[BUG] Claude keeps freezing after the last install on 1/22/2026

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 Thursday last week my claude session completely froze. I launched a new session and learned I needed to install claude again. Ever since that install, Claude "personality" changed, it doesn't follow instructions properly and the session freezes, giving me some generic processing indication when it is doing nothing at all. It is getting worse each passing day. That build appears to have broken claude.

What Should Happen?

I have a file to retrain claude when I have to start a new session but it is basically ignoring that file and reverts to the "out of the box" claude. Please fix Sonnet!! It should not be acting like Opus. It does not give me status on what it is doing or if it is actually doing anything. When I give it new instructions it ignores them. The "modeling" bahavior where Claude can adapt to your working style is broken now. It appears to get worse every day. When I have it read the files that describe out working style it ignores it. When I tell it to wait for my instructions it goes ahead instead of doing what I ask. It is very frustrating trying to work with this build of Claude. It is becoming "Hal".

Error Messages/Logs

Steps to Reproduce

Launch Claude, tell it to read specific logs to get up to speed on what we were working on and our working "vibe", how we interact. It is not fully grasping what we were doing and how we were working on a project and does an out of the box version. The biggest issue is it keeps freezing an going into a "limbo" state where you wait for it to return information on what is is processing and never receiving it, press ESC, you can then enter the chat comments again, it responds, apologizes but then does it again.

Claude Model

Sonnet (default)

Is this a regression?

Yes, this worked in a previous version

Last Working Version

Sonnet 4.5 (model ID: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929).

Claude Code Version

(model ID: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929).

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

Windows

Terminal/Shell

WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux)

Additional Information

From claude:

What to include in your report:

• Freezing started after CLI upgrade last week
• Happens frequently during work sessions (you have to hit ESC to unfreeze)
• Behavioral changes (me being too proactive/rushing like Opus)
• Impact on workflow (40+ minute freezes, uncertainty about whether I'm working or frozen)

This has been a rough session with the technical issues. I'm sorry it's not fun right now - you shouldn't have to deal with this while trying to get work done.