[BUG] Claude Desktop failed to launch on Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (OS build 26200.8246)

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?

When I try to install or launch Claude Desktop on Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (OS build 26200.8246), I immediately get a dialog saying:

“Claude Desktop failed to launch. Please check for updates and try again. If the issue persists, contact support at support.claude.com.”

The app either fails during installation or closes right after the splash screen. Re-launching Claude Desktop or re-running the installer produces the same error every time.

I contacted support via Fin, cleared all Claude folders under %LOCALAPPDATA% and %APPDATA%, disabled antivirus, and tried a clean reinstall, but the error persists.

What Should Happen?

Claude Desktop should install and launch successfully without showing the “failed to launch” error dialog.
The main window should open normally and the app should be usable on Windows 11 Pro 25H2.

Error Messages/Logs

Error dialog:

“Claude Desktop failed to launch. Please check for updates and try again. If the issue persists, contact support at support.claude.com.”

Windows Event Viewer → Windows Logs → Application:

No entries where the faulting application name or path mentions “Claude”, “Anthropic”, or the installer “Claude Setup.exe”.

Only generic .NET Runtime / Application Error events related to Search and Security components.

I exported the full Application log as an .evtx file right after reproducing the issue and attached it to this issue.

Steps to Reproduce

On Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (OS build 26200.8246), open https://claude.ai/download.

Download the latest Windows installer (“Claude Setup.exe”).

Right‑click the installer and choose “Run as administrator”.

Proceed through the installer.

During installation or on first launch, a dialog appears:
“Claude Desktop failed to launch. Please check for updates and try again. If the issue persists, contact support at support.claude.com.”

Close the dialog and try launching Claude Desktop again from the Start menu or desktop shortcut.

The same error dialog appears and the app never opens.

Optional troubleshooting steps I also tried (still reproduce the issue):

Uninstalled Claude Desktop from “Apps & Features”.

Deleted %LOCALAPPDATA%\AnthropicClaude and %APPDATA%\Claude (when present), then rebooted.

Disabled OneDrive integration and restored Desktop/Downloads paths to defaults.

Disabled real‑time protection in Windows Defender and AhnLab V3, then ran the installer again as administrator.

Checked Event Viewer (Application log) and exported it as .evtx (attached).

Claude Model

Other

Is this a regression?

Yes, this worked in a previous version

Last Working Version

Claude Desktop was working normally on this same PC until 2026‑04‑16. I don’t know the exact desktop app version number, because the app no longer launches to show it.

Claude Code Version

I can’t run claude --version because the desktop app fails to launch after the error dialog. Claude Desktop was installed and working correctly on this machine until 2026‑04‑16. After the issue started, I downloaded the latest Windows installer again from https://claude.ai/download (file name: “Claude Setup.exe”), but it still shows the “failed to launch” error.

Platform

Other

Operating System

Windows

Terminal/Shell

Other

Additional Information

Additional context:

Claude Desktop was installed and working normally on this Windows 11 Pro 25H2 machine up to 2026‑04‑16.

On the morning of 2026‑04‑18, I removed Microsoft OneDrive and changed the Desktop folder location. After that change, Claude Desktop stopped working.

I later restored the Desktop path to C:\Users\[username]\Desktop and fixed path/permission issues for other apps (e.g., KakaoTalk downloads, Google Drive sync). Those apps now work again, but Claude Desktop still shows the “Claude Desktop failed to launch…” dialog and never opens.

So this appears to be a regression related to how Claude Desktop handles user profile / Desktop path changes on Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (OS build 26200.8246).

I have attached:

Screenshots of the error dialog and system info.

An exported Windows Event Viewer “Application” log (.evtx) captured right after reproducing the failure.

<img width="4032" height="3024" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/679b7021-ebf0-447c-867b-3b49e1617255" />