[BUG] Error: Claude Code process exited with code 3 when I tried to use the claude code plugin in visual studio code

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 open the claude code prompt window in the visual studio code, it is posting the error Error: Claude Code process exited with code 3

What Should Happen?

I should see the prompt window without any error.

Error Messages/Logs

This is the output log when the failure occurs.
2026-05-13 15:32:13.385 [info] From claude:
panic: Segmentation fault at address 0x113
panicked during a panic. Aborting.

2026-05-13 15:32:13.434 [info] Closing Claude on channel: 5w0ya9jxran
2026-05-13 15:32:13.434 [error] Error spawning Claude (on channel 5w0ya9jxran): Error: Claude Code process exited with code 3
2026-05-13 15:32:13.434 [error] Failed to load config cache: Error: Claude Code process exited with code 3
2026-05-13 15:32:13.435 [info] Getting authentication status
2026-05-13 15:32:13.435 [info] Getting authentication status
2026-05-13 15:32:13.435 [error] Error processing client request: Error: Claude Code process exited with code 3
2026-05-13 15:32:13.439 [info] Received message from webview: {“type”:“interrupt_claude”,“channelId”:“50ae2i3p4x4”}
2026-05-13 15:32:13.439 [warning] Channel not found: 50ae2i3p4x4
2026-05-13 15:32:20.667 [info] Received message from webview: {“type”:“request”,“requestId”:“jj453n36wel”,“request”:{“type”:“open_output_panel”}}

Steps to Reproduce

On a windows VIRTUAL machine, just open visual studio code (v120) and open the claude code plugin window (v 2.1.92). You will simply see the error on top of the claude window.

<img width="1647" height="838" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/497ac8ac-f29c-423d-aa82-91a2ac6cf758" />

Claude Model

Sonnet (default)

Is this a regression?

I don't know

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

2.1.92

Platform

Other

Operating System

Windows

Terminal/Shell

VS Code integrated terminal

Additional Information

This is the output log when the error occurs.
This is the output log when the failure occurs.
2026-05-13 15:32:13.385 [info] From claude:
panic: Segmentation fault at address 0x113
panicked during a panic. Aborting.

2026-05-13 15:32:13.434 [info] Closing Claude on channel: 5w0ya9jxran
2026-05-13 15:32:13.434 [error] Error spawning Claude (on channel 5w0ya9jxran): Error: Claude Code process exited with code 3
2026-05-13 15:32:13.434 [error] Failed to load config cache: Error: Claude Code process exited with code 3
2026-05-13 15:32:13.435 [info] Getting authentication status
2026-05-13 15:32:13.435 [info] Getting authentication status
2026-05-13 15:32:13.435 [error] Error processing client request: Error: Claude Code process exited with code 3
2026-05-13 15:32:13.439 [info] Received message from webview: {“type”:“interrupt_claude”,“channelId”:“50ae2i3p4x4”}
2026-05-13 15:32:13.439 [warning] Channel not found: 50ae2i3p4x4
2026-05-13 15:32:20.667 [info] Received message from webview: {“type”:“request”,“requestId”:“jj453n36wel”,“request”:{“type”:“open_output_panel”}}

This is the explanation from claude (on my windows laptop) for the above error
That’s a native binary crash — a segmentation fault at a near-null address (0x113). The “panicked during a panic. Aborting.” message is characteristic of a Rust binary double-panic, meaning Claude Code’s native component is crashing at a very low level on your VM.

This is a VM environment compatibility issue with the Claude Code native binary. The address 0x113 (275) is suspiciously close to null, which typically means a null/invalid pointer dereference in native code — often triggered by a missing Windows API, an unsupported CPU instruction, or a DLL that behaves differently under virtualization.
I am checking whether anyone is able to use claude on windows virtual machine in specific.

Things to check:

Windows Event Viewer — Go to Event Viewer → Windows Logs → Application and look for crash entries around 15:32:13. It will show the faulting module name (which DLL or EXE crashed).
Windows build number — Even if the “version” looks the same, the build number may differ. Run:
winver
Compare the exact build (e.g., 26100.xxxx) between your VM and laptop.

1. Visual C++ Redistributables — Check Settings → Apps for “Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 Redistributable”. Missing or older versions can cause this.
2. Hypervisor type — What VM software are you using (VMware, Hyper-V, VirtualBox)? Some hypervisors don’t expose certain CPU features that native code may rely on.

Most likely fix: This is a bug that needs to be reported to Anthropic since it’s a native binary crash rather than something you can easily configure around. File an issue at github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues with your VM type, Windows build number, and this log output.

What hypervisor/VM software are you running?