VS Code extension auto-update deletes CLI session history files

Description

After the Claude Code VS Code extension auto-updated overnight (to version 2.1.77), all CLI session history files were deleted from ~/.claude/sessions/. The npm-global CLI (@anthropic-ai/claude-code) was also removed, requiring manual reinstallation. 244 session files spanning 5+ weeks of work were permanently lost.

Environment

• OS: Windows 11 Pro for Workstations 10.0.26200
• Shell: Git Bash
• Node.js: v24.13.0
• Claude Code version: 2.1.77 (both VS Code extension and npm CLI)
• VS Code extension ID: anthropic.claude-code-2.1.77-win32-x64

Timeline (all times EDT, 2026-03-16 / 2026-03-17)

1. Mar 16, ~11:38 PM — VS Code auto-updated the Claude Code extension to 2.1.77. User reloaded the VS Code window to activate the update.
2. Mar 17, morning — claude CLI command was no longer available (npm global package removed).
3. Mar 17, 10:25 AM — Manually reinstalled via npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code@2.1.77.
4. Mar 17, 10:27 AM — /resume showed "No conversations found to resume."

Evidence

Session files deleted

$ ls ~/.claude/sessions/
3816.json    # Only the current (new) session — all 243 prior sessions are gone

History metadata intact

$ wc -l ~/.claude/history.jsonl
4617         # 244 unique session IDs spanning back to Feb 6

history.jsonl survived but the actual session content files in sessions/ were deleted.

npm global state

The @anthropic-ai package in npm global node_modules shows LastWriteTime of 2026-03-17 10:25 AM (the reinstall). It was the only global package. The directory hadn't been modified since Feb 6 (original install) before the reinstall.

No other causes

• No Windows Update patches (only Defender signature updates)
• No BlueScreen (old dumps being rechecked by WER, not new crashes)
• NVMe SSD healthy, all NTFS volumes healthy
• No system restore activity
• No other programs installed/uninstalled

Impact

• 244 conversation sessions permanently lost (5+ weeks of history)
• CLI silently removed, blocking startup the next morning
• ~/.claude/ partially preserved (memory files, settings, history.jsonl, credentials intact) but sessions/ wiped

Expected Behavior

• Extension auto-updates should not delete session history files
• Extension auto-updates should not uninstall the npm-global CLI
• If the CLI is being replaced by a bundled version, session data should be migrated