a desktop icon
• Click Next, then Install

5. After the installation, click Finish – VS Code will open.

Step 3: Install Required Extensions in VS Code

1. Click the Extensions icon (on the left sidebar).

2. In the search bar, type:
👉 C/C++

Click on the first result and install it.

3. Next, search for:
👉 Code Runner

Again, click the first result and install it.

Step 4: Configure Input Support in Terminal

1. Go to File > Preferences > Settings

2. In the search bar, type:
👉 run in terminal

3. Scroll down and tick the box that says:
✅ “Run code in terminal”

This setting is important to allow user input in C/C++ programs.

4. Restart VS Code (close and reopen it)

Step 5: Write and Run C/C++ Programs in VS Code

1. Go to File > New Text File
2. Save the file:
   • Go to File > Save As or press CTRL + S
   • Type your desired file name and add the extension:
     • Use .cpp for C++ programs
     • Use .c for C programs
   • Click Save
3. Write your C or C++ program in the editor.
4. After writing (or updating) the code, press CTRL + S to save.
5. To run the program:
   • Click the Play (▶️) “Run Code” icon from the top-right or bottom toolbar.
6. The output will be displayed in the terminal below.

✅ Done! You’re now ready to write and run C/C++ programs in VS Code.

2. Save the file:

• Go to File > Save As or press CTRL + S
• Type your desired file name and add the extension:
  • Use .cpp for C++ programs
  • Use .c for C programs
• Click Save

3. Write your C or C++ program in the editor.

4. After writing (or updating) the code, press CTRL + S to save.

5. To run the program:

Click the Play (▶️) “Run Code” icon from the top-right or bottom toolbar.

6. The output will be displayed in the terminal below.

Done! You’re now ready to write and run C/C++ programs in VS Code.