[BUG] Claude desktop (MSIX) becomes unlaunchable after long-running SSH deploy commands — Repair fails, only reinstall fixes it

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?

Environment:

Windows 11 Pro, build 10.0.26200, x64
Claude desktop installed as MSIX (per-user, AddPackage), package family Claude_pzs8sxrjxfjjc
16 GB RAM, typically ~3.5 GB free
Bitdefender active

Description:

Claude Code in the desktop app repeatedly puts the app into an unlaunchable state. Windows then shows "This app can't open" and suggests Repair. Repair fails, first with "We couldn't repair this app because it's currently running" (even with no visible window — cowork-svc.exe runs as SYSTEM in the background), then with "We couldn't repair this app, try again in a bit" after all processes are stopped and CoworkVMService is stopped. Only a full uninstall + restart + reinstall restores it. This has happened 4+ times in one day.

Trigger pattern:

It consistently happens during or shortly after tasks that run long SSH commands — deploying a Next.js app to a remote server, where the build runs on the server and the SSH command stays open for minutes. The app dies mid-task.

Ruled out:

Large session transcripts (a previous session hit 87 MB with ~1010 embedded base64 screenshots and caused freezes, but the latest crashes happened with the largest transcript at 3 MB)
Project-specific issues (reproduced with a fresh empty folder and a new session)
Corrupt install (reproduced right after a clean reinstall)
Filesystem permissions (ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES granted RX on %USERPROFILE%\.claude)

Reinstall issues encountered along the way:

AddPackage failed with HRESULT 0x80073CF6
0x80073D05 (ERROR_DELETING_EXISTING_APPLICATIONDATA_STORE_FAILED) — required a reboot between uninstall and install
"Administrator access is required to install Claude with full features. You can try again or install without Cowork."

Expected: a long-running shell command should not leave the app in a state Windows can't launch or repair.

What Should Happen?

Environment:

Windows 11 Pro, build 10.0.26200, x64
Claude desktop installed as MSIX (per-user, AddPackage), package family Claude_pzs8sxrjxfjjc
16 GB RAM, typically ~3.5 GB free
Bitdefender active

Description:

Claude Code in the desktop app repeatedly puts the app into an unlaunchable state. Windows then shows "This app can't open" and suggests Repair. Repair fails, first with "We couldn't repair this app because it's currently running" (even with no visible window — cowork-svc.exe runs as SYSTEM in the background), then with "We couldn't repair this app, try again in a bit" after all processes are stopped and CoworkVMService is stopped. Only a full uninstall + restart + reinstall restores it. This has happened 4+ times in one day.

Trigger pattern:

It consistently happens during or shortly after tasks that run long SSH commands — deploying a Next.js app to a remote server, where the build runs on the server and the SSH command stays open for minutes. The app dies mid-task.

Ruled out:

Large session transcripts (a previous session hit 87 MB with ~1010 embedded base64 screenshots and caused freezes, but the latest crashes happened with the largest transcript at 3 MB)
Project-specific issues (reproduced with a fresh empty folder and a new session)
Corrupt install (reproduced right after a clean reinstall)
Filesystem permissions (ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES granted RX on %USERPROFILE%\.claude)

Reinstall issues encountered along the way:

AddPackage failed with HRESULT 0x80073CF6
0x80073D05 (ERROR_DELETING_EXISTING_APPLICATIONDATA_STORE_FAILED) — required a reboot between uninstall and install
"Administrator access is required to install Claude with full features. You can try again or install without Cowork."

Expected: a long-running shell command should not leave the app in a state Windows can't launch or repair.

Error Messages/Logs

Environment:

Windows 11 Pro, build 10.0.26200, x64
Claude desktop installed as MSIX (per-user, AddPackage), package family Claude_pzs8sxrjxfjjc
16 GB RAM, typically ~3.5 GB free
Bitdefender active

Description:

Claude Code in the desktop app repeatedly puts the app into an unlaunchable state. Windows then shows "This app can't open" and suggests Repair. Repair fails, first with "We couldn't repair this app because it's currently running" (even with no visible window — cowork-svc.exe runs as SYSTEM in the background), then with "We couldn't repair this app, try again in a bit" after all processes are stopped and CoworkVMService is stopped. Only a full uninstall + restart + reinstall restores it. This has happened 4+ times in one day.

Trigger pattern:

It consistently happens during or shortly after tasks that run long SSH commands — deploying a Next.js app to a remote server, where the build runs on the server and the SSH command stays open for minutes. The app dies mid-task.

Ruled out:

Large session transcripts (a previous session hit 87 MB with ~1010 embedded base64 screenshots and caused freezes, but the latest crashes happened with the largest transcript at 3 MB)
Project-specific issues (reproduced with a fresh empty folder and a new session)
Corrupt install (reproduced right after a clean reinstall)
Filesystem permissions (ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES granted RX on %USERPROFILE%\.claude)

Reinstall issues encountered along the way:

AddPackage failed with HRESULT 0x80073CF6
0x80073D05 (ERROR_DELETING_EXISTING_APPLICATIONDATA_STORE_FAILED) — required a reboot between uninstall and install
"Administrator access is required to install Claude with full features. You can try again or install without Cowork."

Expected: a long-running shell command should not leave the app in a state Windows can't launch or repair.

Steps to Reproduce

Environment:

Windows 11 Pro, build 10.0.26200, x64
Claude desktop installed as MSIX (per-user, AddPackage), package family Claude_pzs8sxrjxfjjc
16 GB RAM, typically ~3.5 GB free
Bitdefender active

Description:

Claude Code in the desktop app repeatedly puts the app into an unlaunchable state. Windows then shows "This app can't open" and suggests Repair. Repair fails, first with "We couldn't repair this app because it's currently running" (even with no visible window — cowork-svc.exe runs as SYSTEM in the background), then with "We couldn't repair this app, try again in a bit" after all processes are stopped and CoworkVMService is stopped. Only a full uninstall + restart + reinstall restores it. This has happened 4+ times in one day.

Trigger pattern:

It consistently happens during or shortly after tasks that run long SSH commands — deploying a Next.js app to a remote server, where the build runs on the server and the SSH command stays open for minutes. The app dies mid-task.

Ruled out:

Large session transcripts (a previous session hit 87 MB with ~1010 embedded base64 screenshots and caused freezes, but the latest crashes happened with the largest transcript at 3 MB)
Project-specific issues (reproduced with a fresh empty folder and a new session)
Corrupt install (reproduced right after a clean reinstall)
Filesystem permissions (ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES granted RX on %USERPROFILE%\.claude)

Reinstall issues encountered along the way:

AddPackage failed with HRESULT 0x80073CF6
0x80073D05 (ERROR_DELETING_EXISTING_APPLICATIONDATA_STORE_FAILED) — required a reboot between uninstall and install
"Administrator access is required to install Claude with full features. You can try again or install without Cowork."

Expected: a long-running shell command should not leave the app in a state Windows can't launch or repair.

Claude Model

None

Is this a regression?

Yes, this worked in a previous version

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

1.40609.0.0

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

Windows

Terminal/Shell

Terminal.app (macOS)

Additional Information

Environment:

Windows 11 Pro, build 10.0.26200, x64
Claude desktop installed as MSIX (per-user, AddPackage), package family Claude_pzs8sxrjxfjjc
16 GB RAM, typically ~3.5 GB free
Bitdefender active

Description:

Claude Code in the desktop app repeatedly puts the app into an unlaunchable state. Windows then shows "This app can't open" and suggests Repair. Repair fails, first with "We couldn't repair this app because it's currently running" (even with no visible window — cowork-svc.exe runs as SYSTEM in the background), then with "We couldn't repair this app, try again in a bit" after all processes are stopped and CoworkVMService is stopped. Only a full uninstall + restart + reinstall restores it. This has happened 4+ times in one day.

Trigger pattern:

It consistently happens during or shortly after tasks that run long SSH commands — deploying a Next.js app to a remote server, where the build runs on the server and the SSH command stays open for minutes. The app dies mid-task.

Ruled out:

Large session transcripts (a previous session hit 87 MB with ~1010 embedded base64 screenshots and caused freezes, but the latest crashes happened with the largest transcript at 3 MB)
Project-specific issues (reproduced with a fresh empty folder and a new session)
Corrupt install (reproduced right after a clean reinstall)
Filesystem permissions (ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES granted RX on %USERPROFILE%\.claude)

Reinstall issues encountered along the way:

AddPackage failed with HRESULT 0x80073CF6
0x80073D05 (ERROR_DELETING_EXISTING_APPLICATIONDATA_STORE_FAILED) — required a reboot between uninstall and install
"Administrator access is required to install Claude with full features. You can try again or install without Cowork."

Expected: a long-running shell command should not leave the app in a state Windows can't launch or repair.