[BUG] Claude Desktop installation fails on Windows 11 25H2 (Build 26200) - "couldn't install please check for software updates"

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?

Claude Desktop installer fails on Windows 11 Home version 25H2 (Build 26200) with error message "claude desktop couldn't install please check for software updates"

What Should Happen?

Claude Desktop should install.

Error Messages/Logs

We're so sorry, Claude Desktop failed to launch. Please check for updates and try again. If the issue persists, contact support.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Running Windows 11 Home 25H2 (Build 26200.7623)
2. Enabled Developer Mode in Windows Settings
3. Downloaded Claude Desktop installer from https://claude.com/download (Windows x64)
4. Ran installer
5. Installer fails with error: "claude desktop couldn't install please check for software updates"

Expected Behavior

Claude Desktop should install successfully on Windows 11 25H2, as this is a stable release channel.

Actual Behavior

Installation fails immediately with error message. Windows is fully updated (latest security update KB5074109 installed).

Additional Context

• No prior Claude Desktop installation on this machine
• Windows Update shows system is up to date
• Jumped to Build 26200 via Feature Update KB5055456 (25H2 enablement package) on 10/22/2025
• Not enrolled in Windows Insider program - this is stable 25H2 release

Related Issues

This may be related to other Build 26200 issues:

• #25136 (yukonSilver marked unsupported on Build 26200)
• #24918 (Windows 11 Home compatibility)

Claude Model

None

Is this a regression?

I don't know

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

v1.1.2685.0

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

Windows

Terminal/Shell

Other

Additional Information

_No response_