CoworkVMService cannot set its own SCM recovery actions ("Access is denied") -> a crash stays down until reboot
Status Open
Maintainer reply None cached
Activity 0 comments · opened Sep 11, 2026
Summary
On Windows, the packaged CoworkVMService (binary cowork-svc.exe, signed "Anthropic, PBC") attempts to configure its own Service Control Manager crash-recovery actions at every startup and is denied by the OS. As a result the service has no failure/recovery actions, and -- in its own logged words -- "a crashed service will stay down until reboot." This contributes to the recurring pattern where a Claude desktop update or a service crash on Windows requires a full reboot to recover.
Environment
- OS: Windows 11 Home 10.0.26200
- Claude (desktop, MSIX/AppX): package
Claude_..._pzs8sxrjxfjjc, version 1.52386.0.0 - Service binary:
C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Claude_1.52386.0.0_x64__pzs8sxrjxfjjc\app\resources\cowork-svc.exe
What the service logs at startup (verbatim)
2026/09/10 23:05:02 Warning: failed to configure recovery actions (a crashed service will stay down until reboot): open service: Access is denied.(full report is in the saved .md file)