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If Claude Cowork or WSL stopped showing Windows folders after the September 2026 Windows security update, first install the applicable Windows update released on or after September 14, 2026, then restart. Microsoft says that update line resolves a regression affecting Linux virtual machines that share host folders through Plan9. If the problem is only WSL’s /mnt/c, check WSL’s separate drive-automount settings; if Cowork’s file tools work but its shell cannot see the folder, the failure may be limited to Cowork’s VM share mount.
First identify which shared-folder path failed
Cowork and a regular WSL distribution do not expose Windows folders through exactly the same mechanism. Cowork runs code in an isolated virtual machine and limits file access to folders you connect. A normal WSL distribution usually mounts fixed Windows drives through DrvFs under /mnt. Distinguishing those paths prevents changing WSL settings when the problem is a Cowork Plan9 share, or vice versa.
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| What you see | Likely path to investigate |
|---|---|
| Cowork reports that no Plan9 drive shares were mounted, or its sandbox shell cannot see a connected folder. | Cowork’s VM/Plan9 mount path. Check Windows updates first. |
| Cowork’s file tools can access a connected folder, but its sandbox shell cannot mount it. | The shell and file tools may be using different access paths; the folder is not necessarily missing from Windows. Check the Windows update and restart, then report the split behavior if it persists. |
A regular WSL distribution has no /mnt/c. |
WSL DrvFs automount configuration, after checking whether the Windows regression update applies. |
| Cowork itself will not start. | Check Windows virtualization feature and service setup; this is distinct from a VM that starts but cannot mount shares. |
Install the Windows update that addresses the September 2026 regression
Microsoft documented a regression after the September 2026 security update KB5124008: applications using HCS-managed Linux virtual machines to share host folders through Plan9 could start their VMs while the shared folders were missing or inaccessible. Microsoft specifically identifies Claude Cowork and WSL as affected. Microsoft says the issue is resolved by Windows updates released on or after September 14, 2026, with KB5129195 given as an example. See Microsoft’s KB5124008 support page.
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- Install the applicable update released on or after September 14, 2026. KB5129195 is an example, not a package that applies to every Windows build or servicing branch.
- Restart Windows, then reopen Cowork or your WSL distribution and test the affected folder.
Use the update offered for your Windows build rather than forcing a standalone package for another branch. Microsoft’s page describes the KB5124008 issue on Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 builds 26100.9445 and 26200.9445. An Insider Beta report notes that KB5129195 was not applicable to build 26220.9472 because it belongs to a different, higher build branch. Update names and applicability vary by Windows version and servicing branch.
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If WSL still lacks /mnt/c, check automount
Windows fixed drives are normally mounted by WSL with DrvFs under /mnt, so the C: drive usually appears at /mnt/c/. WSL configuration can disable automount or change its mount root. Microsoft documents the defaults and configuration options in WSL automount settings.
- Check whether fixed-drive automount is enabled in your WSL configuration.
- Check that the configured mount root is the expected
/mntif you expect C: at/mnt/c/. - If you change WSL configuration, restart the distribution before checking the mount again.
These settings concern ordinary WSL drive mounts; they are not a substitute for the Windows servicing fix when Cowork’s Plan9 share path is affected.
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If Cowork will not start, check virtualization setup
Anthropic’s Windows troubleshooting guidance says to verify that Virtual Machine Platform is enabled and that the vmcompute and hns services exist. If the feature is disabled or a required service is missing, Anthropic advises re-enabling the feature and restarting Windows. These checks address Cowork virtualization setup; they are not established as a universal repair for a Plan9 share failure in a VM that already starts. See Anthropic’s Claude Desktop troubleshooting guidance.
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If the share is still missing after updating
Do not assume that an installed update proves every Cowork setup is fixed. One Cowork report describes shell mount failures after KB5129195 even though Cowork’s file tools could list, stage, and commit files. That is an individual report, not evidence of how common the issue is or an official statement that all cases persist. See the Cowork report describing behavior after KB5129195.
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If your setup still fails, report enough detail to distinguish a Windows share regression from an app-specific or configuration issue:
- Your Windows edition/build and installed update KB number.
- Your Claude Desktop version.
- The exact error and whether Cowork’s file tools can access the folder.
- Whether the VM starts, and whether the missing path is a Cowork-connected folder or WSL’s
/mnt/c.
A separate user report says uninstalling KB5124008 and rebooting restored that user’s shares, but that is not Microsoft’s default remediation and removal of a security update should not be the first step. Microsoft’s supported resolution is to install the applicable later update. See the KB5124008 Cowork report and Microsoft’s update guidance. The available reports do not establish a Claude Desktop release that fixes every remaining post-update mount failure.
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