Agents issues on Windows
Issues the maintainers labelled both platform:windows and area:agents.
521 issues · 198 open · 323 resolved (62%) · first seen Feb 9, 2026
Is this getting better or worse?
This class of problem is still growing. 260 new reports in the last 90 days vs 171 in the 90 before — +52%. The open backlog peaked at 198 in 2026-10 and sits at 198 today.
Derived by counting each matching issue from its creation date until it closed. First-party
computation over the anthropics/claude-code tracker — the trend is not published
anywhere upstream.
Which builds report this
335 of these reports name the Claude Code build they were running, spanning 139 releases. Heaviest reporters:
- Claude Code v2.1.289
- Claude Code v2.1.258
- Claude Code v2.1.233
- Claude Code v2.1.296
- Claude Code v2.1.123
- Claude Code v2.1.284
- Claude Code v2.1.202
- Claude Code v2.1.92
Report volume, not a defect count: an issue can mention a build without that build having caused the failure. Versions come from the version string in the bug-report template, matched against real published tags.
Do these get fixed?
Median time to close is 35 days across 323 closures. Of the 323 closures with a recorded reason, 19% were closed as completed and 263 as not-planned or duplicate. The most recent completed fix landed in 2026-10.
Workarounds reported by the community
155 of these issues post a workaround someone says worked. The highest-engagement ones:
- [FEATURE] Add Windows Terminal as a split-pane backend for agent teams (teammateMode)
- …ng an entire Linux subsystem just for pane splitting 3. Use workaround scripts that attempt to bridge the gap via hooks (fragile, unsupported) Proposed Solution Add as a valid backend, with auto-detection support. Detect…
Found in the description of #24384 · still open - Subagent model routing is broken — all mechanisms resolve to parent model (Opus)
- …pe), which the changelog doesn't mention. The full-model-ID workaround noted above likely still applies there.
Found in the thread of #43869 · still open - [BUG] Windows/MSIX 1.28929.0: cross-session messages land in the target's composer but are never submitted — session never responds
- …nd the content to the recipient window directly. 6. Current workaround 1. Write the actual content to a shared file 2. Have a human paste the file path into the recipient window Nothing else got a message through. from t…
Found in the thread of #86069 · still open - [BUG] /model and /effort mutate global settings.json — breaks agents/fleet view; no way to configure per-agent model or effort
- …ents ignoring env values — confirming that even the env var workaround for model configuration was broken for background agents until yesterday. Steps to reproduce 1. Open 2. Launch agent A on Opus — note current model/e…
Found in the description of #66402 · still open - advisor() tool inflates reported input tokens by forwarding full transcript, triggering premature auto-compaction on extended context models
- …ction and destroys the context it was supposed to help with Workaround Setting and/or using a PreCompact hook that blocks auto-compaction: This blocks all auto-compaction and relies on manual . Not ideal but prevents the…
Found in the description of #53065 · still open
Excerpts are quoted from the linked issue so you can judge relevance before opening it. Threads that only ask for a workaround, or report that there is none, are excluded. These are community suggestions, not official guidance from Anthropic — read the full thread before applying one.
Matching issues 1–100
Ranked by community engagement (reactions weighted over comments). Listing the top 300 of 521 matches; the statistics above cover all 521.
- [FEATURE] Add Windows Terminal as a split-pane backend for agent teams (teammateMode)
- Subagent model routing is broken — all mechanisms resolve to parent model (Opus)
- [BUG] Windows/MSIX 1.28929.0: cross-session messages land in the target's composer but are never submitted — session never responds
- [BUG] /model and /effort mutate global settings.json — breaks agents/fleet view; no way to configure per-agent model or effort
- advisor() tool inflates reported input tokens by forwarding full transcript, triggering premature auto-compaction on extended context models
- [BUG] Background agents frequently go idle without delivering their final SendMessage report (re-ping recovers it)
- Claude Code v2.1.167: Agent() spawn fails with "400 thinking options type cannot be disabled when reasoning_effort is set" on DeepSeek Anthropic-compatible endpoint
- [BUG] Claude Code usage limit hit after 7 minutes on new session
- [FEATURE] Cross-session send cap (10 per human input) is not configurable and ignores inbound human-originated messages
- [BUG] Cross-session send_message reports success but message is never delivered (stuck loading, 0/4 delivery)
- [Feature] Multi-agent runtime needs mechanical enforcement: 9 gaps that defeat unattended overnight operation
- 2.1.59 regression: corruption detection cascade amplifies .claude.json corruption from Task tool subagents
- VS Code: [ Claude Extention ] Can't see what subagents are doing or if they're stuck.
- [BUG] 2.1.114 regression: background subagents cannot write to paths listed in permissions.allow — works in 2.1.112
- [BUG] Background subagents silently auto-deny permissions (Write tool)
- [BUG] Agent Teams: inbox messages to team lead deferred until stop_reason=end_turn (buried during tool_use chains)
- [BUG] Agent/Explore subagent crashes with "Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'input_tokens')"
- Claude Desktop blocks SendMessage entirely, which also removes subagent continuation
- claude agents: pressing back arrow while response is generating freezes CLI completely
- Sub-agents cannot spawn other sub-agents: `Task`/`Agent` primitive not exposed in nested contexts
- [BUG] Claude Code uses entire 5 hour token limit in one prompt with zero feedbacks or results
- [BUG] Agent Teams: Single teammate spawn creates 10-151 duplicate worker instances, each consuming full context and actively editing files
- [BUG] Skill subagent inherits parent's 1M-context tier but not extra-usage entitlement
- Session hangs indefinitely with spinning thinking indicator — 3 confirmed variants (+ /btw MCP teardown)
- [FEATURE] Workflow tool: byte-exact data channel between workflow scripts and the host (model-retyped transport corrupts commands and payloads)
- [BUG] Server-side rate limits break parallel agent workflows — request transparent auto-retry
- [Critical] Background agents cannot be stopped, Claude lies about stopping, massive token waste (~1.4M tokens), inconsistent statements
- [BUG] Cowork: Agent tool `model` parameter silently ignored — all sub-agents routed to Haiku
- Background agent results should be viewable like foreground agent output
- [BUG] Cross-session messages are displayed in the target session but never enqueued (model never sees them)
- [Bug] v2.1.121 Windows: Claude Code REPL silently exits inside PowerShell host during long-running agent + dense Bash subprocess chain
- Agent/subagent freezes indefinitely on Opus 4.6 — no timeout, no error, no recovery
- Subagents don't inherit bypassPermissions mode from parent session
- [MODEL] Fable 5 Ultracode spawns excessive parallel agents for single refactoring task
- TUI rendering: /agents view lines stack/overlap on Windows Terminal (2.1.140)
- [BUG] Agents UI: status-rail text overlaps agent output pane at left edge
- Support tmux agent teams on Windows via psmux (native Windows terminal multiplexer)
- SendMessage/ListAgents cross-session peer messaging broken after CCD 2.1.258 -> 2.1.260 update (Windows desktop app)
- [BUG] Unauthorised launch of extremely inefficient subagents that wasted tokens - I want a refund
- Feature: Multi-session coordination primitives (cross-session messaging, session registry, compaction-resistant state, shared task board)
- Agent tool: `isolation: worktree` switches parent worktree's branch instead of creating isolated worktree
- Worktree branch created from wrong base branch and stale commit
- [Bug] Claude fabricates user messages to bypass approval for destructive actions
- [BUG] ListAgents / SendMessage missing from tool registry in Desktop scheduled-task and Remote Control sessions (bisected to Desktop 1.44121.4 -> 1.46388.1)
- ListAgents tells you to use a SendMessage tool that is not present in the build — running subagents cannot be corrected mid-flight
- [BUG] Desktop app: turns triggered by cross-session messages hang at 0 tokens (manual prompts work)
- [BUG] Agent view: scrolling inside attached session leaves stale left-column artifacts (Windows Terminal 2.1.141)
- [Bug] Anthropic API Error: 529 Overloaded - Missing Exponential Backoff for Subagent Spawns
- Max Plan subscribers billed through API key when subagents dispatch - $152 unexpected charges
- [BUG] Parallel subagents with worktree isolation fail due to git config lock contention
- [BUG] Subagents with `memory` field never create or update MEMORY.md — memory system not functional for Task() subagents
- [BUG] WorktreeCreate hook stdin payload doesn't match documentation — Workflow runtime sends 'name', docs say 'worktree_name' + 'base_path' + 'source_ref'
- Context meter ~doubles during in-flight advisor tool call, reverts on cancel — forces premature compaction (Opus 4.7 [1m])
- [BUG] Session terminates automatically when using multiple subagents.
- [Bug] /agents command freezes on desktop CLI, unable to create new agents
- send_message (cross-session): sender gets "Message sent", recipient session is never written to and stops responding permanently
- [BUG] Cross-session send_message: receiving session hangs indefinitely on message-initiated turns (regression 2.1.221 to 2.1.227, persists in 2.1.231)
- Cross-session send_message delivers to the target session's queue but never triggers a responding turn (regression in desktop 1.28929.0 / CC runtime 2.1.227, still broken in 2.1.231)
- Cross-session send_message silently lost after worktree recycle (reports sent, never delivered)
- Cross-session message delivered to transcript but receiving session never processes it
- Windows Desktop: turns initiated while session window is unfocused (cross-session send_message delivery) never start; watchdog-killed after ~980s — regression 2.1.222 -> 2.1.227
- [BUG] Receiving session is interrupted when a cross-session message arrives, and afterwards has no knowledge of the message
- Background/Workflow agent no-progress watchdog detects stalls but has no recovery path (recurring, well-documented, keeps getting auto-closed without a fix)
- [BUG] Parallel sub-agents permanently wedge after completing work — unkillable, ignore queued input, "Tool result missing due to internal error", 8h+ zombies (Windows, 2.1.162)
- Chip-spawned task runs on primary checkout instead of fresh worktree
- `--bg` feature gate disabled on Windows, enabled on macOS for same account + version
- [FEATURE] Expose sub-agent token usage in PostToolUse hook response
- [BUG] Claude Code over-consumes context by not delegating bulky operations to subagents
- [BUG] Background agents consume full rate limit but produce zero output when rate-limited mid-execution
- .claude.json corrupted by concurrent writes; recovery loop spawns cascading agents producing hundreds of backup files
- [harness] compaction-loss: Compaction replaced the lead's transcript with a 4 KB stub;
- Cross-session send_message queues and renders in target session UI but is never injected into its context (regression v2.1.222 -> v2.1.227, Windows desktop)
- [BUG] send_message reports success on native Windows where cross-session messaging is not offered — no inbox socket bound, nothing delivered, caller cannot tell (worked on this machine until 2026-08-11)
- [CRITICAL] Recursive subagent fan-out survives Stop and hard-freezes Windows at 100% CPU
- [BUG] Duplicate/stale idle_notification messages from background teammate agents flood the parent session
- [BUG] Nested background subagents stuck showing "Running" indefinitely despite having no active task
- [BUG] Claude Code — Per-Agent Permission Control Gap
- Critical: Claude Code worktree auto-cleanup permanently deleted 10 days of uncommitted project work without any warning
- Feature request: Worktree-spawned agents should inherit parent session's hooks (PreToolUse/PostToolUse)
- [BUG] isolation="worktree" fails on Windows — falsely reports "not in a git repository"
- [BUG] claude tends to get stuck using find/grep/sed to READ files during Explore() tool causing many permission prompts
- [BUG] Custom agents intermittently disappear from /agents picker — files on disk, not loaded (v2.1.69)
- Background agent keeps running and billing after its window is closed AND after logout/re-login — invisible from the active session, found only by luck on another device
- [Docs] Advisor tool is not inherited by background subagents, contradicting the advisor docs
- tmux/psmux auto-detection disables session transcript persistence — .jsonl never written
- [BUG] Agent Teams: peer message body not delivered to recipient context
- [BUG] Subagent autonomously ran destructive DELETE scripts against production data
- Sub-agents declare work as PASS without performing actual verification against reference
- [BUG] Sub-agent permission mode inheritance broken — permissionMode frontmatter and parent acceptEdits both ineffective for Edit tool calls
- [Bug] Background sub-agent output files empty (0 bytes) on Windows
- [Bug] Unexpected high token consumption with non-Claude subagents and orchestrator models
- [BUG] Opus 4.7: In-session corrections not retained — structurally unreliable for autonomous operation
- [Bug] statusline-setup agent causes excessive token usage via nested subagents on Windows
- [Windows] Background agent output file stays 0 bytes due to symlink permission failure
- Context compaction drops subagent results, causing redundant re-runs and wasted tokens
- [FEATURE] Feature Request: Live agent output in separate terminal
- Desktop app: resumed background subagent shows only the SendMessage JSON; transcript looks frozen until the agent completes
- Fable 5.1 repeatedly ignores a standing "read the record before acting" directive (13 recorded instances in 15 days)
- Cross-session `send_message` has no working return path — sender's `local_<uuid>` id is unreachable from the `ListAgents`/`SendMessage` namespace
- [BUG] [Windows/Desktop] Cross-session messages to idle sessions are silently lost after auto-update; wake attempts wedge the session