Hang creating new projects. Hang using pio install

Windows 10 64-bit. Almost a brand new install on a computer i bought this month.

Try to create new project, using Node32s board, with Espressif IOT Framework
<expected: Does not fail, and creates new project>
<result: Fails, and hangs instead of creating new project>

Okay fine. Let’s make this work:

PS C:\Users\gazto> pio platform install espressif32 --with-package framework-espidf --force
Platform Manager: Removing espressif32 @ 3.0.0
Platform Manager: espressif32 @ 3.0.0 has been removed!
Platform Manager: Installing espressif32
Platform Manager: espressif32 @ 3.0.0 has been installed!
<expected: continues installing the framework>
<result: fails by hanging>

Okay, fair enough. DeleteDeleteDelete bye bye python processes, bye bye $home/.platformio directory, bye bye PlatformIO VS Code extension. I removed it all.

<restart everything, weirdly as soon as i start VS code again with no workspace it tries to install PlatformIO Core again>

Same problem.

Your move.

Works on my machine

PS C:\Users\Max\Documents\PlatformIO\Projects\forum_test> pio platform install espressif32 --with-package framework-espidf --force
Platform Manager: Removing espressif32 @ 2.1.0
Platform Manager: espressif32 @ 2.1.0 has been removed!
Platform Manager: Installing espressif32
Unpacking  [####################################]  100%
Platform Manager: espressif32 @ 3.0.0 has been installed!
Tool Manager: Removing toolchain-xtensa32 @ 2.50200.80
Tool Manager: toolchain-xtensa32 @ 2.50200.80 has been removed!    
Tool Manager: Installing platformio/toolchain-xtensa32 @ ~2.50200.0
Downloading  [####################################]  100%
Unpacking  [####################################]  100%
Tool Manager: toolchain-xtensa32 @ 2.50200.80 has been installed!
Tool Manager: Removing framework-espidf @ 3.40200.210118
Tool Manager: framework-espidf @ 3.40200.210118 has been removed!
Tool Manager: Installing platformio/framework-espidf @ ~3.40200.0
Unpacking  [####################################]  100%
Tool Manager: framework-espidf @ 3.40200.210118 has been installed!
Tool Manager: Removing tool-esptoolpy @ 1.30000.201119
Tool Manager: tool-esptoolpy @ 1.30000.201119 has been removed!
Tool Manager: Installing platformio/tool-esptoolpy @ ~1.30000.0
Tool Manager: tool-esptoolpy @ 1.30000.201119 has been installed!
The platform 'espressif32' has been successfully installed!
The rest of the packages will be installed later depending on your build environment.

out of experience things that can interfer is antivirus software. The Windows defender (‘Antimalware Service Executable’) is also considerably slowing down PlatformIO in my experience, to the point where I simply created an exception for my C:\Users\<user>\.platformio folder and some process names for compilers, which led to a speedup.

You should try and remove the content of C:\Users\<user>\.platformio\pacakges\* and C:\Users\<user>\.platformio\platforms\* again, deactivate AV and/or add exceptions and start a new project. It must download a lot of things then on the first project start, so keep an eye on the task manager regarding the process with the most network and disk usage – if all is zero, then it’s weird.

Thank you. Adding the exclusion for the $HOME.platformIO folder seems to have fixed the problem.