Claude in Chrome MCP - Browser extension not connected despite native host running

Environment:

• Windows 10/11
• Claude Code version: 2.1.30
• Chrome running, extension installed

Problem:
Claude Code reports "Browser extension is not connected" even though:

1. Chrome extension shows "Connected" in popup
2. Native host is running and listening on \\.\pipe\claude-mcp-browser-bridge-hecto
3. Named pipe is created successfully

Evidence:

• Native host log shows Socket server listening for connections but never logs Accepted new MCP connection
• Config shows claudeInChromeDefaultEnabled: true and cachedChromeExtensionInstalled: true
• /mcp says "Reconnected to claude-in-chrome" but tools still fail

Troubleshooting tried:

• Full Chrome restart
• Full Claude Code restart
• Toggle extension off/on
• Verified same account logged in
• Checked extension console (no errors)
• Checked Windows firewall

Root cause:
Native host creates the pipe and listens, but Claude Code never connects to it.