[BUG] Image paste from clipboard takes minutes (broken since ~2.1.150) on Windows 11

Summary

Pasting images from the clipboard into the Claude Code prompt has been broken for ~1 week on Windows 11. What used to be instant now takes multiple minutes before the image is attached and the prompt becomes usable again. The CLI appears completely unresponsive during this time.

Environment

• Claude Code: 2.1.160 (also reproduces on 2.1.158, 2.1.159)
• OS: Windows 11 Pro, build 26100 (10.0.26100)
• Shell: PowerShell 7
• Terminal: Windows Terminal
• Installation: global via `npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code`

Repro

1. Take a screenshot (`Win+Shift+S` -> snip area -> copied to clipboard as PNG)
2. In an active Claude Code session prompt, press `Ctrl+V`
3. Observe: the CLI freezes; the image placeholder appears only after 1-3 minutes; further keystrokes during this window are dropped

Expected

Image attaches within ~1 second, as it did in versions <= 2.1.149.

Workaround

Saving the screenshot to a file (e.g. `D:\tmp\img.png`) and referencing the path in the prompt works instantly - confirming the slowdown is in the clipboard-image ingestion path, not in image handling generally.

Related

• #59661 (Alt+V image paste broken on Windows)
• #56882 (image paste lacks loading feedback)

This appears to be a regression somewhere in the 2.1.150-2.1.160 range. Downgrading to 2.1.149 restores normal behavior.