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claude-code - 💡(How to fix) Fix [BUG] Cowork Dispatch reports "desktop not available" on Windows 11 while standard Cowork works normally

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Error Message

Dispatch: shows desktop as unavailable/offline. [Note whether messages hang, show as "read" with no response, or error immediately.]

Error Messages/Logs

[paste CoworkVMService output: "Starting CoworkVMService as Windows service", "Client connected", "Client signature verified", and any NOT_CONNECTED / route / error lines]

Fix Action

Fix / Workaround

Platform: Windows [10 / 11 — specify] Component: Claude Desktop app (Cowork / Dispatch), not Claude Code CLI Desktop app version: [Help > About, e.g. 1.xxxx.x.x] Mobile app version (if dispatching from phone): [version] Plan: [Pro / Max / Team] What's wrong (summary) Dispatch reports the desktop as unavailable ("desktop not available" / "can't reach my desktop / desktop appears offline") even though the Claude Desktop app is open, the machine is online and awake, and standard Cowork sessions in the same app work normally. The failure is isolated to the Dispatch connection. Expected behavior Dispatch should connect to the running desktop app and allow tasks to be sent/executed, the same way standard Cowork sessions already do. Actual behavior Standard Cowork: works. Dispatch: shows desktop as unavailable/offline. [Note whether messages hang, show as "read" with no response, or error immediately.] Steps to reproduce

Open Claude Desktop on Windows; confirm standard Cowork works. Open Dispatch (desktop sidebar / mobile app). Attempt to start or send a Dispatch task. Observe: desktop reported as not available / offline.

Dispatch should connect to the running desktop app and allow tasks to be sent/executed, the same way standard Cowork sessions already do.

Code Example

[paste CoworkVMService output: "Starting CoworkVMService as Windows service", "Client connected", "Client signature verified", and any NOT_CONNECTED / route / error lines]
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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?

Platform: Windows [10 / 11 — specify] Component: Claude Desktop app (Cowork / Dispatch), not Claude Code CLI Desktop app version: [Help > About, e.g. 1.xxxx.x.x] Mobile app version (if dispatching from phone): [version] Plan: [Pro / Max / Team] What's wrong (summary) Dispatch reports the desktop as unavailable ("desktop not available" / "can't reach my desktop / desktop appears offline") even though the Claude Desktop app is open, the machine is online and awake, and standard Cowork sessions in the same app work normally. The failure is isolated to the Dispatch connection. Expected behavior Dispatch should connect to the running desktop app and allow tasks to be sent/executed, the same way standard Cowork sessions already do. Actual behavior Standard Cowork: works. Dispatch: shows desktop as unavailable/offline. [Note whether messages hang, show as "read" with no response, or error immediately.] Steps to reproduce

Open Claude Desktop on Windows; confirm standard Cowork works. Open Dispatch (desktop sidebar / mobile app). Attempt to start or send a Dispatch task. Observe: desktop reported as not available / offline.

Already tried (all failed)

Logged out and back in on both desktop and mobile (same account confirmed) Updated both apps to latest, fully quit via tray icon, relaunched Confirmed machine online and not sleeping/hibernating Confirmed no VPN/firewall change [Reinstalled Claude Desktop — yes/no]

What Should Happen?

Dispatch should connect to the running desktop app and allow tasks to be sent/executed, the same way standard Cowork sessions already do.

Error Messages/Logs

[paste CoworkVMService output: "Starting CoworkVMService as Windows service", "Client connected", "Client signature verified", and any NOT_CONNECTED / route / error lines]

Steps to Reproduce

Open Claude Desktop on Windows; confirm standard Cowork works. Open Dispatch (desktop sidebar / mobile app). Attempt to start or send a Dispatch task. Observe: desktop reported as not available / offline.

Claude Model

Opus

Is this a regression?

Yes, this worked in a previous version

Last Working Version

No response

Claude Code Version

1.0.123

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

Windows

Terminal/Shell

PowerShell

Additional Information

No response

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