[DOCS] [Background tasks] Document the Windows `/clear` output-file recovery fixed in v2.1.203

Documentation Type

Missing documentation (feature not documented)

Documentation Location

https://code.claude.com/docs/en/interactive-mode#background-bash-commands

Section/Topic

The "Background Bash commands" section explains that background task output is written to a file, but it does not document the Windows-specific recovery behavior fixed in v2.1.203 when /clear previously replaced that output with an empty file.

Current Documentation

From interactive-mode.md under "Background Bash commands":

When Claude Code runs a command in the background, it runs the command asynchronously and immediately returns a background task ID. Claude Code can respond to new prompts while the command continues executing in the background.

The same section lists this key feature:

Output is written to a file and Claude can retrieve it using the Read tool

It also documents cleanup and memory-pressure behavior:

Background tasks are automatically cleaned up when Claude Code exits. Backgrounding the session instead of exiting it hands them to the background session, where they keep running. Background tasks are automatically terminated if output exceeds 5GB, with a note in stderr explaining why

There is no Windows note for output-file persistence across /clear, and no troubleshooting entry for recovering when a background task's output file becomes empty.

What's Wrong or Missing?

The v2.1.203 changelog says:

Fixed background task output on Windows being permanently replaced by an empty file after /clear

That fix is relevant to users who rely on long-running background Bash tasks and then clear the interactive session. The current docs say output is written to a file and can be read later, but they do not explain the Windows edge case that was fixed or the expected behavior after the fix.

Without a note, Windows users have no documented way to distinguish the fixed behavior from the previous failure mode. If output appears empty after /clear, the docs do not tell them whether to update Claude Code, whether the background task actually produced no output, or whether the previous Windows persistence bug is involved.

Suggested Improvement

Add a Windows note to the "Background Bash commands" section, near the bullet that says output is written to a file. For example:

{/ min-version: 2.1.203 /}On Windows, background task output remains available after /clear. Earlier versions could replace the saved output file with an empty file after clearing the session; update Claude Code if background task output disappears after /clear.

Optionally add a short troubleshooting entry under the same page or the install/troubleshooting docs:

If a Windows background task shows an empty output file after /clear, first update Claude Code to v2.1.203 or later. Then rerun the task and retrieve its output again.

Impact

Medium - Makes feature difficult to understand

Additional Context

The v2.1.203 release note is the only place this Windows-specific output recovery behavior is currently described. The docs already document that output is file-backed, so this is a narrow platform note rather than a new conceptual section.

Affected Pages:
| Page | Context |
|------|---------|
| https://code.claude.com/docs/en/interactive-mode#background-bash-commands | Primary documentation for background Bash task behavior and output retrieval |

Total scope: 1 page affected.