Fix Claude Desktop "Cowork" sandbox VM that fails to start on Windows 11

Claude Desktop's agent mode ("Cowork") ships a local Linux VM that lets the assistant run code. On my machine that VM never starts, so every code-execution request fails. Everything else in the app works fine. I need someone who knows Windows virtualization internals to get it running. Work happens over a screen-share session on my machine (Google Meet, Zoom or Teams — your choice). I will be present the whole time. Current state The app cycles between three distinct error messages across restarts: Workspace still starting. The isolated Linux environment is booting in the background. — returned instantly, never resolves Workspace unavailable. The isolated Linux environment failed to start (VM connection timeout after 60 seconds). Workspace unavailable. The isolated Linux environment failed to start (VM service not running. The service failed to start.). Already ruled out — please don't start here I have spent an evening on this already. The following are confirmed healthy and are not the cause: WSL2 — version 2.7.3.0, kernel 6.6.114.1-1, working. Ubuntu-24.04, docker-desktop and docker-desktop-data all registered as version 2. No Cowork/Claude distro appears in wsl --list --verbose, which suggests the VM does not use WSL at all. Hyper-V services — vmcompute and HvHost both Running (StartType Manual). vmms and LxssManager absent, which is expected on this configuration. No %USERPROFILE%\.wslconfig file exists. Disk space — 725 GB free on C:. Docker Desktop — tested both running and fully quit; no difference. wsl --shutdown followed by a full app restart — no effect. Reinstalled Claude Desktop twice. Ran the app's own Delete Cowork VM Bundle and Restart and let the package re-download. Environment Windows 11, build 10.0.26200.8737 HP laptop, admin access available Claude Desktop, Pro plan Docker Desktop installed No corporate VPN or managed firewall What I need from you Determine the actual root cause — the app's own VM service, an antivirus or firewall interaction, a Windows build incompatibility, or something else Fix it so code execution works, or produce a definitive written finding that it is an application bug I cannot resolve locally A short written summary of what was wrong and what you changed Definition of done I ask Claude to run a simple script (for example, compute a factorial in Python) and it executes and returns a result. That is the whole test. If you conclude it is an unfixable application-side bug, I will still pay the full amount provided you give me a clear technical writeup with evidence I can send to the vendor's support team. To apply Please tell me, in a few sentences: Have you debugged a bundled/embedded hypervisor VM on Windows before? What was the cause? What are the first three things you would check, given what I have already ruled out above? Your availability for a screen-share session this week, and your time zone Applications that open with a generic template and ignore the ruled-out list will not be considered. Swedish speakers welcome but not required — I am comfortable working in English.