Claude Desktop goes blank on Windows, requires Task Manager to kill all processes before app can reopen

Description

The Claude Desktop app screen goes completely blank during use. Once blank, the app cannot be closed normally or reopened — all claude.exe processes must be manually ended via Windows Task Manager before the app will launch again.

Environment

• OS: Windows 11 Pro (10.0.22631)
• App: Claude Desktop (Windows)
• First noticed: After model update on April 16, 2026

Steps to reproduce

1. Use Claude Desktop normally
2. Screen goes blank (no apparent trigger — seems intermittent)
3. Attempt to close and reopen app — new window also blank or app won't launch
4. Must open Task Manager → end all claude.exe processes → reopen app

Expected behavior

App recovers gracefully or can be restarted without Task Manager intervention.

Related issues

• #38014 — Electron cache corruption (blank screen, recurring)
• #44558 — Intermittent blank screen during active session
• #21803 — Blank screen after Windows Hibernate
• #45031 — HDR rendering blank screen

Notes

Workaround: delete %APPDATA%/Claude/Cache, Code Cache, and GPUCache folders, then restart. This is a recurring pattern across multiple reports — flagging as a new data point tied to the April 2026 model update rollout.