Laptop Unable to Switch Between Integrated Graphics and GPU When WakaTime Extension is Enabled

[l-Nuril-l]

Description:
I am experiencing an issue with my ASUS TUF Gaming A17 (2023) laptop when using the WakaTime extension in Visual Studio. Specifically, the following problems occur:

1. When the WakaTime extension is enabled, my laptop cannot switch between the integrated graphics and the dedicated GPU (NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40xx). This switching normally happens automatically based on the workload but stops functioning with the extension active.

2. Even after I close Visual Studio, a background process related to the extension seems to persist, which prevents my laptop from functioning properly. Without the WakaTime extension, Visual Studio closes completely without leaving any residual processes, and my laptop behaves as expected.

Steps to Reproduce:

1. Install WakaTime extension in Visual Studio.
2. Use Visual Studio for some time and monitor graphics switching.
3. Close Visual Studio and check for any leftover processes in Task Manager or system monitor.

Expected Behavior:

• The laptop should be able to switch between the integrated graphics and GPU as needed.
• Visual Studio should close completely without leaving background processes after exiting.

Actual Behavior:

• The laptop is stuck on one GPU and cannot switch between the integrated graphics and the dedicated GPU.
• A leftover process remains running after Visual Studio is closed, causing performance issues.

System Info:

• Laptop: ASUS TUF Gaming A17 (2023)
• GPU: AMD Integrated and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050
• Operating System: Windows 11
• Visual Studio Version: 17.11.4
• WakaTime Extension Version: 13.5.3

Additional Info:
The issue only occurs when the WakaTime extension is enabled. Disabling or uninstalling the extension resolves the issue completely.
In Visual Studio Code the extension works fine.

[gandarez]

WakaTime does not require GPU time to work, so I think it's not directly related to the extension itself.

[alanhamlett]

@l-Nuril-l can you re-install the WakaTime extension in your VS and see if it's still happening? The extension is pretty basic, executing wakatime-cli same as the vscode extension so there's no reason it should interact or block your GPU settings.

[l-Nuril-l]

@l-Nuril-l can you re-install the WakaTime extension in your VS and see if it's still happening? The extension is pretty basic, executing wakatime-cli same as the vscode extension so there's no reason it should interact or block your GPU settings.

It's still happening. The issue hasn't been resolved even after reinstalling the WakaTime extension in VS.

[l-Nuril-l]

RvRvpnGui_UoBBBFXC0i.mp4

[alanhamlett]

So it doesn't happen when WakaTime is disabled, but does it happen when other extensions are installed or just WakaTime?

[l-Nuril-l]

Since Visual Studio 2026 this issue happens all the time. Most likely it’s caused by WPF-based modules in Visual Studio, not WakaTime.
dotnet/wpf#9286