claude-code - 💡(How to fix) Fix CoworkVMService stopped with no in-app recovery (Windows, Claude 1.2581.0.0) [1 participants]

Cowork could not start its workspace VM. No actionable error in-app, and clear actionable error ("Claude background service is not running — restart").

TL;DR

The issue can likely be resolved by configuring recovery actions for the CoworkVMService to automatically restart it in case of a stop.

Guidance

• Verify the current configuration of the CoworkVMService using the sc qc command to check if there are any existing recovery actions configured.
• Configure recovery actions for the CoworkVMService using the sc failure command to restart the service after a specified period, e.g., sc failure CoworkVMService restart/5000.
• Investigate the reason for the clean stop of the CoworkVMService to prevent future occurrences, potentially related to updates or manual stops.
• Consider implementing a mechanism for Cowork to detect and restart the stopped service or surface a clear error message.

Example

sc failure CoworkVMService reset= 30 actions= restart/5000

This command configures the CoworkVMService to restart after 5000 milliseconds if it stops.

Notes

The provided workaround using net start CoworkVMService suggests that the issue is related to the service not being started, but the root cause of the stop is unclear. Configuring recovery actions can help mitigate the issue, but further investigation is needed to determine the underlying cause.

Recommendation

Apply workaround: Configure recovery actions for the CoworkVMService to automatically restart it in case of a stop, as this can help prevent future occurrences of the issue.