[BUG] Claude Desktop MSIX install succeeds but app never launches — opens Documents instead (Windows 10 Home, recurrence of #55465)

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?

Same failure mode as #55465 ("MSIX Installs Successfully but App Cannot Launch — Entry Point Missing/Broken"), which was auto-closed as "not planned" due to stale-bot inactivity without an official fix or maintainer response. Filing a fresh report per the pattern used in #59692/#62028, since the underlying bug appears unresolved.

Summary
The Claude Desktop installer downloads, prompts for admin credentials, shows an "Installing Claude" progress bar that sits at ~50% for several minutes, then the installer window disappears and Windows Explorer opens the Documents folder instead of launching Claude. No Claude entry appears afterward in the Start menu or Task Manager.

What Should Happen?

Claude Desktop should launch after installation, or at minimum a Start menu entry / execution alias should be created.

Error Messages/Logs

Steps to Reproduce

1. Download the Claude Desktop installer from claude.com/download
2. Run it; approve the admin/UAC prompt
3. "Installing Claude" progress bar appears and reaches ~50%
4. Progress bar stalls at ~50% for several minutes
5. Installer window disappears; Windows Explorer opens showing the Documents folder
6. Check Start menu for "Claude" — no entry appears
7. Check Task Manager for a Claude process — none present

Claude Model

None

Is this a regression?

I don't know

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

N/A — Claude Code CLI is not installed. This report is about the Claude Desktop MSIX installer/launcher failing, not the CLI.

Platform

Other

Operating System

Windows

Terminal/Shell

Other

Additional Information

Reporting this as a live data point since related issues keep being auto-closed by the stale-bot without resolution.

• OS: Windows 10 Home, version 22H2
• OS Build: 19045.7548
• Architecture: x64
• Install source: official installer from claude.com/download

Platform field N/A — this is a Desktop app installation failure, not an API/CLI usage question.

Terminal/Shell N/A — Claude Desktop is a GUI installer issue, not a terminal-based one.

Actual Behavior: Windows opens the Documents folder instead of launching Claude — the standard fallback when an AppX/MSIX entry point is missing or invalid. No Start menu entry or running process appears afterward.

Related Issues

• #55465 — identical symptom (entry point missing, Documents folder opens), closed as not planned / stale, no maintainer fix confirmed
• #50285 — launch failure dialog, closed unresolved
• #48437 — MSIX install failure, closed unresolved

```
Get-AppxPackage -Name "Claude"

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 : 1.25927.0.0
PackageFullName : Claude_1.25927.0.0_x64__pzs8sxrjxfjjc
InstallLocation : C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Claude_1.25927.0.0_x64__pzs8sxrjxfjjc
IsFramework : False
PackageFamilyName : Claude_pzs8sxrjxfjjc
PublisherId : pzs8sxrjxfjjc
IsResourcePackage : False
IsBundle : False
IsDevelopmentMode : False
NonRemovable : False
IsPartiallyStaged : False
SignatureKind : Developer
Status : Ok

Happy to provide Event Viewer logs, or screenshots on request.