[BUG] Windows Desktop MSIX wedged in Status: Servicing — RemovePackage 0x80073CFA → AddPackage 0x80073D28, no user-space recovery

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?

The Claude Desktop Windows installer is permanently unable to install or reinstall because the existing MSIX package is wedged in Status: Servicing, staged under SYSTEM (S-1-5-18), and cannot be removed by any documented user-space command.

On every install attempt the bootstrapper tries to remove the existing package and fails with HRESULT 0x80073CFA, then proceeds to AddPackage and fails with HRESULT 0x80073D28.

Package details:

• PackageFullName: Claude_1.9659.4.0_x64__pzs8sxrjxfjjc
• PackageFamilyName: Claude_pzs8sxrjxfjjc
• PackageUserInformation: {S-1-5-18 [S-1-5-18]: Staged}
• SignatureKind: Developer
• Status: Servicing

Remove-AppxPackage returns silent success (no error, no output) but never clears the registration. Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers *Claude* still shows the package with Status: Servicing afterward.

The following were all attempted and did NOT clear the wedge:

• Remove-AppxPackage -Package <FullName> -AllUsers (admin context) — silent success, package remains
• Remove-AppxPackage -Package <FullName> -User S-1-5-18 — silent success, package remains
• Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers Claude | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers — silent success, package remains
• Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online — fails "file not found" (package is not provisioned)
• DISM /Online /Get-ProvisionedAppxPackages — no Claude entry
• sc.exe delete CoworkVMService — service already absent (1060), wedge persists
• Stop AppXSvc + retry — no change
• Full system reboot + retry — Status: Servicing persists

This matches the pattern in #57744, #51132, #49917, #47877, and #25162. #57744 additionally confirmed SYSTEM-context removal via PsExec produces the same silent-success failure, and identifies the cause as a stale entry in StateRepository-Machine.srd where the deployment Remove operation reports success but the state-repository transaction never commits.

No published recovery tool or EXE installer exists, so affected users have no supported path to reinstall.

What Should Happen?

The installer should be able to remove the wedged/staged package and complete AddPackage, allowing Claude Desktop to install and run — including the local Cowork sandbox, which is the specific feature blocked here (the browser/PWA workaround does not cover it).

At minimum, Anthropic should provide a supported recovery procedure or utility that clears the corrupted StateRepository entry when Remove-AppxPackage returns silent success without effect.

Error Messages/Logs

Removing (user): Claude_1.9659.4.0_x64__pzs8sxrjxfjjc
WARNING: Remove failed for Claude_1.9659.4.0_x64__pzs8sxrjxfjjc: RemovePackage failed with HRESULT 0x80073CFA
Installing MSIX: ...\Claude-<id>.msix
Extracted family name from MSIX manifest: Claude_pzs8sxrjxfjjc
Standard install (not split-account), using AddPackage
Installing via AddPackage (current-user)...
MSIX installation failed: AddPackage failed: AddPackage failed with HRESULT 0x80073D28
ERROR dialog (opening log): Installation failed: AddPackage failed: AddPackage failed with HRESULT 0x80073D28
Elevation failed: elevated installer exited with code 1

Steps to Reproduce

1. Have an existing Claude Desktop MSIX install that has entered Status: Servicing staged under SYSTEM (occurs after an interrupted install/update — in my case a Cowork service conflict killed the install mid-deployment).
2. Run Claude Setup.exe (download from claude.ai/download), allow it to self-elevate.
3. Installer attempts to remove existing package → RemovePackage fails 0x80073CFA.
4. Installer proceeds to AddPackage → fails 0x80073D28.
5. Attempt manual removal in elevated PowerShell:

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers Claude | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
→ returns silent success.

1. Re-check: Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers Claude | Select PackageFullName, Status

→ package still present, Status: Servicing.

1. Reboot and repeat → wedge persists.

Claude Model

Other

Is this a regression?

I don't know

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

2.1.92

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

Windows

Terminal/Shell

Windows Terminal

Additional Information

ClaudeSetup.log