[Windows] Preview server forces visible terminal window — severely degrades UX, no workaround

Resolved 💬 2 comments Opened Apr 2, 2026 by phasprofissional-arch Closed May 10, 2026

The Problem

Every time the preview dev server starts on Windows, a full terminal window is forcefully opened and stays permanently visible on screen. There is no option, setting, or workaround to prevent this. This is not a minor cosmetic issue — it fundamentally degrades the development experience on Windows.

Why This Matters

  • The terminal window covers the workspace, forcing constant alt-tabbing and window management
  • It cannot be hidden, minimized automatically, or embedded — it just sits there
  • For developers who use Claude Code for hours daily, this is exhausting and disruptive
  • It makes the preview feature feel like an afterthought on Windows
  • macOS does not have this problem — Windows users are getting a second-class experience

Expected Behavior

The dev server process should run in the background without spawning a visible terminal window. Server logs should be accessible through the existing integrated preview panel. This is standard behavior for any modern IDE or development tool — VS Code, WebStorm, and others all manage dev servers without forcing terminal windows on the user.

Steps to Reproduce

  1. Open Claude Code desktop on Windows
  2. Configure .claude/launch.json with any dev server
  3. Click "Ver prévia" (Preview) or call preview_start
  4. A terminal window appears and cannot be dismissed without killing the server

Environment

  • Windows 11 Pro 10.0.26200
  • Claude Code desktop (latest)
  • Any dev server (Next.js, Vite, etc.)

Request

Please prioritize this fix for Windows users. The preview feature is powerful but this terminal behavior makes it painful to use in practice. A background process or integrated terminal panel would solve this completely.

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