[BUG] Windows: MSIX auto-update force-terminates Claude Desktop, killing active Code tab sessions and Remote Control (~every 2 days, not restored on relaunch)

Preflight Checklist

• [x] I have searched existing issues and this hasn't been reported yet
• [x] This is a single bug report (please file separate reports for different bugs)
• [x] I am using the latest version of Claude Code

What's Wrong?

On Windows, the Claude Desktop MSIX auto-updater force-terminates the running app when it applies an update. Any active Code tab session (and its Remote Control connection) is killed along with it. The app relaunches, but the Code session is not restored and Remote Control stays disconnected. Cowork sessions do recover after the relaunch.

This is a silent, unattended failure: I started a Code session in Claude Desktop at home, enabled Remote Control (/remote-control), and left the PC running (sleep disabled). Remote Control worked from my laptop for several hours, then stopped working. Nothing on the PC changed except the auto-update.

Related: #66075 (same force-terminate mechanism, reported as a window-focus issue on Windows 11), #60790 (Code tab cannot resume a session whose owner process is gone). This reproduces on Windows 10 22H2 as well, so it appears to be inherent to the MSIX update flow rather than OS-specific.

Timeline (2026-10-08, local time UTC+9)

| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 08:02 | PC booted (no reboot afterwards) |
| ~09:00 | Code session started in Claude Desktop, /remote-control enabled |
| 09:45:44 | New package Claude_2.26454.2.0 staged (Id 855) |
| 10:00–12:00 | Remote Control used from laptop, working normally |
| 13:06:34 | Id 646: running app Claude_pzs8sxrjxfjjc!Claude terminated for install; CoworkVMService terminated for update (Id 9648/9650); new package registered (Id 400) |
| 15:00 | Remote Control found disconnected; Cowork session still reachable |

Ruled out via Event Viewer for the same window: no reboot, no sleep/resume (Kernel-Power 42/107), no network disconnect (NetworkProfile/Operational empty), no NIC/WLAN/DHCP events.

Frequency: AppXDeploymentServer/Operational Id 646 (running app terminated for install) shows 12 forced terminations in 23 days (2026-09-16 to 2026-10-08), each matching an Id 855 update entry. 5 of 12 were applied during daytime/evening hours. With this cadence, any long-running unattended Code + Remote Control session on Windows has a high chance of being killed. Full list in the logs section below.

What Should Happen?

Any of the following:

• Defer applying the update while a Code session (or Remote Control connection) is active, or apply it only on the next manual restart
• After the forced relaunch, restore active Code sessions and re-establish Remote Control (as Cowork already recovers)
• At minimum, notify the user (desktop/mobile notification) that the session was terminated by an update
• Provide a setting to disable or schedule auto-updates

Error Messages/Logs

AppXDeploymentServer/Operational, Id 646 + matching Id 855 (local time UTC+9)
2026-10-08 13:06:34   2.26454.0.0 -> 2.26454.2.0
2026-10-07 07:34:49   2.19675.1.0 -> 2.26454.0.0
2026-10-06 03:34:40   2.19675.0.0 -> 2.19675.1.0
2026-10-03 00:02:23   2.16120.0.0 -> 2.19675.0.0
2026-10-01 00:22:02   2.9939.4.0  -> 2.16120.0.0
2026-09-30 00:07:42   2.9939.2.0  -> 2.9939.4.0
2026-09-26 05:05:10   2.7032.0.0  -> 2.9939.2.0
2026-09-23 22:11:42   2.2553.13.0 -> 2.7032.0.0
2026-09-23 01:50:03   2.2553.1.0  -> 2.2553.13.0
2026-09-18 14:10:09   2.110.1.0   -> 2.2553.1.0
2026-09-17 20:30:33   2.110.0.0   -> 2.110.1.0
2026-09-16 21:12:47   1.52386.6.0 -> 2.110.0.0

Steps to Reproduce

1. Windows, Claude Desktop installed via MSIX (package family Claude_pzs8sxrjxfjjc)
2. Start a Code tab session in Claude Desktop and run /remote-control
3. Connect from another device (claude.ai/code or mobile app) and confirm it works
4. Leave the PC running unattended until an auto-update is applied (in my case ~every 2 days)
5. Check Event Viewer → Applications and Services Logs → Microsoft → Windows → AppXDeploymentServer → Operational: Id 646 ("running app terminated for install") appears at the update time
6. Remote Control is now disconnected and the Code session is gone; Cowork session is still reachable

Claude Model

None

Is this a regression?

I don't know

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

Claude Desktop 2.26454.2.0 (MSIX); bundled Claude Code version unknown

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

Windows

Terminal/Shell

Other

Additional Information

Environment:

• OS: Windows 10 Pro 22H2 (OS build 19045.6466)
• Claude Desktop: 2.26454.2.0 (MSIX / WindowsApps)
• Surface: Code tab in Claude Desktop + Remote Control
• Terminal: N/A (Claude Desktop app, not a terminal session)

Workaround: running Remote Control from a standalone terminal (claude remote-control) avoids being tied to the Desktop app process (reported to work in #63988), plus a remote desktop tool to restart sessions when away.