[BUG] MSIX installs for admin account not calling user on Windows 11 Pro — cannot launch Claude Desktop

[QS3445]

Preflight Checklist

• I have searched existing issues and this hasn't been reported yet
• This is a single bug report (please file separate reports for different bugs)
• I am using the latest version of Claude Code

What's Wrong?

Windows 11 Pro
Claude MSIX version: 1.1.5749.0

Problem:
Installing Claude.msix requires administrator privileges, but when installed
as admin the package registers for the admin account (AdminBackup) instead
of my regular user account. Claude then silently fails to launch for my user.

Get-AppxPackage shows:
{S-1-5-21-1133972607-2626904044-3298523910-1004 [DBOY\AdminBackup]: Installed}

Steps tried:

• Removed all Claude packages with Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
• Removed CoworkVMService (was not present)
• Enabled Developer Mode and Hyper-V
• Downloaded MSIX from claude.ai/api/desktop/win32/x64/msix/latest/redirect
• Installing as normal user fails: 0x80073D28 (admin required for packaged service)
• Installing as admin installs for wrong user account
• Claude silently does not launch, no logs created, no process in Task Manager

This is a catch-22 — the MSIX needs admin to install its service, but
admin installation registers it for the wrong user.

Related issues: #25055, #25162

What Should Happen?

Claude Desktop should install successfully for the logged-in user (Graham Smith),
not the administrator account. After installation, Claude Desktop should launch
and display the main window when opened from the Start menu.

Error Messages/Logs

Steps to Reproduce

1. Have a Windows 11 Pro machine with a standard user account and a separate
   admin account (DBOY\AdminBackup)
2. Enable Developer Mode in Settings → System → For Developers
3. Enable Hyper-V, Virtual Machine Platform, and Windows Hypervisor Platform
4. Download Claude.msix from https://claude.ai/api/desktop/win32/x64/msix/latest/redirect
5. Double-click Claude.msix as normal user — fails with "administrator privileges required"
6. Install via admin PowerShell: Add-AppxPackage -Path "C:\Users\Graham Smith\Downloads\Claude.msix"
7. Installation succeeds but registers for admin account, not the calling user
8. Run: Get-AppxPackage -Name "Claude" -AllUsers | Select-Object PackageUserInformation
   Result shows: [DBOY\AdminBackup]: Installed — NOT the regular user
9. Claude silently fails to launch — no window, no process in Task Manager, no log files created

Claude Model

None

Is this a regression?

Yes, this worked in a previous version

Last Working Version

No response

Claude Code Version

Claude MSIX version: 1.1.5749.0

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

macOS

Terminal/Shell

Terminal.app (macOS)

Additional Information

No response

[github-actions]

Found 2 possible duplicate issues:

1. [BUG] Cowork Windows - MSIX installs for elevating admin user, not calling standard user (split-account enterprise environment) #25055
2. [BUG] Existing Squirrel-based Claude Desktop users cannot upgrade to MSIX — silent failure (0x80073CFA) #25162

This issue will be automatically closed as a duplicate in 3 days.

• If your issue is a duplicate, please close it and 👍 the existing issue instead
• To prevent auto-closure, add a comment or 👎 this comment

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

[QS3445]

While related to #25055 and #25162, this is a slightly different scenario —
the MSIX requires admin to install its packaged service, but admin installation
registers for the wrong user account. Installing as a normal user fails with
0x80073D28. There is no workaround available. Please keep open.

[github-actions]

Closing for now — inactive for too long. Please open a new issue if this is still relevant.

[github-actions]

This issue has been automatically locked since it was closed and has not had any activity for 7 days. If you're experiencing a similar issue, please file a new issue and reference this one if it's relevant.