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The exit code -2147483645 is the signed 32-bit form of 0x80000003, which Windows reports as EXCEPTION_BREAKPOINT. It tells you that the GPU child process raised a breakpoint exception. It does not name a graphics driver, a Windows update, or a permissions fault. Electron issue reports link this signature to two different conditions: a reproducible problem with an app-folder access control list (ACL) and a sandbox initialization failure on a newer Windows 11 build. Work out which pattern matches your crash before you change any permission or turn off any protection.
Electron’s own messages call this process “GPU.” The “GPU broker” wording in the headline refers to the same GPU child process. The log lines you will see most often are GPU process exited unexpectedly: exit_code=-2147483645, GPU process isn’t usable. Goodbye, and GPU process sandbox crash.
What the exit code does and does not tell you
Windows exception codes describe how a process stopped, not why. EXCEPTION_BREAKPOINT means something in the GPU process triggered a breakpoint-style exception. The same code can follow from an ACL that blocks a required file, from a sandbox that cannot finish starting, or from another fault that stops the child early. The number alone therefore cannot separate those causes.
Treat the following as unproven from the exit code alone:
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- That the graphics driver is at fault.
- That a Windows update caused the failure. One report does name recent updates, but only as context for that one machine.
- That the app is broken at the code level.
The two reported patterns
The table below compares the three Electron issue reports that carry this exit code. The entries come from the reporters’ own descriptions. Where a report does not describe a field, the table says “not stated.”
| Signal | Electron issue #51761 (opened May 24, 2026) | Electron issue #52098 (opened June 23, 2026) | Electron issue #51767 (opened May 25, 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows version | Windows 11 25H2 x64 | Windows 11 25H2, build 26200.8655, with June 9 and 10 updates | Windows 10 Pro 22H2, build 19045.6575 |
| Electron version | 42.2.0 and 37.6.0 | 42.4.1 and 37.6.0 | 37.3.1 |
| Reported trigger | A fabricated SID entry added to the app directory DACL reproduced the crash, according to the reporter | Child process failed before GPU vendor DLLs loaded; not stated whether a trigger was identified | Not stated |
| Sandbox-disabled test | Not stated | Child process survived the test | Not stated |
| Reported workaround | Running icacls reset on the test app directory restored the app |
Not stated | A portable ZIP build worked; the reporter did not establish why installation type mattered |
| Current status in the thread | Not stated | Closed as not planned | Closed as a duplicate of #51761 |
Pattern A is the app-folder ACL case. The reporter of #51761 described adding a SID entry that did not map to a current account to the app directory’s DACL. In that setup, the GPU crash reproduced, and resetting the ACLs on the test directory restored the app. The phrase “zombie SID” is that reporter’s term, not a Microsoft diagnosis.
Pattern B is the sandbox initialization case. In #52098, the reporter says the child process failed before any GPU vendor DLLs loaded and that a sandbox-disabled test got past the failure. The same reporter says Chrome 149 was not affected on that machine. Those are observations from one machine, not established compatibility rules.
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Why permissions can matter at all
Microsoft’s AppContainer documentation says these sandboxes use Windows security identifiers (SIDs), access tokens, security descriptors, and discretionary access control lists (DACLs) to enforce resource restrictions. The Less Privileged AppContainer (LPAC) model is more isolated and needs explicit capabilities. That is why an ACL problem can plausibly block a sandboxed process. It does not prove that Pattern A is the cause of every Electron crash with this code.
Triage steps, in order
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Capture the full log. Record the app name and version, the Electron version if you know it, the Windows edition and build (run
winver), whether other Electron apps fail too, and the date the failure started. Build numbers matter here: the reports differ on exactly these points. -
Check whether other apps under the same Windows profile fail the same way. If several do, suspect the profile or a shared condition before you look at one app.
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-
Inspect the ACL of one affected app folder. Open an elevated Command Prompt and run:
icacls "<app-folder>"Look for entries that show a raw SID in the form S-1-… instead of an account name. An unresolved SID is what Pattern A describes, though an unresolved SID alone is not proof of a fault.
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Save the current ACL before any change.
icacls "<app-folder>" /save "%USERPROFILE%Desktopappdir-acl.txt" /TKeep this file until the problem is resolved.
-
Search for the suspect SID across the folder. Use
icacls "<app-folder>" /findsid <SID> /T, with the SID you saw in step 3. Runicacls /?first to confirm the argument order on your Windows build.Rank #4
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Decide whether the evidence fits Pattern A. It fits if the crash began after the ACL change and a raw SID appears in the app folder. If it does not fit, skip to the sandbox test and the escalation steps.
Repairing an app-folder ACL only as a last resort
The reporter of #51761 restored the test app with icacls "<app-folder>" /reset. Microsoft’s icacls reference describes /reset as replacing ACLs with default inherited ACLs for all matching files. Any explicit permissions on the folder are lost, and the change reaches every file and subfolder that matches.
If you go ahead:
- Limit the command to the one affected application directory. Do not run it against a user profile, a system folder, or a shared data location.
- Use the saved file from step 4 as your rollback. Restore it with
icacls "<parent-of-app-folder>" /restore "%USERPROFILE%Desktopappdir-acl.txt"if the reset causes new problems, and confirm the parent path againsticacls /?on your build. - Expect to need an elevated Command Prompt for protected locations such as folders under Program Files.
Testing with the sandbox disabled
The reporter of #51761 lists --disable-gpu-sandbox as a way to get past the failure. Launch the app from a shortcut or Command Prompt with the switch:
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"<path-to-app.exe>" --disable-gpu-sandboxTreat this as a diagnostic only. It removes the GPU process’s sandbox, so the app runs with less isolation. Remove the switch as soon as the test is finished. A successful launch points toward the sandbox-initialization path, as in Pattern B. It does not separate a folder ACL problem from another sandbox incompatibility, because a broken ACL can also block sandbox setup. If your app’s launcher rewrites command-line arguments, confirm the switch reached the GPU process before you count the result.
For developers: capture the child-process details
Electron’s documentation for the child-process-gone event says it applies to child processes such as the GPU and utility processes, and that it supplies a reason and exit code. Logging it gives you the process type and exit code in your own telemetry:
app.on('child-process-gone', (event, details) => {
if (details.type === 'GPU') {
console.log(details.reason, details.exitCode)
}
})Attach the output to any report you send to Electron or to the app vendor. Include the Windows build, the Electron version, and whether the crash occurs in the installed build, the portable build, or both.
If the pattern does not match
If the folder ACL contains no unexpected SID and the sandbox-disabled launch does not help, the reproduction in #51761 does not describe your crash. Send the app vendor the full log, the exit code, the step-by-step results from the triage list above, and the exact Windows build. Include the Electron version from the app’s about dialog or your build configuration.
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Quick Recap
What the reports do not establish
- No single root cause, no universal fix, and no list of affected GPUs or drivers.
- No published crash rate. The “70+ crash reports” figure in #52098 is that reporter’s own count, not a population estimate.
- No shipped fix. #52098 was closed as not planned, and #51767 was closed as a duplicate of #51761. Check the threads for later updates, since these reports date from May and June 2026.
- No explanation of why the portable ZIP build worked in #51767.
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