[BUG] File/Photo upload picker freezes and never opens

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 clicking the "Add files/photos" (attachment) button in the Claude Code chat input, the app hangs with heavy loading and the file picker dialog never opens. The only fix is to fully close and reopen the app, but the issue persists.

What Should Happen?

File picker dialog opens immediately allowing file/image selection.

Error Messages/Logs

Steps to Reproduce

1. Open Claude Code desktop app
2. Open any project/conversation
3. Click the attachment / "Add files or photos" button in the chat input area
4. App freezes — file picker does not open

Claude Model

None

Is this a regression?

I don't know

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

• Claude Code Version: 2.1.89

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

Windows

Terminal/Shell

Terminal.app (macOS)

Additional Information

Expected behavior:
File picker dialog opens immediately allowing file/image selection.

Actual behavior:
App becomes unresponsive with heavy loading. No dialog appears. Must fully close the app to recover, but issue reoccurs on next attempt.

Environment:

OS: Windows 11 Home
Claude Code: Desktop App
Working directory contains node_modules folder (possibly causing the file scanner to hang)
Possible cause:
The file picker may be scanning the entire working directory including node_modules (thousands of files), causing it to freeze before the dialog renders.

Workaround I found:
None that resolves the button — currently using drag-and-drop as a substitute.