[BUG] Claude Desktop crashes after update — Cowork fails to find/connect to Microsoft Apps (Windows)

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?

After updating Claude Desktop to the latest version, the app crashes when Cowork attempts to find or connect to Microsoft applications (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive). Regular Chat mode is not affected — only Cowork crashes.

The crash occurs repeatedly even after performing the following troubleshooting steps:

1. Updated to latest version — Downloaded and installed v1.1.4328+ from https://claude.com/download
2. 2. Enabled Windows features via PowerShell (Admin): Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Containers -All and Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName HypervisorPlatform -All
3. 3. Cleared corrupted app data via PowerShell
4. 4. Full quit from system tray (not just closing window)
5. 5. Restarted PC after each attempt
6. 6. Reinstalled Claude Desktop using the MSIX installer

What Should Happen?

Cowork should launch successfully and be able to discover and interact with Microsoft applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive) without crashing.

Error Messages/Logs

Relevant logs from:
- %APPDATA%\Claude\logs\ (non-Store install)
- %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\Claude_*\LocalCache\Roaming\Claude\logs\ (Microsoft Store install)

Key log files: cowork_vm_node.log (VM networking status), main.log (CLI/sandbox errors)

Steps to Reproduce

1. Download and install the latest Claude Desktop from https://claude.com/download (v1.1.4328+)
2. 2. Launch Claude Desktop
3. 3. Switch to Cowork mode
4. 4. Attempt to use Cowork with Microsoft app integration (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive)
5. 5. App crashes immediately

Claude Model

None

Is this a regression?

Yes, this worked in a previous version

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

v1.1.4328+ (Claude Desktop)

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

Windows

Terminal/Shell

PowerShell

Additional Information

• OS: Windows 11 Professional
• - Subscription: Max
• - - VPN: No
• - - - Install Method: MSIX installer from https://claude.com/download
• - - - - This issue started after installing/updating to a new version of Claude Desktop
• - - - - - Chat mode works normally — only Cowork is affected
• - - - - - - The crash specifically occurs when Cowork tries to discover Microsoft applications
• - - - - - - - This may be related to existing issues: #28231, #24918, #25136