Windsurf

ApplicationCodeium

Also called codeium windsurf, windsurf editor, devin desktop

CodeiumProductivity

A Visual Studio Code-based AI editor from Codeium. The process is Windsurf.exe. It is not Cursor and not Microsoft Visual Studio Code.

What you need to know

Windsurf.exe is Codeium's AI editor. Cursor.exe is Anysphere. Code.exe is Microsoft.

Windsurf is a VS Code-based AI editor. Cursor is a different Anysphere fork. Visual Studio Code is Microsoft Code.exe. Visual Studio the IDE is devenv.exe. Cognition's later Devin Desktop name is the same editor family, not VS Code.

What is it?: Codeium VS Code-based AI editor
Same as Cursor?: No. Different vendor and exe
Same as VS Code?: No. Code.exe is Microsoft

Feex says

If Windsurf.exe is busy, I would check extensions and the AI panel inside this editor. I would not uninstall Cursor or Visual Studio Code to quiet it. Three different exes: Windsurf.exe, Cursor.exe, Code.exe.

What is Windsurf?

Windsurf is a VS Code-based AI editor. It is not Cursor, not Microsoft VS Code, and not Visual Studio (devenv.exe).

If you have never used it

If someone said try Windsurf, this is Codeium's VS Code-based AI editor. Download it from windsurf.com. Windsurf.exe is this product. Cursor.exe is Anysphere. Code.exe is Microsoft Visual Studio Code. Uninstalling VS Code does not remove Windsurf. Cognition later continued this editor family as Devin Desktop. Older installs may still say Windsurf.exe.

What is it used for?

Edit a folder with AI features

A VS Code-like workspace. Settings live in Windsurf, not in Microsoft VS Code and not in Cursor.

Cascade-style agent UI the vendor shipped

Codeium features. Cursor has its own chat and composer. Those are different accounts.

Extensions on a VS Code-compatible host

The Marketplace story can differ from Code.exe. VSCodium uses Open VSX. This product is still not Microsoft VS Code.

Who is it for?

People comparing AI editors who were pointed at Windsurf, not Cursor
Users who must not confuse Windsurf.exe with Code.exe
Anyone whose Start tile still says Windsurf after a 2026 rename

Current status

Windsurf (2024) is a current ai code editor from Codeium. The vendor still points Windows users at https://windsurf.com/.

How old is it?

Codeium launched the Windsurf editor in 2024. It is a year newer than Cursor (2023) and much newer than VS Code (2015). In 2025 and 2026 the company story moved through a Cognition deal and a Devin Desktop rename. This article keeps the Windsurf name from the Start tile people still search.

Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.

Windsurf editor

Devin Desktop (later name)

System requirements

Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.

Minimum

Minimum system requirements
Operating system	A current 64-bit Windows 10 or Windows 11 release, per the vendor download page
RAM	1 GB class editors run. Language servers and AI chat want more

Resource profile

CPU demand: Follows what you open inside the app
RAM demand: Follows documents, tabs, or libraries

Installed processes

These executables belong to this product when it is installed.

Installed processes
Windsurf.exe	Windsurf editor

Startup components

Windsurf can reopen the last folder. That is session restore, not a VS Code service and not Cursor's restore.

File locations

Common Windsurf locations
Typical install	C:\Users\<you>\AppData\Local\Programs\Windsurf\

File formats

Many via extensionsJSONMarkdown

Common problems

People close Code.exe or Cursor.exe to stop Windsurf

Three products. Open file location. Windsurf or Devin folders are this family. Microsoft VS Code is Code.exe. Anysphere is Cursor.exe.

Settings do not follow from Cursor

Importing VS Code settings is optional. Cursor profiles are not Windsurf profiles.

Getting unstuck

Open file location on Windsurf.exe versus Code.exe versus Cursor.exe

This article is the Codeium editor. Microsoft VS Code is Programs\Microsoft VS Code. Cursor is Programs\cursor.

Install from windsurf.com or the vendor page that replaced it

A Windsurf AI pro listing is junk. If the tile became Devin Desktop, use the vendor download Cognition documents.

Disable extensions inside Windsurf as a test

Use this editor's extension list. Cursor --disable-extensions will not start this window.

Alternatives

Cursor if you want Anysphere's AI editor. Visual Studio Code if you want Microsoft's editor without this AI shell. VSCodium if you want a telemetry-free VS Code build without an AI vendor.

Official help and downloads

Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.

Official contacts
Download	windsurf.com/ Official installer or vendor page
Help	docs.windsurf.com/ Vendor support
Official site	windsurf.com/ Start here, not a random exe host
Windsurf docs	docs.windsurf.com/ Editor docs for this VS Code-based product
Devin download notes	devin.ai/download Cognition's 2026 desktop line that continued this editor family

Related hardware

SSD and RAM help large repos. AI features need a network path to the vendor. A GPU on this PC does not replace that account.

Technical details

Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build.

Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. How we research.

Windsurf official site · Vendor product page
Windsurf help · Vendor support
Windsurf documentation · Vendor docs for the Codeium editor
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

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