claude-code - 💡(How to fix) Fix [BUG] Claude Desktop hangs on startup — Cowork and Code tabs missing [1 comments, 2 participants]

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anthropics/claude-code#49255Fetched 2026-04-17 08:46:28
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Error Message

The Claude Desktop app starts but hangs immediately. Cowork and Code tabs do not appear in the sidebar. The following error is shown on the main screen: "Could not load connectors directory." 4. Error message: "Could not load connectors directory"

Error Messages/Logs

  1. Observe: error message "Could not load connectors directory" appears at the top

Code Example

Could not load connectors directory
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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?

Bug report: Claude Desktop hangs on startup — Cowork and Code tabs missing

Environment

  • App version: 1.2773.0.0
  • OS: Windows 64-bit
  • Install path: C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Claude_1.2773.0.0_x64__pzs8sxrjxfjjc\app\claude.exe

Description The Claude Desktop app starts but hangs immediately. Cowork and Code tabs do not appear in the sidebar. The following error is shown on the main screen: "Could not load connectors directory."

The same account works correctly on macOS with all features visible (Chat, Code, Cowork).

Steps to reproduce

  1. Open Claude Desktop on Windows
  2. App loads but hangs (Top level window is idle)
  3. Cowork and Code tabs are missing from sidebar
  4. Error message: "Could not load connectors directory"

Event Viewer log (Application Hang — Event ID 1002)

  • Application: claude.exe
  • Version: 1.2773.0.0
  • Process ID: 2d74
  • Fault type: Top level window is idle
  • Report ID: e6c2a643-2144-404b-b6f0-5e709ba75be3
  • Timestamp: 16/04/2026 12:50:56

Note: CoworkVMService entries appear in Event Viewer at 12:41 and 12:44 as Informational — the service appears to be running.

Already tried

  • Logged out and back in
  • Cleared app cache
  • Killed all Claude processes via Task Manager and relaunched
  • Uninstalled and reinstalled the app from claude.com/download
  • App confirms it is on the latest version (no updates available)

What Should Happen?

After launching Claude Desktop on Windows with a Pro account, the sidebar should display three tabs: Chat, Code, and Cowork — the same as on macOS with the same account. The app should load without errors and the connectors directory should load successfully

Error Messages/Logs

Could not load connectors directory

Steps to Reproduce

  1. Install Claude Desktop on Windows 64-bit (version 1.2773.0.0)
  2. Log in with a Pro account
  3. Launch the app
  4. Observe: app loads but Cowork and Code tabs are missing from the sidebar
  5. Observe: error message "Could not load connectors directory" appears at the top

Claude Model

None

Is this a regression?

I don't know

Last Working Version

No response

Claude Code Version

Claude 1.2773.0

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

Windows

Terminal/Shell

Windows Terminal

Additional Information

No response

extent analysis

TL;DR

The issue might be resolved by investigating and fixing the "Could not load connectors directory" error, which could be related to file system permissions or directory configuration on the Windows system.

Guidance

  • Verify the connectors directory exists and is accessible by the Claude Desktop app, checking for any file system permissions issues.
  • Check the Event Viewer logs for any additional errors related to the connectors directory or file system access.
  • Consider comparing the directory structure and permissions between the working macOS environment and the non-working Windows environment to identify potential differences.
  • If the issue persists, try manually creating the connectors directory or adjusting its permissions to see if it resolves the error.

Example

No specific code snippet is provided as the issue seems related to environment configuration rather than code.

Notes

The root cause of the issue is unclear, but it appears to be related to the connectors directory. The fact that the same account works on macOS suggests an environment-specific issue. Without more information about the connectors directory or the specific error message, it's challenging to provide a definitive solution.

Recommendation

Apply workaround: Investigate and fix the connectors directory issue, as it seems to be the primary cause of the problem. This approach is chosen because the error message directly points to a problem with loading the connectors directory, and resolving this issue might restore the missing tabs and functionality.

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claude-code - 💡(How to fix) Fix [BUG] Claude Desktop hangs on startup — Cowork and Code tabs missing [1 comments, 2 participants]