Anaconda3 folder / base not a valid Conda folder

From what you’ve described, your Conda base environment may be corrupted or its metadata is missing, which is why both VSCode and Conda can’t recognize it. Before reinstalling, check whether C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\anaconda3\conda-meta still exists and whether your PATH variables point to the correct installation. If conda-meta is missing or damaged, a clean reinstall after manually removing the broken installation is usually the most reliable fix.