Claude Cowork won't install on Windows? The error message lies.
If you're seeing AddPackage failed with HRESULT 0x80073CF8, Windows is reporting “user cancelled the install”. You didn't. Here's what's actually happening, and the playbook that fixes it.
Does this match your symptoms?
Administrator access is required to install Claude with full features
Installation failed: AddPackage failed with HRESULT 0x80073CF8
Installation failed: AddPackage failed with HRESULT 0x80073CF6
Installer hangs for 5 minutes then fails silently
Installing without Cowork also fails
Running as Administrator and using winget didn't help
If you've already tried wsreset, Developer Mode, and PowerShell cleanup with no luck, this guide is for you.
Why this is happening (and why generic fixes don't work)
Cowork isn't just a feature inside the Claude Desktop app. It's a VM-based agent runtime that installs a Windows service called CoworkVMService and requires the Virtual Machine Platform Windows feature to be enabled. Three things stack up against you on a fresh Windows 11 machine:
1. A previous failed install left a wedged package
Anthropic's installer ignores RemovePackage failures and tries AddPackage anyway. That leaves Claude in a partially-registered state that's invisible to a normal uninstall but still claims the package family name. Every retry now fails with 0x80073CF8 or 0x80073CF6. This is the most common cause and matches the symptoms in Anthropic GitHub issues #49917, #49540 and #37443.
2. Virtual Machine Platform is off
On most Windows 11 Home machines, especially Intel Core Ultra laptops shipped in 2025+, Virtual Machine Platform is disabled by default. Cowork's installer can't register its sub-package without it, and the AppX deployment pipeline aborts mid-flight, surfacing as 0x80073CF8.
3. CoworkVMService is holding registry locks
If the service started during a half-installed attempt, it locks files in the AppX state repository. The new installer can't delete them, so RemovePackage fails. Result: more wedge.
Real-talk caveat
Cowork on Windows 11 build 26200 has multiple unresolved bugs on Anthropic's side right now. There's a real chance even a clean attempt fails because of an upstream issue you can't fix. If the playbook below doesn't work, scroll down to If it still fails.
Run these top to bottom
Each step is a copy-paste block. Don't skip any. Total time: about 20 minutes including the reboot.
Open elevated PowerShell
Press the Windows key, type powershell, right-click Windows PowerShell, choose Run as administrator, then accept the UAC prompt.
Every command below assumes you're inside this elevated PowerShell window.
Stop the leftover Cowork service
If a previous install half-finished, this releases the file locks holding the package wedge in place.
Stop-Service CoworkVMService -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Get-Process | Where-Object { $_.Name -match 'cowork|claude' } | Stop-Process -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinueForce-remove every trace of Claude
This is the actual fix for the wedged-package state. It clears every variant: current user, all users, provisioned, plus residual app data.
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers *Claude* | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Get-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online | Where-Object { $_.DisplayName -like "*Claude*" } | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Remove-Item "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Claude" -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Remove-Item "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\AnthropicClaude" -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinueEnable Virtual Machine Platform
Cowork's hard prerequisite. If this feature is off, Cowork cannot install. Full stop.
dism.exe /Online /Enable-Feature /All /FeatureName:VirtualMachinePlatform /NoRestart dism.exe /Online /Enable-Feature /All /FeatureName:HypervisorPlatform /NoRestart
Reboot the laptop
Not optional. Virtual Machine Platform won't take effect until you reboot.
Save anything important first, then restart. Reopen elevated PowerShell after Windows comes back up.
Repair the Windows component store
Catches the build 26200 regression and any corrupted system files that could trip the next install.
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth sfc /scannow
These take a few minutes each. Let them finish.
Pause antivirus real-time scanning
Some antivirus products (notably McAfee LiveSafe, which ships preinstalled on most Lenovo and HP laptops) quarantine MSIX staging files mid-install. Open your antivirus, turn off real-time scanning for an hour, do the install, then turn it back on.
If you've already removed McAfee or you only use Microsoft Defender, skip this step.
Reinstall Claude Desktop fresh
Download a fresh copy of the installer from claude.ai/download. Right-click it, choose Run as administrator, accept the UAC prompt, leave the Cowork option enabled, and let it run.
With the wedge cleared, VMP enabled, and antivirus paused, this is the install that finally takes.
If it still fails
Capture the real error so you (or we) can escalate to Anthropic with the actual log. Run these in elevated PowerShell after the install fails again:
Get-AppxLog | Out-File "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\claude-appx-log.txt" Copy-Item "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Temp\ClaudeSetup.log" "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Two text files will land on your desktop. The real HRESULT and the failing sub-step are in there. Send them to Anthropic support. Or to us if you came from a Waboom workshop.
The pragmatic fallback
If the playbook fails twice and you need Claude working today, install Claude Desktop without Cowork (untick the Cowork option during install). Chat, projects, file uploads, and connectors all still work. You only lose the agent and computer-use features.
For most workshop attendees, that's 90% of the value with zero install pain. Cowork can wait until Anthropic ships a 26200 fix.
Sources & references
- →Microsoft AppX troubleshooting & HRESULT reference
- →Anthropic GitHub #49917: wedged MSIX after failed RemovePackage
- →Anthropic GitHub #49540: Cowork install fails with HRESULT 0x80073CF6
- →Anthropic GitHub #49655: CoworkVMService locks blocking update
- →Anthropic GitHub #37443: Build 26200 AppX regression
- →Claude Help Center: Deploy Claude Desktop for Windows
Now actually use Cowork properly
Getting Cowork installed is the easy bit. The real magic is teaching it your voice, connecting your tools, and turning it into your second brain. Our 8-step setup guide walks you through it.
Set up Cowork properly→