[BUG] Claude Code Desktop fails to Relaunch on Windows due to orphaned process file lock

I have the same experience after every update of the Claude desktop app.

<img width="357" height="132" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/edfff0e6-7d09-4f8e-9ec7-3c859a637973" />

I have the same problem now. It previously worked normally. Happened after I Relaunched the app from the update prompt.

<img width="356" height="126" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/331041e9-bb68-47ba-9968-a4424d4e203a" />

same issue for me -- after latest update

Seems Windows restart is the only solution atm

What seemed to fix it for me was using Claude Code in terminal. I've used it in two terminals to do some work, then tried opening the desktop app again and this time it worked.

same for me, as of yesterday

I've got the same issue and have for a while.

have the same issue. killed the .net host in task manager and now its working again

Yes, this is a regression. Has been happening for the past week.

1. Killing claude.exe instances doesn't help.
2. Killing cowork-svc.exe doesn't help

Only reboot has helped so far. This is bad. It'll make me avoid updates cause I'm not going to be rebooting every time this app pushes an update.

Joining the fun - same problem happening here.

have the same issue. killed the .net host in task manager and now its working again

I was running .net apps as well. likely a connection

Just updated to ver. 1.1348.0.0 and the relaunch worked

Also joining the party, same issue, really annoying, restart is the only thing that helps...

same here!

same here

same issue.. needs restart.

It looks like it's been resolved and is working as usual for the app version (not Claude Code): 1.1617.0.0

Adding details from #46179 — the specific process holding the lock is CoworkVMService (cowork-svc.exe).

Why it won't die: The service has StartupType = Automatic with auto-recovery. Even if the main app signals beforeQuitForUpdate, the service keeps running and auto-restarts if killed. It runs from inside the MSIX package folder (C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Claude_*\app\resources\cowork-svc.exe), so it holds a lock on the exact files the Store needs to replace.

Fix suggestion: The updater should call Stop-Service CoworkVMService (or equivalent via SCM API) before attempting package replacement, then restart it post-update. This is the standard pattern for MSIX apps with companion services.

Scope: This affects every Windows Store/MSIX user on every update. The workaround requires admin PowerShell (Stop-Service CoworkVMService -Force && Set-Service CoworkVMService -StartupType Disabled), which most users won't know to do.

Related: #46179, #45400 (closed as dup of this)

Same issue

Same problem

Adding details from #46179 — the specific process holding the lock is CoworkVMService (cowork-svc.exe). Why it won't die: The service has StartupType = Automatic with auto-recovery. Even if the main app signals beforeQuitForUpdate, the service keeps running and auto-restarts if killed. It runs from inside the MSIX package folder (C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Claude_*\app\resources\cowork-svc.exe), so it holds a lock on the exact files the Store needs to replace. Fix suggestion: The updater should call Stop-Service CoworkVMService (or equivalent via SCM API) before attempting package replacement, then restart it post-update. This is the standard pattern for MSIX apps with companion services. Scope: This affects every Windows Store/MSIX user on every update. The workaround requires admin PowerShell (Stop-Service CoworkVMService -Force && Set-Service CoworkVMService -StartupType Disabled), which most users won't know to do. Related: #46179, #45400 (closed as dup of this)

Even after setting this, it seems Claude sets the service to Automatic again and does the same behaviour.

Only way to resolve this issue, is to uninstall, reboot and then install again.

Killing node.js javascript runtime seemed to get it to work for me. Still happening with the latest version.

It looks like it's been resolved and is working as usual for the app version (not Claude Code): 1.1617.0.0

Haven't hit this as well on last update. Good!

latest update today did it again. I killed the Node.Js Process from task manager and that allowed me to open claude without a restart

latest update today did it again. I killed the Node.Js Process from task manager and that allowed me to open claude without a restart

Killing node worked for me as well

have the same issue. killed the .net host in task manager and now its working again

This worked! @Lewdcifer666 how did you know this was the culprit?

> have the same issue. killed the .net host in task manager and now its working again This worked! @Lewdcifer666 how did you know this was the culprit?

Just a wild guess. I opened task manager and saw this at the top of the list and thought hmm weird and killed it. Then the next update the same thing happened and i saw it again, killed it and yup sure enough that was the culprit, at least for me.

Also happened to me. I didn't have a .net host open, so there was nothing for me to kill on that front. I had a bunch of node.js, and killed all of them and that did not help at all. I was fine until today, but today is the second update I've had on windows 11. Was on windows 10 until yesterday. The first update on windows 11 restarted fine.

Confirming I have the same issue... this has been going on awhile. I reinstalled claude and lost my cowork and code chat histories in the dekstop app yesterday too which I didnt realize I would lose and was annoying. Super frustrating as now I dont want to update or have to restart everytime

In my case the problem was different:

winget install Microsoft.Sysinternals.Handle
handle.exe Claude

I saw that Claude was held by bun.exe and python.exe so I killed them both:

taskkill /IM bun.exe /F
SUCCESS: The process "bun.exe" with PID 36008 has been terminated.
SUCCESS: The process with PID 5212 has been terminated.
PS C:\Users\mirko> taskkill /IM python.exe /F
ERROR: The process "python.exe" not found.

And then Claude finally restarted.

This happens consistently on every IDE relaunch after updates 7/7 times. The orphaned process pattern is reproducible:
IDE update → shutdown → relaunch → file lock error.

Had the same issue also.

The fix that work for me is after getting the error:

1. Click "Ok" on the error window to close it.
2. Open task manager
3. Go to Services tab
4. Search for "claude"
5. Restart the CoworkVMServices,

In my case the problem was different: `` winget install Microsoft.Sysinternals.Handle handle.exe Claude ` I saw that Claude was held by bun.exe and python.exe so I killed them both: ` taskkill /IM bun.exe /F SUCCESS: The process "bun.exe" with PID 36008 has been terminated. SUCCESS: The process with PID 5212 has been terminated. PS C:\Users\mirko> taskkill /IM python.exe /F ERROR: The process "python.exe" not found. `` And then Claude finally restarted.

Same for me. Also, this "Handle" is very useful. Thanks!

Open task manager and Close these processes

Claude.exe
Bun.exe
Python.exe

then turn off CoworkVMServices on the services tab in tasks manager

Handle

Thank you! Installed and ran handle, and for me four git to be the culprit. Killed it and was back in business.

it seems that any process that Claude starts up while its running locks it. I have had these cause the issue:

Node.JS
Bun
Tail.exe
python

same here, and no amount of killing the process or .net or using powershell to stop the workspace process fixed it.

had to bring the entire machine to a full reboot.

absolutely not stoked. if this happens again i will uninstall and never reinstall this app.

there is no way a simple desktop app should ever ever require a restart to release a file lock. Completely broken design

This just happened to me after clicking the UPDATE button... lol

Same issue i killed everything still same cannot open claude its keep giving same error

This happened again after the latest update; no amount of killing processes or stopping services solves this, a full reboot is required.

Killing node.exe (instead of bun.exe) fixed this in my environment.
taskkill /IM node.exe /F

Note that I had been developing a Vite project using Claude Code on Claude Desktop application prior to upgrading. The development server (vite dev) invoked by the Claude Code in the background, may still have been running at that time, causing a file lock by node.exe.

Same thing has happened to me for the last couple updates. Only solution is a full reboot with a full re-install. It makes the updates more of an annoyance than a thing to look forward to.

same for me, but when i kill all node.js processes its started :D

Same here, happened twice today because ... two updates for some reason. I don't know why I keep pressing that Re-launch button, grrr!

Yep happened again, twice in a row. Two days in a row. Fresh install, too.

node.exe and bun.exe are not running. Force quitting the service or the running process also does nothing. It is actually seriously legitimately really truly broken

broken, nothing in this thread fixes it either.

Funny thing is, you could have used Mythos etc to fix it:

Cause
What we observed exactly was:

Claude downloaded the MSIX update, then logged beforeQuitForUpdate handler fired.
Windows AppX logs showed the update had been deferred while Claude was still running.
On relaunch, Windows repeatedly logged AppModel Runtime errors 208 and 215 with 0x80070020, which is a sharing violation: Windows could not create the new Claude Desktop AppX container.
At the same time, Windows was auto-installing and starting Claude’s packaged CoworkVMService from ...\app\resources\cowork-svc.exe as LocalSystem.
The strongest conclusion from the logs is that the glitch was in Claude’s cowork / local-agent VM subsystem, not the main Electron shell. A stale packaged service/runtime state survived the MSIX update boundary, so the new package could not relaunch until that state was cleared. Rebooting fixed it because reboot forcibly tears down that service/VM state; our repair script now does the same thing surgically.

Here's a powershell script. Needs elevated permissions.

repair_claude_update.txt

Spun right back up for me. It's a modern software miracle. No reboot needed

Here's a reliable workaround using Sysinternals handle.exe to identify and kill only the processes actually holding a lock on Claude — without nuking unrelated Node/Python processes you may have running for development work.

1. Install handle.exe (one-time)

winget install Microsoft.Sysinternals.Handle

After install, open a new PowerShell window so handle.exe is on your PATH. The first time you run it, accept the Sysinternals EULA:

handle.exe -accepteula

2. Diagnose (optional, to see what's actually holding the lock)

handle.exe Claude

This lists every process with an open handle matching Claude. In my case it was bun.exe (MCP server runtime) — yours may be node.exe, python.exe, uv.exe, etc. depending on which MCP servers you've configured.

3. Run this PowerShell snippet to surgically kill only the lock holders

# Parse handle.exe output to kill only processes holding Claude locks
handle.exe -nobanner Claude | Select-String 'pid:\s*(\d+)' | ForEach-Object {
    $targetPid = $_.Matches[0].Groups[1].Value
    Write-Host "Killing PID $targetPid"
    Stop-Process -Id $targetPid -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
}

Important: use $targetPid (or any other name) rather than $pid — $pid is an automatic PowerShell variable holding the current shell's PID and is read-only; assigning to it throws an error.

After the snippet finishes, Claude Desktop launches normally.

Why this fixes it

• handle.exe Claude enumerates every process in the system with a handle whose name contains Claude — i.e., the exact processes blocking the executable.
• Parsing the pid: field and piping to Stop-Process -Force terminates only those PIDs, leaving the rest of your environment intact. This matters if you're a developer with Node/Python/Bun processes running for unrelated work (dev servers, watchers, etc.) — a blanket taskkill /IM node.exe /F would take those down too.
• Because the handles are released, the next Claude launch no longer hits the file lock and the MSIX loader can open the executable normally.

Permanent-ish convenience

Save the snippet as Restart-Claude.ps1 and create a shortcut that runs:

powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "C:\path\to\Restart-Claude.ps1"

Until the underlying child-process-cleanup bug is fixed upstream, this is a clean, non-destructive recovery path.

+1, ongoing. workarounds are not valid long term.

Here's a reliable workaround using Sysinternals handle.exe to identify and kill only the processes actually holding a lock on Claude — without nuking unrelated Node/Python processes you may have running for development work. ### 1. Install handle.exe (one-time) winget install Microsoft.Sysinternals.Handle After install, open a new PowerShell window so handle.exe is on your PATH. The first time you run it, accept the Sysinternals EULA: handle.exe -accepteula ### 2. Diagnose (optional, to see what's actually holding the lock) handle.exe Claude This lists every process with an open handle matching Claude. In my case it was bun.exe (MCP server runtime) — yours may be node.exe, python.exe, uv.exe, etc. depending on which MCP servers you've configured. ### 3. Run this PowerShell snippet to surgically kill only the lock holders # Parse handle.exe output to kill only processes holding Claude locks handle.exe -nobanner Claude | Select-String 'pid:\s(\d+)' | ForEach-Object { $targetPid = $_.Matches[0].Groups[1].Value Write-Host "Killing PID $targetPid" Stop-Process -Id $targetPid -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue } Important: use $targetPid (or any other name) rather than $pid — $pid is an automatic PowerShell variable holding the current shell's PID and is read-only; assigning to it throws an error. After the snippet finishes, Claude Desktop launches normally. ### Why this fixes it handle.exe Claude enumerates every process in the system with a handle whose name contains Claude — i.e., the exact processes blocking the executable. Parsing the pid: field and piping to Stop-Process -Force terminates only those PIDs, leaving the rest of your environment intact. This matters if you're a developer with Node/Python/Bun processes running for unrelated work (dev servers, watchers, etc.) — a blanket taskkill /IM node.exe /F would take those down too. Because the handles are released, the next Claude launch no longer hits the file lock and the MSIX loader can open the executable normally. ### Permanent-ish convenience Save the snippet as Restart-Claude.ps1 and create a shortcut that runs: `` powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "C:\path\to\Restart-Claude.ps1" `` Until the underlying child-process-cleanup bug is fixed upstream, this is a clean, non-destructive recovery path.

Doesn't work for me. For me it wasn't a stray bun.exe/node.exe/python.exe process literally holding some open handle on a claude path.

What was (and continues to be) required in my case was:

explicitly stopping the packaged service
rotating stale runtime state like vm_bundles and ChromeNativeHost
validating the config JSON
preserving and not disturbing Claude Code session stores

so yeah, the caveat is that "handle.exe Claude" matches stuff with names containing Claude, which is useful in some cases maybe, but not perfect and didn't solve my problem. It missed the real cause for me b/c the problematic lock is indirect and service-managed, i.e. not exposed under a path name that matches the search string with simple process kills.

The auto-updater is not properly scanning for lock handles before initiating application relaunch.
I had processes that Claude spawned that were running from the Claude package folder.

1. Start Resource Monitor (resmon from RUN)
2. Go to CPU tab
3. Search for Claude in Associated Handles
4. Find and kill ELIGIBLE child processes.
5. Start Claude once done.

<img width="1207" height="912" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/dd99c63e-0ce1-4423-a55f-d174f113e683" />

Having the same problem, non of the temp fixes shared here fixed it for me

I hear you but this shouldn't be happening to begin with. I get a lot of
workarounds but I want a real fix pushed to Claude lol

All the best,

Shaya Kutnowski

On Wed, Apr 22, 2026, 6:43 p.m. Atoki @.***> wrote:

carterlist left a comment (anthropics/claude-code#42776) <https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/42776#issuecomment-4297669828> The auto-updater is not properly scanning for lock handles before initiating application relaunch. I had processes that Claude spawned that were running from the Claude package folder. 1. Start Resource Monitor (resmon from RUN) 2. Go to CPU tab 3. Search for Claude in Associated Handles 4. Find and kill ELIGIBLE child processes. 5. Start Claude once done. image.png (view on web) <https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/dd99c63e-0ce1-4423-a55f-d174f113e683> — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/42776?email_source=notifications&email_token=ABHZPPW76VMXUYREOMUSCID4XDSDPA5CNFSNUABFM5UWIORPF5TWS5BNNB2WEL2JONZXKZKDN5WW2ZLOOQXTIMRZG43DMOJYGI4KM4TFMFZW63VHMNXW23LFNZ2KKZLWMVXHJLDGN5XXIZLSL5RWY2LDNM#issuecomment-4297669828>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ABHZPPVO3HFXBTZAZCV2FN34XDSDPAVCNFSM6AAAAACXLA33VSVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHM2DEOJXGY3DSOBSHA> . You are receiving this because you commented.Message ID: @.***>

Claude is the most popular vibe-coded app in the world. Brace yourselves for more bugs and security issues. It's practically inevitable.

<img width="352" height="125" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/c4b18147-3bfd-425a-9593-23004ac64e7f" />

please fix this already!

In my cases, it was handles on Claude being held open by Rider and PyCharm that was causing me issues and a cowork.exe that had some file handle open to ProgramData/Claude/Logs/cowork-service.log. Killed them and Claude then started

Tried everything in this thread, only a full reboot helps.

Killing node processes worked for me. I'm not sure which one was causing the issue, but after clearing them I was able to reopen Claude Desktop. I even did another update right after that and it worked fine.

Tried everything, only a full reboot helps.
I was not even able to re-install.

After installation, Windows Apps showed version 1.5354.0.0 under C:\Program Files\WindowsApps, and that directory appeared to be locked.

Before rebooting, I also tried updating Git as well.
The Git installer reported that tail.exe and grep.exe were blocking the installation.
I manually ended both processes in Task Manager, and Git then installed successfully.

This made me suspect that Claude Code may have been holding these tools open,
since I mainly use Claude Code through Claude Desktop App.
After that, I tried opening Claude Desktop App again,
and the previous “Another program is currently using the file.” error disappeared.
Claude Desktop App now opens successfully.

The displayed version is 1.5354.0 (9A9E3D) in app,
matching the locked Windows Apps' version.

Hope this may help with debugging.

from @LehiThomas ...

Killing node processes worked for me. I'm not sure which one was causing the issue, but after clearing them I was able to reopen Claude Desktop. I even did another update right after that and it worked fine.

100% worked for me as well, thanks for calling that out

It can be a variety of processed that keep it locked out. I've had to kill one or more of the following-

dotnet
cowork-*
cmd
python
node

full reboot always works as a last resort.

Full reboot is my first resort I don't have 30+ mins to troubleshoot why
stuff doesn't work. 😂

All the best,

Shaya Kutnowski

On Wed, Apr 29, 2026, 4:48 p.m. setiri @.***> wrote:

setiri left a comment (anthropics/claude-code#42776) <https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/42776#issuecomment-4344336352> It can be a variety of processed that keep it locked out. I've had to kill one or more of the following- dotnet cowork- cmd python node full reboot always works as a last resort. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/42776#issuecomment-4344336352>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ABHZPPXQASU5RKJKTHUZR634YIB35AVCNFSM6AAAAACXLA33VSVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHM2DGNBUGMZTMMZVGI> . Triage notifications on the go with GitHub Mobile for iOS <https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1477376905?ct=notification-email&mt=8&pt=524675> or Android <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.github.android&referrer=utm_campaign%3Dnotification-email%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Dgithub>. You are receiving this because you commented.Message ID: @.**>

Git

have the same problem when updating git for windows, while having Claude Code on.

After installation, Windows Apps showed version 1.5354.0.0 under C:\Program Files\WindowsApps, and that directory appeared to be locked. Before rebooting, I also tried updating Git as well. The Git installer reported that tail.exe and grep.exe were blocking the installation. I manually ended both processes in Task Manager, and Git then installed successfully. This made me suspect that Claude Code may have been holding these tools open, since I mainly use Claude Code through Claude Desktop App. After that, I tried opening Claude Desktop App again, and the previous “Another program is currently using the file.” error disappeared. Claude Desktop App now opens successfully. The displayed version is 1.5354.0 (9A9E3D) in app, matching the locked Windows Apps' version. Hope this may help with debugging.

Finally! I have looked into this so many times, and never found an answer, but THIS was it for me!

tail.exe - killing this from the Task Manager fixed it for me! 🙏

Can confirm - tail.exe hangs (many, many copies), killing all one by one fixes the issue.

confirming here too, I had a single tail process running, and killing it fixed it.

What is the tail.exe process anyway?

All the best,

Shaya Kutnowski

On Thu, May 7, 2026, 9:13 p.m. Thomas Zarebczan @.***>
wrote:

tzarebczan left a comment (anthropics/claude-code#42776) <https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/42776#issuecomment-4399856859> confirming here too, I had a single tail process running, and killing it fixed it. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/42776#issuecomment-4399856859>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ABHZPPVX4LABYNUB64V46OL4ZTG5FAVCNFSM6AAAAACXLA33VSVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHM2DGOJZHA2TMOBVHE> . You are receiving this because you commented.Message ID: @.***>

What is the tail.exe process anyway? All the best, Shaya Kutnowski On Thu, May 7, 2026, 9:13 p.m. Thomas Zarebczan @.***> wrote: > tzarebczan left a comment (anthropics/claude-code#42776) > <https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/42776#issuecomment-4399856859> > > confirming here too, I had a single tail process running, and killing it > fixed it. > > — > Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub > <https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/42776#issuecomment-4399856859>, > or unsubscribe > <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ABHZPPVX4LABYNUB64V46OL4ZTG5FAVCNFSM6AAAAACXLA33VSVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHM2DGOJZHA2TMOBVHE> > . > You are receiving this because you commented.Message ID: > @.***> >

The Linux equivalent of tail, which basically reads some lines from a file. Claude runs it internally to work with your files.

> What is the tail.exe process anyway? > All the best, > Shaya Kutnowski > On Thu, May 7, 2026, 9:13 p.m. Thomas Zarebczan _@_.> > wrote: > > _tzarebczan_ left a comment (#42776) > > #42776 (comment) > > confirming here too, I had a single tail process running, and killing it > > fixed it. > > — > > Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub > > #42776 (comment), > > or unsubscribe > > https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ABHZPPVX4LABYNUB64V46OL4ZTG5FAVCNFSM6AAAAACXLA33VSVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHM2DGOJZHA2TMOBVHE > > . > > You are receiving this because you commented.Message ID: > > _@_.> The Linux equivalent of tail, which basically reads some lines from a file. Claude runs it internally to work with your files.

Doesn't work on my side. I don't have tail.exe and never run claude on Windows for coding task. Only for chat. My coding tasks are all in WSL.

But still, relaunching will fail...

> After installation, Windows Apps showed version 1.5354.0.0 under C:\Program Files\WindowsApps, and that directory appeared to be locked. > > Before rebooting, I also tried updating Git as well. The Git installer reported that tail.exe and grep.exe were blocking the installation. I manually ended both processes in Task Manager, and Git then installed successfully. > > This made me suspect that Claude Code may have been holding these tools open, since I mainly use Claude Code through Claude Desktop App. After that, I tried opening Claude Desktop App again, and the previous “Another program is currently using the file.” error disappeared. Claude Desktop App now opens successfully. > > The displayed version is 1.5354.0 (9A9E3D) in app, matching the locked Windows Apps' version. > > Hope this may help with debugging. Finally! I have looked into this so many times, and never found an answer, but THIS was it for me! tail.exe - killing this from the Task Manager fixed it for me! 🙏

Killing 108!! tail processes spawned by cowork fixed it for me too.
Get-Process -Name "tail" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Stop-Process -Force

Cross-linking with #49655. I reproduced the same Windows Another program is currently using this file behavior and confirmed that the lock can come from processes running under C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Claude_*.

A working no-reboot workaround was posted here: https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/49655#issuecomment-4498317708

Key point: stopping CoworkVMService alone may not be enough if claude.exe has relaunched; terminate all claude.exe processes whose executable path is under C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Claude_*, then retry the update/relaunch.

I have hesitation every time the update prompt comes up in the Claude app because of previous disastrous updates. Now mine is doing the same as yours.

I don't want to restart just yet before I've captured all the Claude files, and I'll have to wait until some active processes have finished on the GPU before trying to restart the computer. I lost a lot of work a few updates ago, and I am keen not to repeat the experience.

claude-cowork-install-now-fix.zip

Use my bat.

Solution here
https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/42776#issuecomment-4413702296

Small Python workaround that automates the manual handle.exe → taskkill dance on Windows. Wraps Sysinternals handle.exe, parses PIDs from its output, and runs taskkill (graceful, then /F) on each. Skips its own PID and the parent shell so it can't kill the terminal that launched it. Requires Sysinternals handle.exe (from sysinternals.com) on PATH, or pass --handle <full path>.

python kill_claude_handles.py # one pass, default search "Claude"
python kill_claude_handles.py --dry-run # list matches, don't kill
python kill_claude_handles.py --loop # re-scan until clear (capped at 5 at the moment)

Not a root-cause fix - it just saves the manual handle-hunt while the underlying leak gets sorted out by Anthropic.

kill_claude_handles.py

1 shot solution in Windows PS/Terminal here https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/49655#issuecomment-4510576757

What seemed to fix it for me was using Claude Code in terminal. I've used it in two terminals to do some work, then tried opening the desktop app again and this time it worked.

thx for this hint
this one worked also for me: open the cmd, start claude, close it, open the app and it runs again

Still happening for me.

Use:
Stop-Service -Name "CoworkVMService" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue; taskkill /f /im "claude.exe" /im "node.exe" /im "git.exe" /im "grep.exe" /im "tail.exe" /im "bun.exe" /im "ssh.exe" /t; Start-Service -Name "CoworkVMService" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

I'm seeing this too with every update for past several weeks.

same on my side on windows home

Confirming this is still happening on the current build - same orphaned-process file lock.

Environment

• OS: Windows 11 Home 10.0.26200
• Package: Claude_1.11847.5.0_x64__pzs8sxrjxfjjc (MSIX, Microsoft Store install)

Symptom: After an update, the previous version under C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Claude_<version>_... stays locked and Windows shows "Another program is currently using this file." Background Claude processes survive after the main window is closed and keep file handles open, so MSIX cannot replace/remove the old package.

The only reliable fix I have found is a full machine reboot. Manually killing the leftover processes works too, but a typical user will not know to do that, and having to reboot on every update is a rough experience.

Seconding the fix direction in this thread and the related reports (#45489, #46200, #41743): on quit/update the app should terminate all of its helper/background processes (the single-instance lock holder, chrome-native-host.exe, GPU/renderer helpers) so the MSIX package can be swapped without a reboot.

Same here, simplest fix is the poweshell one someone posted above:
Get-Process -Name "tail" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Stop-Process -Force

Tried re-installing claude app and this the log file related to this error:

2026/06/13 23:19:17.061501 Log file: C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\ClaudeSetup.log
2026/06/13 23:19:17.062035 === Claude Setup 3df4fd263723119bc45f0af2d784afd5055e2ba9 started ===
2026/06/13 23:19:17.063082 AllowAllTrustedApps not found (sideloading assumed enabled): The system cannot find the file specified.
2026/06/13 23:19:17.063082 Windows edition: Professional
2026/06/13 23:19:17.063608 WARNING: CoworkVMService already exists (potential conflict)
2026/06/13 23:19:17.063608 Windows version: 10.0.26100
2026/06/13 23:19:17.063608 Native arch: x64
2026/06/13 23:19:17.063608 Elevation type: Limited
2026/06/13 23:19:17.063608 Is elevated: false
2026/06/13 23:19:17.063608 Sideloading enabled: true
2026/06/13 23:19:17.063608 S Mode: false
2026/06/13 23:19:17.063608 Conflicting service: true
2026/06/13 23:19:17.063608 Running in non-elevated context
2026/06/13 23:19:17.063608 User can elevate — installing MSIX directly
2026/06/13 23:19:17.083415 Splash: 400x300, 8 frame(s), animated=true
2026/06/13 23:19:17.083415 System DPI: 96 (scale: 100%)
2026/06/13 23:19:17.125804 MSIX URL: https://api.anthropic.com/api/desktop/win32/x64/msix/latest/redirect
2026/06/13 23:19:17.126312 Downloading MSIX to C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\Claude-3627407367.msix
2026/06/13 23:19:17.134224 proxy: WinHttpGetProxyForUrl("https://api.anthropic.com/api/desktop/win32/x64/msix/latest/redirect"): winapi error #12180
2026/06/13 23:19:17.284040 proxy: WinHttpGetProxyForUrl("https://downloads.claude.ai/releases/win32/x64/1.12603.1/Claude-3df4fd263723119bc45f0af2d784afd5055e2ba9.msix"): winapi error #12180
2026/06/13 23:19:17.723089 Download progress: 10% (23084880 / 230697820 bytes)
2026/06/13 23:19:17.991599 Download progress: 20% (46153376 / 230697820 bytes)
2026/06/13 23:19:18.260724 Download progress: 30% (69221872 / 230697820 bytes)
2026/06/13 23:19:18.530220 Download progress: 40% (92290368 / 230697820 bytes)
2026/06/13 23:19:18.787269 Download progress: 50% (115358864 / 230697820 bytes)
2026/06/13 23:19:19.062924 Download progress: 60% (138427360 / 230697820 bytes)
2026/06/13 23:19:19.337811 Download progress: 70% (161495856 / 230697820 bytes)
2026/06/13 23:19:19.612873 Download progress: 80% (184564352 / 230697820 bytes)
2026/06/13 23:19:19.846375 Download progress: 90% (207649232 / 230697820 bytes)
2026/06/13 23:19:20.099438 Download progress: 100% (230697820 / 230697820 bytes)
2026/06/13 23:19:20.099960 Download complete: 230697820 bytes, SHA256: 01777d6e38533e2b7a7454d21a65b23fb1264d8f5957613c6f44d5bc34b42f37
2026/06/13 23:19:20.100991 Download complete
2026/06/13 23:19:20.115564 Self-elevating: C:\Users\admin\Downloads\Claude Setup (1).exe --elevated --msix-path "C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\Claude-3627407367.msix" --log-path "C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\ClaudeSetup.log"
2026/06/13 23:19:21.342393 Waiting for elevated process to complete...
2026/06/13 23:19:21.353202 Log file: C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\ClaudeSetup.log
2026/06/13 23:19:21.353714 === Claude Setup 3df4fd263723119bc45f0af2d784afd5055e2ba9 started ===
2026/06/13 23:19:21.354242 AllowAllTrustedApps not found (sideloading assumed enabled): The system cannot find the file specified.
2026/06/13 23:19:21.354766 Windows edition: Professional
2026/06/13 23:19:21.355284 WARNING: CoworkVMService already exists (potential conflict)
2026/06/13 23:19:21.355284 Windows version: 10.0.26100
2026/06/13 23:19:21.355284 Native arch: x64
2026/06/13 23:19:21.355284 Elevation type: Full
2026/06/13 23:19:21.355284 Is elevated: true
2026/06/13 23:19:21.355284 Sideloading enabled: true
2026/06/13 23:19:21.355284 S Mode: false
2026/06/13 23:19:21.355284 Conflicting service: true
2026/06/13 23:19:21.355284 Running in elevated context
2026/06/13 23:19:21.355284 Installing MSIX from C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\Claude-3627407367.msix (all-users: false)
2026/06/13 23:19:21.375925 Splash: 400x300, 8 frame(s), animated=true
2026/06/13 23:19:21.376452 System DPI: 96 (scale: 100%)
2026/06/13 23:19:21.408103 Verifying Authenticode signature on C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\Claude-3627407367.msix
2026/06/13 23:19:21.963327 WinVerifyTrust: MSIX signature is valid
2026/06/13 23:19:22.209254 Signature verified: MSIX signer matches bootstrapper
2026/06/13 23:19:22.209761 Extracted family name from MSIX manifest: Claude_pzs8sxrjxfjjc
2026/06/13 23:19:22.209761 Squirrel process prefix: c:\users\admin\appdata\local\anthropicclaude\
2026/06/13 23:19:22.209761 Checking for running Squirrel Claude processes...
2026/06/13 23:19:22.238053 No Squirrel Claude processes found
2026/06/13 23:19:22.238561 Removing conflicting CoworkVMService...
2026/06/13 23:19:22.238561 WARNING: failed to remove conflicting service: could not open CoworkVMService: Access is denied.
2026/06/13 23:19:22.238561 Checking for existing Claude MSIX packages...
2026/06/13 23:19:22.247560 Removing: Claude_1.11847.5.0_x64__pzs8sxrjxfjjc
2026/06/13 23:19:22.501829 WARNING: Remove failed for Claude_1.11847.5.0_x64__pzs8sxrjxfjjc: RemovePackage failed with HRESULT 0x80073CFA
2026/06/13 23:19:22.501829 Removing: Claude_1.12603.1.0_x64__pzs8sxrjxfjjc
2026/06/13 23:19:22.505021 WARNING: Remove failed for Claude_1.12603.1.0_x64__pzs8sxrjxfjjc: RemovePackage failed with HRESULT 0x80073CFA
2026/06/13 23:19:22.512904 Removing (user): Claude_1.11847.5.0_x64__pzs8sxrjxfjjc
2026/06/13 23:19:22.515002 WARNING: Remove failed for Claude_1.11847.5.0_x64__pzs8sxrjxfjjc: RemovePackage failed with HRESULT 0x80073CFA
2026/06/13 23:19:22.515002 Installing MSIX: C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\Claude-3627407367.msix
2026/06/13 23:19:22.515002 Standard install (not split-account), using AddPackage
2026/06/13 23:19:22.515002 Installing via AddPackage (current-user)...
2026/06/13 23:19:54.015282 MSIX package installed successfully
2026/06/13 23:19:54.015282 No Squirrel installation found, skipping uninstall
2026/06/13 23:19:54.019517 MSIX installation succeeded
2026/06/13 23:19:54.036146 Launching Claude...
2026/06/13 23:19:54.036898 Launching Claude via explorer.exe shell:AppsFolder\Claude_pzs8sxrjxfjjc!Claude
2026/06/13 23:19:54.047646 === Claude Setup completed successfully ===
2026/06/13 23:19:54.061247 Elevated process exited with code 0
2026/06/17 00:02:59.216480 Log file: C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\ClaudeSetup.log
2026/06/17 00:02:59.217509 === Claude Setup 3df4fd263723119bc45f0af2d784afd5055e2ba9 started ===
2026/06/17 00:02:59.218021 AllowAllTrustedApps not found (sideloading assumed enabled): The system cannot find the file specified.
2026/06/17 00:02:59.218545 Windows edition: Professional
2026/06/17 00:02:59.219061 WARNING: CoworkVMService already exists (potential conflict)
2026/06/17 00:02:59.219061 Windows version: 10.0.26100
2026/06/17 00:02:59.219061 Native arch: x64
2026/06/17 00:02:59.219061 Elevation type: Limited
2026/06/17 00:02:59.219061 Is elevated: false
2026/06/17 00:02:59.219061 Sideloading enabled: true
2026/06/17 00:02:59.219061 S Mode: false
2026/06/17 00:02:59.219061 Conflicting service: true
2026/06/17 00:02:59.219061 Running in non-elevated context
2026/06/17 00:02:59.219061 User can elevate — installing MSIX directly
2026/06/17 00:02:59.240027 Splash: 400x300, 8 frame(s), animated=true
2026/06/17 00:02:59.240027 System DPI: 96 (scale: 100%)
2026/06/17 00:02:59.281427 MSIX URL: https://api.anthropic.com/api/desktop/win32/x64/msix/latest/redirect
2026/06/17 00:02:59.281949 Downloading MSIX to C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\Claude-982980574.msix
2026/06/17 00:02:59.290763 proxy: WinHttpGetProxyForUrl("https://api.anthropic.com/api/desktop/win32/x64/msix/latest/redirect"): winapi error #12180
2026/06/17 00:02:59.456762 proxy: WinHttpGetProxyForUrl("https://downloads.claude.ai/releases/win32/x64/1.13576.0/Claude-1290fc2ef5fd27a3883b74505e0ff917413d6832.msix"): winapi error #12180
2026/06/17 00:02:59.889341 Download progress: 10% (23281488 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:03:00.159031 Download progress: 20% (46562976 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:03:00.428829 Download progress: 30% (69844464 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:03:00.699827 Download progress: 40% (93125952 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:03:00.941209 Download progress: 50% (116423952 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:03:01.138137 Download progress: 60% (139689120 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:03:01.334971 Download progress: 70% (162970896 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:03:01.532560 Download progress: 80% (186268832 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:03:01.729522 Download progress: 90% (209534224 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:03:01.926221 Download progress: 100% (232800403 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:03:01.926915 Download complete: 232800403 bytes, SHA256: 36bc69e5dcfdc67959057f9db5427cf4aba2d360808988537c07f68237e2e21a
2026/06/17 00:03:01.927434 Download complete
2026/06/17 00:03:01.940285 Self-elevating: C:\Users\admin\Downloads\Claude Setup (1).exe --elevated --msix-path "C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\Claude-982980574.msix" --log-path "C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\ClaudeSetup.log"
2026/06/17 00:03:03.405542 Waiting for elevated process to complete...
2026/06/17 00:03:03.417760 Log file: C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\ClaudeSetup.log
2026/06/17 00:03:03.417760 === Claude Setup 3df4fd263723119bc45f0af2d784afd5055e2ba9 started ===
2026/06/17 00:03:03.418793 AllowAllTrustedApps not found (sideloading assumed enabled): The system cannot find the file specified.
2026/06/17 00:03:03.418793 Windows edition: Professional
2026/06/17 00:03:03.419324 WARNING: CoworkVMService already exists (potential conflict)
2026/06/17 00:03:03.419324 Windows version: 10.0.26100
2026/06/17 00:03:03.419324 Native arch: x64
2026/06/17 00:03:03.419324 Elevation type: Full
2026/06/17 00:03:03.419324 Is elevated: true
2026/06/17 00:03:03.419324 Sideloading enabled: true
2026/06/17 00:03:03.419324 S Mode: false
2026/06/17 00:03:03.419324 Conflicting service: true
2026/06/17 00:03:03.419324 Running in elevated context
2026/06/17 00:03:03.419324 Installing MSIX from C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\Claude-982980574.msix (all-users: false)
2026/06/17 00:03:03.439509 Splash: 400x300, 8 frame(s), animated=true
2026/06/17 00:03:03.439509 System DPI: 96 (scale: 100%)
2026/06/17 00:03:03.471602 Verifying Authenticode signature on C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\Claude-982980574.msix
2026/06/17 00:03:04.001958 WinVerifyTrust: MSIX signature is valid
2026/06/17 00:03:04.258598 Signature verified: MSIX signer matches bootstrapper
2026/06/17 00:03:04.259628 Extracted family name from MSIX manifest: Claude_pzs8sxrjxfjjc
2026/06/17 00:03:04.259628 Squirrel process prefix: c:\users\admin\appdata\local\anthropicclaude\
2026/06/17 00:03:04.259628 Checking for running Squirrel Claude processes...
2026/06/17 00:03:04.285700 No Squirrel Claude processes found
2026/06/17 00:03:04.285700 Removing conflicting CoworkVMService...
2026/06/17 00:03:04.285700 WARNING: failed to remove conflicting service: could not open CoworkVMService: Access is denied.
2026/06/17 00:03:04.285700 Checking for existing Claude MSIX packages...
2026/06/17 00:03:04.295548 Removing: Claude_1.13576.0.0_x64__pzs8sxrjxfjjc
2026/06/17 00:03:04.299668 WARNING: Remove failed for Claude_1.13576.0.0_x64__pzs8sxrjxfjjc: RemovePackage failed with HRESULT 0x80073CFA
2026/06/17 00:03:04.306963 Removing (user): Claude_1.13576.0.0_x64__pzs8sxrjxfjjc
2026/06/17 00:03:04.309735 WARNING: Remove failed for Claude_1.13576.0.0_x64__pzs8sxrjxfjjc: RemovePackage failed with HRESULT 0x80073CFA
2026/06/17 00:03:04.309735 Installing MSIX: C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\Claude-982980574.msix
2026/06/17 00:03:04.309735 Standard install (not split-account), using AddPackage
2026/06/17 00:03:04.309735 Installing via AddPackage (current-user)...
2026/06/17 00:03:04.810120 MSIX package installed successfully
2026/06/17 00:03:04.810120 No Squirrel installation found, skipping uninstall
2026/06/17 00:03:04.823926 MSIX installation succeeded
2026/06/17 00:03:04.841887 Launching Claude...
2026/06/17 00:03:04.842736 Launching Claude via explorer.exe shell:AppsFolder\Claude_pzs8sxrjxfjjc!Claude
2026/06/17 00:03:04.849900 === Claude Setup completed successfully ===
2026/06/17 00:03:04.859693 Elevated process exited with code 0
2026/06/17 00:05:36.852372 Log file: C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\ClaudeSetup.log
2026/06/17 00:05:36.852895 === Claude Setup 3df4fd263723119bc45f0af2d784afd5055e2ba9 started ===
2026/06/17 00:05:36.853419 AllowAllTrustedApps not found (sideloading assumed enabled): The system cannot find the file specified.
2026/06/17 00:05:36.853948 Windows edition: Professional
2026/06/17 00:05:36.853948 Windows version: 10.0.26100
2026/06/17 00:05:36.854474 Native arch: x64
2026/06/17 00:05:36.854474 Elevation type: Limited
2026/06/17 00:05:36.854474 Is elevated: false
2026/06/17 00:05:36.854474 Sideloading enabled: true
2026/06/17 00:05:36.854474 S Mode: false
2026/06/17 00:05:36.854474 Conflicting service: false
2026/06/17 00:05:36.854474 Running in non-elevated context
2026/06/17 00:05:36.854474 User can elevate — installing MSIX directly
2026/06/17 00:05:36.873267 Splash: 400x300, 8 frame(s), animated=true
2026/06/17 00:05:36.873792 System DPI: 96 (scale: 100%)
2026/06/17 00:05:36.909208 MSIX URL: https://api.anthropic.com/api/desktop/win32/x64/msix/latest/redirect
2026/06/17 00:05:36.909884 Downloading MSIX to C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\Claude-3522112062.msix
2026/06/17 00:05:36.919301 proxy: WinHttpGetProxyForUrl("https://api.anthropic.com/api/desktop/win32/x64/msix/latest/redirect"): winapi error #12180
2026/06/17 00:05:37.088305 proxy: WinHttpGetProxyForUrl("https://downloads.claude.ai/releases/win32/x64/1.13576.0/Claude-1290fc2ef5fd27a3883b74505e0ff917413d6832.msix"): winapi error #12180
2026/06/17 00:05:37.530207 Download progress: 10% (23281488 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:05:37.804079 Download progress: 20% (46562976 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:05:38.078451 Download progress: 30% (69860848 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:05:38.351879 Download progress: 40% (93125952 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:05:38.562492 Download progress: 50% (116423856 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:05:38.759051 Download progress: 60% (139689024 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:05:38.956844 Download progress: 70% (162986896 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:05:39.153305 Download progress: 80% (186251392 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:05:39.350725 Download progress: 90% (209549232 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:05:39.547568 Download progress: 100% (232800403 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:05:39.548088 Download complete: 232800403 bytes, SHA256: 36bc69e5dcfdc67959057f9db5427cf4aba2d360808988537c07f68237e2e21a
2026/06/17 00:05:39.549124 Download complete
2026/06/17 00:05:39.561608 Self-elevating: C:\Users\admin\Downloads\Claude Setup (1).exe --elevated --msix-path "C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\Claude-3522112062.msix" --log-path "C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\ClaudeSetup.log"
2026/06/17 00:05:40.716629 Waiting for elevated process to complete...
2026/06/17 00:05:40.730434 Log file: C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\ClaudeSetup.log
2026/06/17 00:05:40.730955 === Claude Setup 3df4fd263723119bc45f0af2d784afd5055e2ba9 started ===
2026/06/17 00:05:40.731475 AllowAllTrustedApps not found (sideloading assumed enabled): The system cannot find the file specified.
2026/06/17 00:05:40.732190 Windows edition: Professional
2026/06/17 00:05:40.732714 Windows version: 10.0.26100
2026/06/17 00:05:40.732714 Native arch: x64
2026/06/17 00:05:40.732714 Elevation type: Full
2026/06/17 00:05:40.732714 Is elevated: true
2026/06/17 00:05:40.732714 Sideloading enabled: true
2026/06/17 00:05:40.732714 S Mode: false
2026/06/17 00:05:40.732714 Conflicting service: false
2026/06/17 00:05:40.732714 Running in elevated context
2026/06/17 00:05:40.732714 Installing MSIX from C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\Claude-3522112062.msix (all-users: false)
2026/06/17 00:05:40.752660 Splash: 400x300, 8 frame(s), animated=true
2026/06/17 00:05:40.752660 System DPI: 96 (scale: 100%)
2026/06/17 00:05:40.792572 Verifying Authenticode signature on C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\Claude-3522112062.msix
2026/06/17 00:05:41.330723 WinVerifyTrust: MSIX signature is valid
2026/06/17 00:05:41.572802 Signature verified: MSIX signer matches bootstrapper
2026/06/17 00:05:41.573821 Extracted family name from MSIX manifest: Claude_pzs8sxrjxfjjc
2026/06/17 00:05:41.573821 Squirrel process prefix: c:\users\admin\appdata\local\anthropicclaude\
2026/06/17 00:05:41.573821 Checking for running Squirrel Claude processes...
2026/06/17 00:05:41.599459 No Squirrel Claude processes found
2026/06/17 00:05:41.599459 Checking for existing Claude MSIX packages...
2026/06/17 00:05:41.618959 Installing MSIX: C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\Claude-3522112062.msix
2026/06/17 00:05:41.618959 Standard install (not split-account), using AddPackage
2026/06/17 00:05:41.618959 Installing via AddPackage (current-user)...
2026/06/17 00:06:03.873048 MSIX installation failed: AddPackage failed: AddPackage failed with HRESULT 0x80073CF6
2026/06/17 00:06:03.873048 ERROR dialog (opening log): Installation failed: AddPackage failed: AddPackage failed with HRESULT 0x80073CF6

Please share this log with us.
2026/06/17 00:06:28.342809 Elevated process exited with code 1
2026/06/17 00:06:28.342809 Elevation failed: elevated installer exited with code 1
2026/06/17 00:06:28.342809 ERROR dialog (with log path): Administrator access is required to install Claude with full features. You can try again or install without Cowork.
2026/06/17 00:07:01.063837 Log file: C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\ClaudeSetup.log
2026/06/17 00:07:01.064357 === Claude Setup 3df4fd263723119bc45f0af2d784afd5055e2ba9 started ===
2026/06/17 00:07:01.065401 AllowAllTrustedApps not found (sideloading assumed enabled): The system cannot find the file specified.
2026/06/17 00:07:01.065401 Windows edition: Professional
2026/06/17 00:07:01.065921 Windows version: 10.0.26100
2026/06/17 00:07:01.065921 Native arch: x64
2026/06/17 00:07:01.065921 Elevation type: Full
2026/06/17 00:07:01.065921 Is elevated: true
2026/06/17 00:07:01.065921 Sideloading enabled: true
2026/06/17 00:07:01.065921 S Mode: false
2026/06/17 00:07:01.065921 Conflicting service: false
2026/06/17 00:07:01.065921 Running in non-elevated context
2026/06/17 00:07:01.065921 User can elevate — installing MSIX directly
2026/06/17 00:07:01.087876 Splash: 400x300, 8 frame(s), animated=true
2026/06/17 00:07:01.087876 System DPI: 96 (scale: 100%)
2026/06/17 00:07:01.120495 MSIX URL: https://api.anthropic.com/api/desktop/win32/x64/msix/latest/redirect
2026/06/17 00:07:01.120495 Downloading MSIX to C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\Claude-265286785.msix
2026/06/17 00:07:01.129347 proxy: WinHttpGetProxyForUrl("https://api.anthropic.com/api/desktop/win32/x64/msix/latest/redirect"): winapi error #12180
2026/06/17 00:07:01.276162 proxy: WinHttpGetProxyForUrl("https://downloads.claude.ai/releases/win32/x64/1.13576.0/Claude-1290fc2ef5fd27a3883b74505e0ff917413d6832.msix"): winapi error #12180
2026/06/17 00:07:01.717566 Download progress: 10% (23297872 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:07:01.989213 Download progress: 20% (46562976 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:07:02.260360 Download progress: 30% (69844464 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:07:02.531982 Download progress: 40% (93125952 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:07:02.743490 Download progress: 50% (116407040 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:07:02.940621 Download progress: 60% (139705088 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:07:03.137994 Download progress: 70% (162970368 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:07:03.335489 Download progress: 80% (186268416 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:07:03.532523 Download progress: 90% (209533696 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:07:03.728883 Download progress: 100% (232800403 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:07:03.730003 Download complete: 232800403 bytes, SHA256: 36bc69e5dcfdc67959057f9db5427cf4aba2d360808988537c07f68237e2e21a
2026/06/17 00:07:03.730518 Download complete
2026/06/17 00:07:03.739444 Self-elevating: C:\Users\admin\Downloads\Claude Setup (1).exe --elevated --msix-path "C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\Claude-265286785.msix" --log-path "C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\ClaudeSetup.log"
2026/06/17 00:07:03.780585 Waiting for elevated process to complete...
2026/06/17 00:07:03.787453 Log file: C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\ClaudeSetup.log
2026/06/17 00:07:03.787984 === Claude Setup 3df4fd263723119bc45f0af2d784afd5055e2ba9 started ===
2026/06/17 00:07:03.789032 AllowAllTrustedApps not found (sideloading assumed enabled): The system cannot find the file specified.
2026/06/17 00:07:03.789032 Windows edition: Professional
2026/06/17 00:07:03.789549 Windows version: 10.0.26100
2026/06/17 00:07:03.789549 Native arch: x64
2026/06/17 00:07:03.789549 Elevation type: Full
2026/06/17 00:07:03.789549 Is elevated: true
2026/06/17 00:07:03.789549 Sideloading enabled: true
2026/06/17 00:07:03.789549 S Mode: false
2026/06/17 00:07:03.789549 Conflicting service: false
2026/06/17 00:07:03.789549 Running in elevated context
2026/06/17 00:07:03.789549 Installing MSIX from C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\Claude-265286785.msix (all-users: false)
2026/06/17 00:07:03.810571 Splash: 400x300, 8 frame(s), animated=true
2026/06/17 00:07:03.810571 System DPI: 96 (scale: 100%)
2026/06/17 00:07:03.840278 Verifying Authenticode signature on C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\Claude-265286785.msix
2026/06/17 00:07:04.382765 WinVerifyTrust: MSIX signature is valid
2026/06/17 00:07:04.629229 Signature verified: MSIX signer matches bootstrapper
2026/06/17 00:07:04.629736 Extracted family name from MSIX manifest: Claude_pzs8sxrjxfjjc
2026/06/17 00:07:04.629736 Squirrel process prefix: c:\users\admin\appdata\local\anthropicclaude\
2026/06/17 00:07:04.629736 Checking for running Squirrel Claude processes...
2026/06/17 00:07:04.656030 No Squirrel Claude processes found
2026/06/17 00:07:04.656030 Checking for existing Claude MSIX packages...
2026/06/17 00:07:04.672009 Installing MSIX: C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\Claude-265286785.msix
2026/06/17 00:07:04.672009 Standard install (not split-account), using AddPackage
2026/06/17 00:07:04.672009 Installing via AddPackage (current-user)...
2026/06/17 00:07:26.676519 MSIX installation failed: AddPackage failed: AddPackage failed with HRESULT 0x80073CF6
2026/06/17 00:07:26.676519 ERROR dialog (opening log): Installation failed: AddPackage failed: AddPackage failed with HRESULT 0x80073CF6

Please share this log with us.
2026/06/17 00:07:31.208008 Elevated process exited with code 1
2026/06/17 00:07:31.208008 Elevation failed: elevated installer exited with code 1
2026/06/17 00:07:31.208008 ERROR dialog (with log path): Administrator access is required to install Claude with full features. You can try again or install without Cowork.
2026/06/17 00:08:10.171507 Log file: C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\ClaudeSetup.log
2026/06/17 00:08:10.172024 === Claude Setup 3df4fd263723119bc45f0af2d784afd5055e2ba9 started ===
2026/06/17 00:08:10.172539 AllowAllTrustedApps not found (sideloading assumed enabled): The system cannot find the file specified.
2026/06/17 00:08:10.172539 Windows edition: Professional
2026/06/17 00:08:10.173059 Windows version: 10.0.26100
2026/06/17 00:08:10.173059 Native arch: x64
2026/06/17 00:08:10.173059 Elevation type: Limited
2026/06/17 00:08:10.173059 Is elevated: false
2026/06/17 00:08:10.173059 Sideloading enabled: true
2026/06/17 00:08:10.173059 S Mode: false
2026/06/17 00:08:10.173059 Conflicting service: false
2026/06/17 00:08:10.173059 Running in non-elevated context
2026/06/17 00:08:10.173059 User can elevate — installing MSIX directly
2026/06/17 00:08:10.192727 Splash: 400x300, 8 frame(s), animated=true
2026/06/17 00:08:10.192727 System DPI: 96 (scale: 100%)
2026/06/17 00:08:10.224105 MSIX URL: https://api.anthropic.com/api/desktop/win32/x64/msix/latest/redirect
2026/06/17 00:08:10.224624 Downloading MSIX to C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\Claude-2743911772.msix
2026/06/17 00:08:10.232080 proxy: WinHttpGetProxyForUrl("https://api.anthropic.com/api/desktop/win32/x64/msix/latest/redirect"): winapi error #12180
2026/06/17 00:08:10.447417 proxy: WinHttpGetProxyForUrl("https://downloads.claude.ai/releases/win32/x64/1.13576.0/Claude-1290fc2ef5fd27a3883b74505e0ff917413d6832.msix"): winapi error #12180
2026/06/17 00:08:10.886034 Download progress: 10% (23297872 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:08:11.159068 Download progress: 20% (46562976 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:08:11.432795 Download progress: 30% (69844464 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:08:11.706326 Download progress: 40% (93125952 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:08:11.918017 Download progress: 50% (116423952 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:08:12.114996 Download progress: 60% (139705504 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:08:12.311738 Download progress: 70% (162970768 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:08:12.509313 Download progress: 80% (186268832 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:08:12.706595 Download progress: 90% (209534096 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:08:12.903587 Download progress: 100% (232800403 / 232800403 bytes)
2026/06/17 00:08:12.904108 Download complete: 232800403 bytes, SHA256: 36bc69e5dcfdc67959057f9db5427cf4aba2d360808988537c07f68237e2e21a
2026/06/17 00:08:12.904728 Download complete
2026/06/17 00:08:12.915452 Self-elevating: C:\Users\admin\Downloads\Claude Setup (1).exe --elevated --msix-path "C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\Claude-2743911772.msix" --log-path "C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\ClaudeSetup.log"
2026/06/17 00:08:14.292446 Waiting for elevated process to complete...
2026/06/17 00:08:14.303789 Log file: C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\ClaudeSetup.log
2026/06/17 00:08:14.303789 === Claude Setup 3df4fd263723119bc45f0af2d784afd5055e2ba9 started ===
2026/06/17 00:08:14.304862 AllowAllTrustedApps not found (sideloading assumed enabled): The system cannot find the file specified.
2026/06/17 00:08:14.304862 Windows edition: Professional
2026/06/17 00:08:14.305395 Windows version: 10.0.26100
2026/06/17 00:08:14.305395 Native arch: x64
2026/06/17 00:08:14.305395 Elevation type: Full
2026/06/17 00:08:14.305395 Is elevated: true
2026/06/17 00:08:14.305395 Sideloading enabled: true
2026/06/17 00:08:14.305395 S Mode: false
2026/06/17 00:08:14.305395 Conflicting service: false
2026/06/17 00:08:14.305395 Running in elevated context
2026/06/17 00:08:14.305925 Installing MSIX from C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\Claude-2743911772.msix (all-users: false)
2026/06/17 00:08:14.326755 Splash: 400x300, 8 frame(s), animated=true
2026/06/17 00:08:14.327271 System DPI: 96 (scale: 100%)
2026/06/17 00:08:14.375071 Verifying Authenticode signature on C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\Claude-2743911772.msix
2026/06/17 00:08:14.913019 WinVerifyTrust: MSIX signature is valid
2026/06/17 00:08:15.150573 Signature verified: MSIX signer matches bootstrapper
2026/06/17 00:08:15.151188 Extracted family name from MSIX manifest: Claude_pzs8sxrjxfjjc
2026/06/17 00:08:15.151188 Squirrel process prefix: c:\users\admin\appdata\local\anthropicclaude\
2026/06/17 00:08:15.151188 Checking for running Squirrel Claude processes...
2026/06/17 00:08:15.176317 No Squirrel Claude processes found
2026/06/17 00:08:15.176831 Checking for existing Claude MSIX packages...
2026/06/17 00:08:15.193300 Installing MSIX: C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\Claude-2743911772.msix
2026/06/17 00:08:15.193300 Standard install (not split-account), using AddPackage
2026/06/17 00:08:15.193300 Installing via AddPackage (current-user)...
2026/06/17 00:08:36.956677 MSIX installation failed: AddPackage failed: AddPackage failed with HRESULT 0x80073CF6
2026/06/17 00:08:36.956677 ERROR dialog (opening log): Installation failed: AddPackage failed: AddPackage failed with HRESULT 0x80073CF6

Please share this log with us.
2026/06/17 00:08:39.107938 Elevated process exited with code 1
2026/06/17 00:08:39.107938 Elevation failed: elevated installer exited with code 1
2026/06/17 00:08:39.107938 ERROR dialog (with log path): Administrator access is required to install Claude with full features. You can try again or install without Cowork.

I have kind of a different issue, I fully uninstalled Claude, then reinstalled it yesterday. After a computer restart, Claude fails to launch, everytime. I don't have an error saying it's already in use, but it's about Windows not being able to access the directory because of some authorization access to files.

<img width="556" height="136" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/c2e540c2-19b3-4392-99fc-bb1a7b819139" />

what a shame... they cannot fix this THE MOST ANNOING BUG even having Mythos. what a shame...

Yes that's really crazy. On Mac the don't have this issue I guess. On
windows we are left behind it seems...

Le ven. 19 juin 2026, 10:32, Raule Blanko @.***> a
écrit :

raulblanko left a comment (anthropics/claude-code#42776) <https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/42776#issuecomment-4749877424> what a shame... they cannot fix this THE MOST ANNOING BUG even having Mythos. what a shame... — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/42776?email_source=notifications&email_token=AKXMFLH775MXTMG2CFPVB3T5AT3ATA5CNFSNUABFM5UWIORPF5TWS5BNNB2WEL2JONZXKZKDN5WW2ZLOOQXTINZUHE4DONZUGI2KM4TFMFZW63VHMNXW23LFNZ2KKZLWMVXHJLDGN5XXIZLSL5RWY2LDNM#issuecomment-4749877424>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AKXMFLCKCY462IZIYTB45UT5AT3ATAVCNFSNUABFKJSXA33TNF2G64TZHM4TGNZSGUZTINZVHNEXG43VMU5TIMJZGY4DGNZSHA2KC5QC> . You are receiving this because you commented.Message ID: @.***>

Killing all node.exe processes worked for me as a workaround

genuinely pathetic you guys haven't fixed this bug

outrageous i have to fully restart my computer every time an update comes in

UNACCAPETABLE

Killing all node.exe processes worked for me as a workaround

This works for me too! Thx.

Use my bat to update

claude-cowork-install-now-fix.zip

@leonidrysev please dont provide zip file, its risky to run someone ps1/bat files downloaded from net these days, that does mean yours are dangerous (dont look at them yet), but its bad habbit i think.

on windows use this:
Get-Process node -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Stop-Process -Force

or taskkill /F /IM node.exe

and similar cmd on linux (pkill -9 -f node ?)

same issue

<img width="440" height="154" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/4a8f3791-2a7e-4efc-ac77-96bc5ee8afb3" />

Those who are looking for the solution check out this reddit thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/ClaudeAI/comments/1sncgki/comment/ol8a8ap/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Those who are looking for the solution check out this reddit thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/ClaudeAI/comments/1sncgki/comment/ol8a8ap/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

For me , killing all instances of node.exe was enough.

Root cause & registry-level fix (no reboot needed)

The commonly suggested workarounds (Stop-Service, Set-Service -StartupType Disabled, taskkill) don't work for most people because CoworkVMService is a WIN32_PACKAGED_PROCESS service — Windows blocks sc.exe and Set-Service with Access Denied (error 5) even from an elevated admin shell.

On top of that, the service has an ETW trigger registered on the named pipe \pipe\cowork-vm-service. This means even if you manage to kill the process, Windows auto-respawns it the moment anything touches that pipe. Setting the startup type to Manual doesn't help — the trigger bypasses it.

The fix (run from an elevated PowerShell before updating):

# 1. Delete the ETW trigger that auto-respawns the service
Remove-Item -Path "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\CoworkVMService\TriggerInfo" -Recurse -Force

# 2. Set startup type to Disabled via registry (sc.exe can't touch packaged services)
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\CoworkVMService" -Name "Start" -Value 4

# 3. Now you can actually kill it and it stays dead
Stop-Process -Name cowork-svc -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

Then close Claude Desktop, confirm no claude.exe or cowork-svc.exe processes remain, and apply the update. The new MSIX package will recreate the service pointing at the new version with a fresh config.

Why this works

• Registry writes bypass the MSIX service protection that blocks sc.exe / Set-Service
• Deleting TriggerInfo prevents Windows from auto-respawning the service via the ETW named pipe trigger
• Setting Start=4 (Disabled) prevents it from starting on boot

Suggestion for Anthropic

The auto-updater should stop CoworkVMService before attempting to replace the MSIX package files. This is the root cause — the service holds file locks on the old package directory, preventing the Store from swapping in the new version.

## Root cause & registry-level fix (no reboot needed) The commonly suggested workarounds (Stop-Service, Set-Service -StartupType Disabled, taskkill) don't work for most people because CoworkVMService is a WIN32_PACKAGED_PROCESS service — Windows blocks sc.exe and Set-Service with Access Denied (error 5) even from an elevated admin shell. On top of that, the service has an ETW trigger registered on the named pipe \pipe\cowork-vm-service. This means even if you manage to kill the process, Windows auto-respawns it the moment anything touches that pipe. Setting the startup type to Manual doesn't help — the trigger bypasses it. ### The fix (run from an elevated PowerShell before updating): # 1. Delete the ETW trigger that auto-respawns the service Remove-Item -Path "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\CoworkVMService\TriggerInfo" -Recurse -Force # 2. Set startup type to Disabled via registry (sc.exe can't touch packaged services) Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\CoworkVMService" -Name "Start" -Value 4 # 3. Now you can actually kill it and it stays dead Stop-Process -Name cowork-svc -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue Then close Claude Desktop, confirm no claude.exe or cowork-svc.exe processes remain, and apply the update. The new MSIX package will recreate the service pointing at the new version with a fresh config. ### Why this works Registry writes bypass the MSIX service protection that blocks sc.exe / Set-Service Deleting TriggerInfo prevents Windows from auto-respawning the service via the ETW named pipe trigger * Setting Start=4 (Disabled) prevents it from starting on boot ### Suggestion for Anthropic The auto-updater should stop CoworkVMService before attempting to replace the MSIX package files. This is the root cause — the service holds file locks on the old package directory, preventing the Store from swapping in the new version.

Doesn't work for me. Only fix is to either restart or sign-out and sign back in (which is a bit quicker than restarting).

Also having this issue and have had it for several versions. I have learned to just not install updates unless I want a reboot. One bonus, I have been reminded of how good Codex is every time I get locked out of Claude Code because of this error and switch over. Just sayin'.

Killing the node processes with taskkill /f /im "node.exe" worked for me!

Cannot believe this issue is still happening, crazy

I do not see any node.exe child procs laying around on the latest release, so you can also try this:

Stop-Service CoworkVMService -Force

Get-CimInstance Win32_Process | Where-Object {
  $_.ExecutablePath -like 'C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Claude_*' -or
  ($_.Name -eq 'chrome-native-host.exe' -and $_.ExecutablePath -like "$env:APPDATA\Claude\*") -or
  $_.CommandLine -match '\\.claude\\|cowork-svc|ChromeNativeHost'
} | ForEach-Object {
  Stop-Process -Id $_.ProcessId -Force
}

Update: If the above doesn't work, taskkill /f /im "node.exe" is the finishing touch, thanks @Jerrill

same issue - last two updates with this bug.
I kill all processes but fix only with full reboot

I've been dealing with this issue for months now.

This issue been around for months. I keep an eye on this but none of above fixes works for me. Can't believe a company who creates fable has such a critical issue for months.

My most recent work around is to "Quit" from the status bar and restart. This usually allows me to update successfully. Still very frustrating.

New lock vector not yet documented in this thread: chrome-native-host.exe is held open by Chrome, not by Claude — which is why quitting Claude entirely still doesn't free the package, and why a full reboot "fixes" it.

Mechanism:

• The browser-extension native-messaging manifest at %APPDATA%\Claude\ChromeNativeHost\com.anthropic.claude_browser_extension.json points Chrome at the exe inside the versioned package directory: C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Claude_<version>\app\resources\chrome-native-host.exe.
• Chrome spawns that host and owns its lifetime. Quit Claude → the host keeps running under Chrome → MSIX deployment can't replace the package → "Another program is currently using this file" / 0x80073D02.
• A reboot works only because it also restarts Chrome. Same reason stopping CoworkVMService alone doesn't always fix it for extension users.

Repro: Claude desktop + Chrome extension enabled; quit Claude, keep Chrome open; run Get-Process | Where-Object { $_.Path -like 'C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Claude_*' } → chrome-native-host.exe (and often orphaned Claude.exe — 13 observed on my machine) still running; update fails.

Observed on: Windows 11 Pro 26200, package Claude_1.20186.0.0_x64__pzs8sxrjxfjjc. AppXDeploymentServer/Operational logs daily 0x80073D02 retries at the 6:00 AM maintenance window.

Suggested fixes:

1. Install the native-messaging host to a version-stable path outside the package (e.g. %LOCALAPPDATA%), so Chrome's handle never blocks package replacement — standard practice for auto-updating apps that ship native hosts.
2. On "Relaunch to update": terminate all processes whose image path is inside the package (native host included; Chrome respawns it on demand).
3. Use Restart Manager to name the actual holder in the error dialog ("Chrome is holding the extension helper") instead of the raw file-lock message.
4. Retry the staged update on next launch after 0x80070020/0x80073D02 instead of a dead-end modal.

User-side workaround (no admin, no ACL changes): stop every process whose image path is under WindowsApps\Claude_*, close Chrome if the host respawns, then relaunch Claude — the update applies without a reboot.