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claude-code - 💡(How to fix) Fix Claude Desktop cowork/CC-in-Desktop leaks ~19GB kernel non-paged pool memory [2 comments, 2 participants]

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anthropics/claude-code#48813•Fetched 2026-04-16 06:50:15
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Code Example

(Get-CimInstance Win32_PerfFormattedData_PerfOS_Memory).PoolNonpagedBytes / 1GB
# returns ~19.4 (should be 0.2-0.5)

---

PoolNonpagedBytes : 20821811200  (~19.4 GB)
PoolPagedBytes    : 3794968576   (~3.5 GB)
CommittedBytes    : 120590778368 (~112 GB committed)
AvailableBytes    : 3306254336   (~3 GB free)
RAW_BUFFERClick to expand / collapse

Bug

running claude code inside claude desktop (cowork feature) causes a massive kernel non-paged pool memory leak. after ~1-2 hours of use, PoolNonpagedBytes grows to ~19.4GB (normal is 200-500MB). this is kernel-mode memory that can't be freed without a full system restart.

Environment

  • windows 11 home 10.0.26200
  • 32GB RAM
  • NVIDIA GeForce GPU
  • claude desktop latest
  • claude code CLI active in desktop

Reproduction

  1. open claude desktop
  2. use claude code within desktop (cowork)
  3. work for 1-2 hours (multiple sessions, tool calls, etc.)
  4. check memory: task manager shows ~28/32GB used but visible processes only account for ~5GB
  5. verify with powershell:
(Get-CimInstance Win32_PerfFormattedData_PerfOS_Memory).PoolNonpagedBytes / 1GB
# returns ~19.4 (should be 0.2-0.5)

Impact

system becomes unusable - only ~3GB free RAM, everything slows down. only fix is full restart. the leak is in kernel non-paged pool which means it's a driver-level allocation (likely from electron/chromium GPU process) that never gets freed. no user-space process kill can reclaim it.

Diagnostics

PoolNonpagedBytes : 20821811200  (~19.4 GB)
PoolPagedBytes    : 3794968576   (~3.5 GB)
CommittedBytes    : 120590778368 (~112 GB committed)
AvailableBytes    : 3306254336   (~3 GB free)

top processes by memory only accounted for ~5GB total. the 19.4GB non-paged pool is the ghost consumer.

extent analysis

TL;DR

The likely fix involves addressing the kernel non-paged pool memory leak caused by running Claude code inside Claude Desktop, potentially by updating or configuring the Electron/Chromium GPU process.

Guidance

  • Investigate the Electron/Chromium GPU process for potential memory leaks, as it is likely the source of the kernel non-paged pool memory leak.
  • Monitor the PoolNonpagedBytes value over time to understand the leak rate and identify potential triggers.
  • Consider disabling the Claude code feature within Claude Desktop or limiting its usage to mitigate the memory leak.
  • Use the provided PowerShell command to regularly check the PoolNonpagedBytes value and detect potential issues before they cause system slowdowns.

Example

No specific code snippet is provided, as the issue is related to a complex system-level memory leak.

Notes

The memory leak is specific to the kernel non-paged pool, which suggests a driver-level allocation issue. This may require updates or configuration changes to the underlying Electron/Chromium GPU process.

Recommendation

Apply a workaround, such as disabling or limiting the Claude code feature within Claude Desktop, until a permanent fix is available. This is because the memory leak is causing significant system slowdowns and the only current fix is a full system restart.

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#authentication setup#request error#file not found#serialization error#memory leak

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claude-code - 💡(How to fix) Fix Claude Desktop cowork/CC-in-Desktop leaks ~19GB kernel non-paged pool memory [2 comments, 2 participants]