claude-code - 💡(How to fix) Fix Desktop app shows no recovery option when working directory has been moved or deleted [1 participants]

When a project's working directory is moved or renamed, the Claude desktop app throws an error on startup: 4. The error appears with no in-app recovery option The error is shown but the user is stuck — no button, no prompt, no in-app fix.

TL;DR

The most likely fix is to update the Claude desktop app to handle missing working directories by providing an in-app option to re-select or remove the stale session.

Guidance

• The error occurs when the working directory is moved or renamed, and the app does not have a mechanism to recover from this situation.
• To verify the issue, follow the steps to reproduce and check if the error appears with no in-app recovery option.
• A potential workaround is to manually edit the hidden JSON session file and update the cwd and originCwd fields to the new path, but this is not a user-friendly solution.
• The app should be updated to handle this scenario by providing an in-app option to either re-select the new folder location or dismiss the stale session entirely.

Example

No code snippet is provided as it is not explicitly stated or strongly implied in the issue.

Notes

The provided information is specific to the Claude desktop app version 2.1.119 on macOS 15, and the solution may vary for different versions or operating systems.

Recommendation

Apply a workaround by manually editing the hidden JSON session file until an updated version of the app is available that handles missing working directories.