Cowork installation fails at 80% on Windows - EXDEV cross-device link error

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?

Cowork installation consistently fails at exactly 80% every time with an EXDEV: cross-device link not permitted error. I have never been able to get Cowork running since purchasing it.
System details:

Windows 11
C: drive (main system drive)
F: drive (Data)
G: drive (Google Drive for Desktop)
AppData\Roaming\Claude is on C:

What I have tried:

Directed workspace files to C:\Users\User\Cowork Files to keep everything on C:
Paused Google Drive for Desktop during installation attempt
Contacted support - agent Fin advised he was unable to help further

Why I am reporting here:
I found the existing issue #25136 regarding yukonSilver and CoworkVMService which appears related. The consistent 80% failure point suggests the installer is hitting the same step every time. This does not appear to be a user error - I have followed all troubleshooting suggestions provided by support.

What Should Happen?

Cowork should install completely and launch successfully without errors.

Error Messages/Logs

EXDEV: cross-device link not permitted. Installation consistently stops at 80% every attempt. AppData\Roaming\Claude is on C: drive. Additional drives present: F: (Data) and G: (Google Drive for Desktop). Workspace files directed to C:\Users\User\Cowork Files. Error persists even with Google Drive paused.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Download and run Claude Desktop installer on Windows with multiple drives present (C:, F:, G:)
2. Proceed through installation
3. Installation reaches 80% and stops every time
4. EXDEV: cross-device link not permitted error occurs

Note: Issue persists regardless of workspace file location or whether Google Drive is paused.

Claude Model

None

Is this a regression?

No, this never worked

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

N/A - Claude Desktop installation issue

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

Windows

Terminal/Shell

PowerShell

Additional Information

This is a Cowork installation issue on Claude Desktop for Windows, not a Claude Code issue. Installation has never succeeded. Support agent Fin confirmed he was unable to help further. Issue may be related to GitHub issue #25136 (yukonSilver unsupported + CoworkVMService conflict). System has three drives: C: (system), F: (Data), G: (Google Drive for Desktop).