claude-code - 💡(How to fix) Fix Windows: 'Another program is currently using this file' when clicking Relaunch to update [1 comments, 2 participants]

On Windows 11, clicking "Relaunch" when a Claude Desktop update is available always fails with the error: "another program is currently using this file." This happens every time.

TL;DR

To fix the update issue, stop the CoworkVMService before clicking "Relaunch" and restart it after the update completes, as the service holds file locks on the MSIX package directory.

Guidance

• Identify the CoworkVMService and its startup type to understand why it interferes with the update process.
• Use the provided PowerShell commands to stop and disable the CoworkVMService before updating, and re-enable it after the update.
• Ensure you run the PowerShell commands with admin privileges to successfully disable and re-enable the service.
• Verify that the update completes successfully after stopping and disabling the CoworkVMService.

Example

Stop-Service CoworkVMService -Force
Set-Service CoworkVMService -StartupType Disabled
# Click Relaunch now
# After update, re-enable:
Set-Service CoworkVMService -StartupType Automatic
Start-Service CoworkVMService

Notes

This workaround requires admin privileges and manual intervention. A permanent fix would involve modifying the updater to handle the CoworkVMService properly.

Recommendation

Apply the provided workaround to stop and disable the CoworkVMService before updating, as it is a reliable and tested solution to the issue.