[BUG] Windows MSIX auto-update doesn't remove old Claude Desktop version folders

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?

Claude Desktop (Windows, installed via MSIX/Microsoft Store) does not clean up old package version folders under C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\ after auto-updates.
Over roughly 2 months of normal auto-updates, ~25 orphaned version folders accumulated, totaling approximately 10-13GB of wasted disk space. A fresh reinstall of the app did not clean up the existing orphaned folders — only
the newly installed version was properly registered afterward.

What Should Happen?

Old/unregistered version folders should be automatically pruned by Windows'nMSIX servicing during updates, matching standard MSIX package behavior. Only the currently installed version should remain on disk under WindowsApps.

Error Messages/Logs

N/A - no error is thrown, this is silent disk space accumulation.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Install Claude Desktop via Microsoft Store/MSIX on Windows
2. Let the app auto-update over several weeks/months
3. Navigate to C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\ and look for folders matching "Claude_1.*_x64__pzs8sxrjxfjjc"
4. Run Get-AppxPackage *Claude* in PowerShell — only ONE version is registered
5. Compare — significantly more version folders exist on disk than are registered (~25 folders found vs. 1 registered in this case)
6. Reinstalling the app does not remove the pre-existing orphaned folders

Claude Model

None

Is this a regression?

I don't know

Last Working Version

N/A

Claude Code Version

Claude Desktop 1.22209.3.0 (currently registered per Get-AppxPackage)

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

Windows

Terminal/Shell

PowerShell

Additional Information

• Get-AppxPackage Claude output:

Name : Claude
Publisher : CN="Anthropic, PBC", O="Anthropic, PBC", L=San Francisco, S=California, C=US, SERIALNUMBER=4860621,
OID.2.5.4.15=Private Organization, OID.1.3.6.1.4.1.311.60.2.1.2=Delaware, OID.1.3.6.1.4.1.311.60.2
.1.3=US
Architecture : X64
ResourceId :
Version : 1.22209.3.0
PackageFullName : Claude_1.22209.3.0_x64__pzs8sxrjxfjjc
InstallLocation : C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Claude_1.22209.3.0_x64__pzs8sxrjxfjjc
IsFramework : False
PackageFamilyName : Claude_pzs8sxrjxfjjc
PublisherId : pzs8sxrjxfjjc
IsResourcePackage : False
IsBundle : False
IsDevelopmentMode : False
NonRemovable : False
IsPartiallyStaged : False
SignatureKind : Developer
Status : Ok

• Folder listing screenshot showing ~25 versions dated May-July 2026, ranging ~380-580MB each
• Total wasted space: ~10-13GB
• This appears to be an MSIX packaging/update cleanup issue specific to the Windows Store distribution channel of Claude Desktop, not the CLI tool.