Chrome extension never spawns native host on Windows — "No browsers connected" despite fully verified setup (incl. #58201 workaround applied)

Environment

• Windows 11 Home 10.0.26200 (native, no WSL)
• Claude Code CLI 2.1.201 (native installer, C:\Users\<user>\.local\bin\claude.exe)
• Chrome (current), extension "Claude by Anthropic" installed, enabled,

signed in to claude.ai with the same account as the CLI (direct plan)

• Extension sidebar/chat itself works fine

Symptom

• Every mcp__claude-in-chrome__* call returns "Browser extension is not

connected"; /chrome → Select Browser shows "No browsers are connected".

Verified / already ruled out

• Registry: `HKCU\Software\Google\Chrome\NativeMessagingHosts\

com.anthropic.claude_code_browser_extension present, points to valid
manifest; manifest points to existing wrapper
(%USERPROFILE%\.claude\chrome\chrome-native-host.bat →
claude.exe --chrome-native-host`, exe exists, same version).

• #58201 workaround applied: Claude Desktop's competing

com.anthropic.claude_browser_extension registry key deleted; only the
claude_code host remains.

• Chrome fully exited (menu → Exit) and restarted multiple times, after the

registry cleanup as well.

• Fresh CLI sessions; no stale claude.exe processes (only the 2 belonging

to the running session).

• Same claude.ai account confirmed on both sides; extension awake (panel open).

Key observation
After a full Chrome restart, no claude.exe --chrome-native-host process
is ever spawned (process list monitored) — i.e. the extension appears to
never call connectNative for the claude_code host. /chrome → Reconnect
has no effect.

Expected: extension registers with the CLI host so /chrome lists the
browser.