[Bug] Windows: 3 blank VS Code windows spawn on every Claude Code session start (terminal & extension)

Description

Every time I start a new Claude Code session — whether from the terminal or from the VS Code extension — 3 empty/blank VS Code windows open automatically. This happens consistently, across different projects.

• Disabling/uninstalling the Claude Code VS Code extension does not fix it
• Happens in pure terminal mode (no extension active)
• Happens in any project directory, not just a specific workspace
• Setting "window.restoreWindows": "none" in VS Code does not help

Environment

• OS: Windows 11 Pro 10.0.26100.7171
• Claude Code: 2.1.69
• Node.js: v24.2.0
• VS Code: latest stable
• Shell: bash (Git Bash) / PowerShell
• Terminal: Windows Terminal

Steps to Reproduce

1. Open a terminal (or VS Code)
2. Run claude in any directory
3. 3 blank VS Code windows appear immediately

Related Issues

This appears to be the same root cause as:

• #21039 — "Multiple startup banner renders on Windows - Ink initializes 3 times"
• #23743 — "Claude Code spawns 3 blank windows on Windows VS Code startup" (closed as duplicate of #21039)

Issue #21039 was closed as NOT_PLANNED / stale, but the bug is still present in v2.1.69.

<img width="1910" height="1139" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/f1877eda-f984-4b5b-a198-5d170195d7c7" />