[BUG] Claude Code: Cannot run Electron apps on Windows - bash/electron compatibility issue

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?

I encountered an issue using Claude Code on Windows where it cannot successfully run Electron applications via the Bash tool.

Environment:

Platform: Windows 10/11
Claude Code version: (current)
Node.js: v18.18.2
Electron: v28.3.3
Issue:
When Claude Code attempts to run an Electron app using npm start or npx electron . through the Bash tool, the require('electron') call returns a string (the path to the electron binary) instead of the electron module object. This causes the app to crash with:

TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'disableHardwareAcceleration')
The same commands work correctly when run directly from Windows Command Prompt or PowerShell.

Workaround:
Running npm start directly from a native Windows terminal works correctly.

Suggestion:
Consider documenting this limitation or investigating whether the bash environment can be configured to properly invoke Windows electron binaries.

What Should Happen?

Expected behavior:
Claude Code should be able to start Electron applications on Windows, or clearly indicate this is a known limitation.

Error Messages/Logs

TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'disableHardwareAcceleration')
The same commands work correctly when run directly from Windows Command Prompt or PowerShell.

Steps to Reproduce

I encountered an issue using Claude Code on Windows where it cannot successfully run Electron applications via the Bash tool.

Environment:

Platform: Windows 10/11
Claude Code version: (current)
Node.js: v18.18.2
Electron: v28.3.3
Issue:
When Claude Code attempts to run an Electron app using npm start or npx electron . through the Bash tool, the require('electron') call returns a string (the path to the electron binary) instead of the electron module object. This causes the app to crash with:

TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'disableHardwareAcceleration')
The same commands work correctly when run directly from Windows Command Prompt or PowerShell.

Workaround:
Running npm start directly from a native Windows terminal works correctly.

Suggestion:
Consider documenting this limitation or investigating whether the bash environment can be configured to properly invoke Windows electron binaries.

claude --version doesn't work on my machine.

Claude Model

None

Is this a regression?

Yes, this worked in a previous version

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

2.1.11

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

Windows

Terminal/Shell

PowerShell

Additional Information

_No response_