[BUG] Cowork "Download failed" on macOS — claude-code-vm runtime missing from app bundle
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 consistently fails with "Failed to start Claude's workspace — Download failed. Check your internet connection and try again." The download bar appears but gets stuck at 1-2% and eventually fails. Regular Chat mode works perfectly. Only Cowork is affected.
Running this command confirms the runtime binary is completely missing from the app bundle:
find /Applications/Claude.app -name "claude-code-vm*"
(returns nothing)
What Should Happen?
Cowork workspace should download and start successfully.
Error Messages/Logs
Failed to start Claude's workspace — Download failed. Check your internet connection and try again.
find /Applications/Claude.app -name "claude-code-vm*" returns nothing
Steps to Reproduce
- Download and install Claude Desktop from claude.ai/download on macOS
- Open Cowork tab
- Observe "Setting up Claude's workspace..." starts but gets stuck at 1-2%
- Eventually fails with "Download failed"
- Run: find /Applications/Claude.app -name "claude-code-vm*" — returns nothing
Claude Model
None
Is this a regression?
Yes, this worked in a previous version
Last Working Version
_No response_
Claude Code Version
2.1.158 (Claude Code)
Platform
Anthropic API
Operating System
macOS
Terminal/Shell
Terminal.app (macOS)
Additional Information
Chat mode works fine. Issue is only with Cowork. Tried reinstalling multiple times, cleared ~/Library/Application Support/Claude and ~/Library/Caches/Claude — issue persists. Located in India
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