Troubleshooting

The sections below cover issues specific to the desktop app. For runtime API errors that appear in the chat such as API Error: 500, 529 Overloaded, 429, or Prompt is too long, see the Error reference. Those errors and their fixes are the same across the CLI, desktop, and web.

Check your version

To see which version of the desktop app you're running:

• macOS: click Claude in the menu bar, then About Claude
• Windows: click Help, then About

Click the version number to copy it to your clipboard.

403 or authentication errors in the Code tab

If you see Error 403: Forbidden or other authentication failures when using the Code tab:

1. Sign out and back in from the app menu. This is the most common fix.
2. Verify you have an active paid subscription: Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise.
3. If the CLI works but Desktop does not, quit the desktop app completely, not just close the window, then reopen and sign in again.
4. Check your internet connection and proxy settings.

Blank or stuck screen on launch

If the app opens but shows a blank or unresponsive screen:

1. Restart the app.
2. Check for pending updates. On macOS and Windows the app auto-updates on launch; on Linux, update through apt as described in Claude Desktop on Linux.
3. On a managed network, confirm your firewall allows the CDN hosts in network access requirements.
4. On Windows, check Event Viewer for crash logs under Windows Logs → Application.

"Failed to load session"

If you see Failed to load session, the selected folder may no longer exist, a Git repository may require Git LFS that isn't installed, or file permissions may prevent access. Try selecting a different folder or restarting the app.

Session not finding installed tools

If Claude can't find tools like npm, node, or other CLI commands, verify the tools work in your regular terminal, check that your shell profile properly sets up PATH, and restart the desktop app to reload environment variables.

Git and Git LFS errors

On Windows, Git is required for the Code tab to start local sessions. If you see "Git is required," install Git for Windows and restart the app.

If you see "Git LFS is required by this repository but is not installed," install Git LFS from git-lfs.com, run git lfs install, and restart the app.

MCP servers not working on Windows

If MCP server toggles don't respond or servers fail to connect on Windows, check that the server is properly configured in your settings, restart the app, verify the server process is running in Task Manager, and review server logs for connection errors.

App won't quit

• macOS: press Cmd+Q. If the app doesn't respond, use Force Quit with Cmd+Option+Esc, select Claude, and click Force Quit.
• Windows: use Task Manager with Ctrl+Shift+Esc to end the Claude process.

Windows-specific issues

• PATH not updated after install: open a new terminal window. PATH updates only apply to new terminal sessions.
• Concurrent installation error: if you see an error about another installation in progress but there isn't one, try running the installer as Administrator.

"Branch doesn't exist yet" when opening in CLI

Cloud sessions can create branches that don't exist on your local machine. Click the branch name in the session toolbar to copy it, then fetch it locally: