[BUG] Windows desktop: failed RepairAppRegistration marks MSIX package Modified, NeedsRemediation — app unlaunchable within seconds of use

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?

Summary

Claude Desktop for Windows (1.24012.9.0, MSIX) becomes unlaunchable within seconds to hours of every clean install. Launch shows: "This app can't open — There's a problem with Claude. Reinstall the application from its original install location or contact your administrator."

The package status becomes Modified, NeedsRemediation. The flag is not caused by damaged files — it is set by a failed RepairAppRegistration operation that fires while the app is running.

Root cause (AppXDeploymentServer/Operational)

Identical sequence on every occurrence:

603  Started deployment RegisterByPackageFullName operation, Options RepairAppRegistrationOption
638  Packages were not updated because affected apps are still running. Running apps: {Claude_pzs8sxrjxfjjc!Claude}
617  Successfully updated the status for package (Clear=0x0, Set=0x400)
419  error 0x80073D02: Unable to install because the following apps need to be closed
401  Deployment Register operation ... failed with error 0x80073D02
404  AppX Deployment operation failed ... error 0x80073D02

A repair-registration call fires against the live app, Windows refuses it, and the failed attempt itself sets the 0x400 bit that blocks all subsequent launches.

This is not an auto-update failure. No Add operation in the log and no Claude-*.msix in %TEMP% — nothing downloaded or staged. Version is unchanged before and after.

Reproduction

1. Clean install (verified Status: Ok)
2. Launch app, start a Claude Code session
3. Failure sequence above fires; next launch shows the dialog

Occurred at ~3 hours, ~10 minutes, and ~seconds of use across three clean installs. All three during Claude Code use. CoworkVMService is terminated during every servicing attempt, and cowork-svc is a packaged service inside the Claude package — suspect the repair call originates there, though the log doesn't name the caller.

Does not clear the flag

• Settings → Advanced options → Repair (registers successfully, flag persists)
• Settings → Advanced options → Reset
• Add-AppxPackage -Register -ForceTargetApplicationShutdown -ForceUpdateFromAnyVersion, elevated, all processes killed — completes with no error, flag unchanged
• Reboot

Only Remove-AppxPackage + reinstall restores Ok. Then it breaks again.

Ruled out

75 GB free disk, disk health, AV quarantine (status is Modified, not Tampered), Microsoft PC Manager (Ok, uninvolved).

Environment

• Claude Desktop 1.24012.9.0 (MSIX), Windows 10 x64
• Claude Code CLI 2.1.220 native — unaffected

Related

#63397 reports the same 0x80073D02 registration failure but attributes it to auto-update. This variant is triggered by a repair call with no update involved, so pinning or disabling updates would not prevent it.

What Should Happen?

Claude Code on the desktop app to work properly.

Error Messages/Logs

Steps to Reproduce

Summary

Claude Desktop for Windows (1.24012.9.0, MSIX) becomes unlaunchable within seconds to hours of every clean install. Launch shows: "This app can't open — There's a problem with Claude. Reinstall the application from its original install location or contact your administrator."

The package status becomes Modified, NeedsRemediation. The flag is not caused by damaged files — it is set by a failed RepairAppRegistration operation that fires while the app is running.

Root cause (AppXDeploymentServer/Operational)

Identical sequence on every occurrence:

603  Started deployment RegisterByPackageFullName operation, Options RepairAppRegistrationOption
638  Packages were not updated because affected apps are still running. Running apps: {Claude_pzs8sxrjxfjjc!Claude}
617  Successfully updated the status for package (Clear=0x0, Set=0x400)
419  error 0x80073D02: Unable to install because the following apps need to be closed
401  Deployment Register operation ... failed with error 0x80073D02
404  AppX Deployment operation failed ... error 0x80073D02

A repair-registration call fires against the live app, Windows refuses it, and the failed attempt itself sets the 0x400 bit that blocks all subsequent launches.

This is not an auto-update failure. No Add operation in the log and no Claude-*.msix in %TEMP% — nothing downloaded or staged. Version is unchanged before and after.

Reproduction

1. Clean install (verified Status: Ok)
2. Launch app, start a Claude Code session
3. Failure sequence above fires; next launch shows the dialog

Occurred at ~3 hours, ~10 minutes, and ~seconds of use across three clean installs. All three during Claude Code use. CoworkVMService is terminated during every servicing attempt, and cowork-svc is a packaged service inside the Claude package — suspect the repair call originates there, though the log doesn't name the caller.

Does not clear the flag

• Settings → Advanced options → Repair (registers successfully, flag persists)
• Settings → Advanced options → Reset
• Add-AppxPackage -Register -ForceTargetApplicationShutdown -ForceUpdateFromAnyVersion, elevated, all processes killed — completes with no error, flag unchanged
• Reboot

Only Remove-AppxPackage + reinstall restores Ok. Then it breaks again.

Ruled out

75 GB free disk, disk health, AV quarantine (status is Modified, not Tampered), Microsoft PC Manager (Ok, uninvolved).

Environment

• Claude Desktop 1.24012.9.0 (MSIX), Windows 10 x64
• Claude Code CLI 2.1.220 native — unaffected

Related

#63397 reports the same 0x80073D02 registration failure but attributes it to auto-update. This variant is triggered by a repair call with no update involved, so pinning or disabling updates would not prevent it.

Claude Model

None

Is this a regression?

Yes, this worked in a previous version

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

• Claude Desktop 1.24012.9.0 (MSIX), Windows 10 x64 - Claude Code CLI 2.1.220 native — unaffected

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

Windows

Terminal/Shell

PowerShell

Additional Information

_No response_