Open integrated terminal

I need to open the integrated terminal for this project so I can run the build script and npm test in the workspace folder. Make sure the terminal opens in the project's root, not my home directory, and that it uses the default shell the team uses on Windows machines. If the terminal is already open, focus it instead of creating a new pane. Ladder L1

Before I open the terminal, make it obvious which shell will start and where it will land. Show the workspace root path at the top, indicate the default shell (PowerShell or Bash) and warn if the active file's folder differs from the workspace root. If the terminal is already open, surface the current working directory and provide a one-click way to switch to workspace root. Ladder L2

I pressed the terminal shortcut and nothing appeared. I'm alone on this laptop; Tomas on the team uses the same keys and it works for him. I don't know whether the terminal is hidden, crashed, or the shortcut was remapped. Tell me the most likely diagnosis and the minimal steps to get a usable integrated terminal open in the workspace root so I can run node server.js. Ladder L5

Every time I work on a repo I end up with a terminal in my home directory or a stray pane, then waste five minutes navigating to the workspace root and killing unused shells. Where am I losing time and how should I change my habits and editor settings so the terminal reliably opens in the project root and I don't accumulate orphaned sessions? Ladder L6