[BUG] Claude Desktop (Windows MSIX) reverts to Modified, NeedsRemediation on every app launch — CoworkVMService lock, reproducible without third-party AV

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?

On Windows, Claude Desktop MSIX (package family Claude_pzs8sxrjxfjjc, version 1.24012.9.0) reverts to Status: Modified, NeedsRemediation after a single app launch, even right after a clean reinstall-over-existing that briefly restores Status: Ok.

Windows Settings "Repair" and manual re-registration (Add-AppxPackage -Register -ForceApplicationShutdown) both fail to hold — only a full reinstall over the existing package restores Ok, and it breaks again on next launch.

Ruled out third-party AV as the cause: uninstalled Avast entirely, confirmed Windows Defender active with real-time protection and up-to-date signatures. Issue persists identically without any AV involved.

Event Viewer (AppXDeploymentServer/Operational) shows events 9641/9648/9650 naming a packaged service CoworkVMService as active during the failed registration attempt — same root cause as #63722, but reproduced here on a personal (non-enterprise, non-Intune) install.

Side effect: repeated repair/reinstall cycles made Claude Code conversation history appear lost from the app UI, though the underlying .claude/projects/ files were untouched on disk.

What Should Happen?

Claude Desktop MSIX package should register successfully and remain in Status: Ok after being launched, without reverting to Modified, NeedsRemediation

Error Messages/Logs

Event 404 (Error):
The AppX deployment operation for the package Claude_1.24012.9.0_x64__pzs8sxrjxfjjc
failed with error 0x80073D02. Unable to install because the following apps need to be closed:
Claude_1.24012.9.0_x64__pzs8sxrjxfjjc.

Event 638 (Information):
Packages were not updated because affected apps are still running.
Running apps: {Claude_pzs8sxrjxfjjc!Claude}

Event 9641 (Commented):
0x80004004: Deployment is interrupted due to an active
Claude_pzs8sxrjxfjjc!Claude service.

Event 9650 (Commented):
0x0: Service Claude_1.24012.9.0_x64__pzs8sxrjxfjjc completed successfully
in the CoworkVMService package.

Steps to Reproduce

Have Claude Desktop MSIX installed on Windows 11 (personal, non-Intune install).
Reinstall over the existing package without uninstalling first (run Claude Setup.exe directly). Verify with Get-AppxPackage Claude | Select Status → returns Ok.
Launch the app normally (Start Menu or shell:AppsFolder\Claude_pzs8sxrjxfjjc!Claude).
Re-check status: Get-AppxPackage Claude | Select Status → now returns Modified, NeedsRemediation.

Confirmed not caused by third-party AV: reproduced with Avast fully uninstalled and Windows Defender active with real-time protection and up-to-date signatures.

Event Viewer (Microsoft-Windows-AppXDeploymentServer/Operational) shows the packaged service CoworkVMService active during the failed registration — same root cause as #63722, here reproduced on a non-enterprise install.

Claude Model

None

Is this a regression?

Yes, this worked in a previous version

Last Working Version

1.9255.2.0

Claude Code Version

2.1.220

Platform

Other

Operating System

Windows

Terminal/Shell

PowerShell

Additional Information

Related: https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/63722 (same CoworkVMService root cause, reported as enterprise/Intune-specific — this report confirms it also affects personal, non-managed installs).

Third-party AV ruled out: this was fully investigated and reproduced with Avast completely uninstalled and Windows Defender confirmed active.