[BUG] Claude Desktop creates desktop shortcut after Windows 11 shutdown

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?

Environment:

Product: Claude Desktop application
Operating System: Windows 11
Installation Method: MSIX installer (standard installation)

Bug Description
Claude Desktop automatically creates a desktop shortcut for itself when the computer is shut down while the application is running. This shortcut appears on the desktop upon the next system startup, even though no user action requested shortcut creation.
Pattern observed:

Claude Desktop is running
User shuts down Windows 11 computer (standard shutdown procedure)
Computer restarts
Desktop shortcut for Claude appears on desktop

This behavior occurs repeatedly and consistently following the shutdown → restart cycle when Claude Desktop was running prior to shutdown.

What Should Happen?

Claude Desktop should not create desktop shortcuts automatically
Shutting down the computer with Claude Desktop running should not trigger any file creation on the desktop
Desktop shortcuts should only be created during initial installation or by explicit user action

Error Messages/Logs

Steps to Reproduce

Install Claude Desktop on Windows 11 using the standard MSIX installer
Launch Claude Desktop application
Perform standard Windows 11 shutdown while Claude Desktop is running
Start up the computer
Observe desktop - a Claude Desktop shortcut has appeared

Reproducibility: Consistent - occurs after every shutdown when Claude Desktop was running

Claude Model

Sonnet (default)

Is this a regression?

I don't know

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

Claude 1.1.381 (c2a39e) 2026-01-18T20:18:52.000Z

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

Windows

Terminal/Shell

Windows Terminal

Additional Information

This appears to be related to how Claude Desktop handles Windows shutdown events. The shortcut creation suggests the app may be interacting with Windows in a way that triggers shortcut generation during the shutdown/cleanup process.
Note: This issue is distinct from the documented Windows process cleanup issues (#15368, #15423) but may share a common root cause related to improper shutdown handling on Windows.