claude-code - 💡(How to fix) Fix [BUG] Windows: file existence check uses cmd.exe dir instead of fs.existsSync, fails when cmd.exe is blocked by corporate policy [2 comments, 2 participants]

Claude Code was unable to find CLAUDE_CODE_GIT_BASH_PATH path "C:\Program Files\Git\bin\bash.exe"

VS Code Extension log: 2026-04-08 12:28:26.052 [info] From claude: Claude Code was unable to find CLAUDE_CODE_GIT_BASH_PATH path "C:\Program Files\Git\bin\bash.exe" 2026-04-08 12:28:26.077 [error] Error spawning Claude (on channel x0zbuqiuib): Error: Query closed before response received Proof that the file exists and is accessible: PS> & "C:\Program Files\Git\bin\bash.exe" --version GNU bash, version 5.2.37(1)-release (x86_64-pc-msys)

PS> node -e "const fs = require('fs'); try { fs.accessSync('C:\Program Files\Git\bin\bash.exe', fs.constants.R_OK | fs.constants.X_OK); console.log('OK'); } catch(e) { console.log('FAIL:', e.message); }" OK Root cause in cli.js - function f28() uses dir command: javascriptfunction f28(q){ try{ return Sf6(dir "${q}",{stdio:"pipe"}),!0 } catch{ return!1 } } Suggested fix: javascriptconst fs = require('fs'); function f28(q){ try{ fs.accessSync(q, fs.constants.R_OK); return true } catch{ return false } }

TL;DR

Replace the execSync('dir "path"') call in cli.js with fs.accessSync() to fix the issue with Claude Code failing to start on Windows due to blocked cmd.exe.

Guidance

• Identify the f28 function in cli.js and replace it with the suggested fix using fs.accessSync() to check for file existence and accessibility.
• Verify that the fs module is properly required and imported in the modified code.
• Test the modified code on a Windows machine with cmd.exe blocked by corporate Group Policy to ensure Claude Code starts correctly.
• Consider adding error handling for cases where fs.accessSync() fails, to provide more informative error messages.

Example

const fs = require('fs');
function f28(q){
  try{ 
    fs.accessSync(q, fs.constants.R_OK); 
    return true 
  }
  catch{ 
    return false 
  }
}

Notes

This fix assumes that the fs module is available and functional in the Node.js environment. If issues persist, verify the Node.js version and fs module functionality.

Recommendation

Apply the suggested workaround by replacing execSync('dir "path"') with fs.accessSync() to unblock corporate users and allow Claude Code to start normally on Windows machines with restricted cmd.exe.