[Windows] Hook execution flashes black console window on every tool use

[susan-jse]

Environment

• OS: Windows 11
• Claude Code: VS Code Extension
• claude-mem: v13.5.0

Problem

Every hook execution causes a black console window to briefly flash on screen.
The window appears and disappears instantly, but is very disruptive during
active use since hooks fire constantly throughout a session.

Root Cause (Confirmed via Testing)

All hooks use "shell": "bash". On Windows, spawning a bash process from a
GUI application (VS Code) causes the OS to momentarily display a console window.
This is standard Windows behavior — it requires CREATE_NO_WINDOW to suppress.

Reproduction Steps

1. Install claude-mem on Windows 11 with VS Code extension
2. Open any project and ask Claude any question that involves file reads
3. Observe repeated black console window flashes throughout processing

Impact by Hook (Confirmed)

Hook	Matcher	Frequency	Impact
PostToolUse	*	Every single tool call	Primary cause — most disruptive
PreToolUse	Read	Every file read	Secondary cause
UserPromptSubmit	—	Once per prompt	Minor
SessionStart	—	Once per session	Minor

Disabling PostToolUse(*) alone caused a dramatic reduction in flashes.
Disabling PreToolUse(Read) alone had minimal visible effect.

Suggested Fix

On Windows, suppress console window creation when spawning bash processes.

Option A — Use CREATE_NO_WINDOW process flag in the Node.js hook runner:

// In bun-runner.js / worker-service.cjs
spawn(cmd, { windowsHide: true })  // Node.js child_process option

Option B — Detect platform and use PowerShell with hidden window:

{
  "shell": "powershell",
  "command": "Start-Process bash -ArgumentList '-c','<cmd>' -WindowStyle Hidden -Wait"
}

Option C — Use the args exec form (no shell spawn = no window):

{
  "command": "node",
  "args": ["path/to/bun-runner.js", "path/to/worker-service.cjs", "hook", "claude-code", "observation"]
}

[sspringer84]

Confirming this on Windows 11 from the CLI (Windows Terminal / pwsh) — not just the VS Code extension, so it is not specific to spawning from a GUI app. Measured ~149 console-window spawns in 40 s during an active session with parallel subagents; in quiet phases every single spawn traced back to claude-mem hooks.

One additional spawn point besides the shell: bash hooks themselves: findBun() in bun-runner.js calls spawnSync('where bun', { shell: true }) without windowsHide, so every hook fire also pops a cmd.exe window for the bun lookup — before the actual hook shell even launches. Worth covering alongside Option A.

Still present in v13.5.4 (the 13.5.x line is telemetry-only). Current workaround: enabledPlugins."claude-mem@thedotmack": false. Happy to test a fix on real Windows 11 — saw the call for testers in #2699.

[susan-jse]

After reinstalling claude-mem, the issue appeared to resolve temporarily. However, I'm not sure when it might recur. Restarting the worker process might also fix it — I haven't had a chance to test that yet.

Hoping to see an official fix for this. Thanks!

[akash07k]

Same here, plagued with this same, very irritating and bothering issue

[EightDoor]

Same here. I hope to resolve it soon. I've uninstalled and reinstalled, but the terminal keeps flickering constantly

[susan-jse]

@rodboev excuse me,may i ask you which version this Issue will be resolved?

Frequent black console windows started appearing again today, severely affecting work.

[rodboev]

Do you mean, when will the fix be in? I think @thedotmack does releases every few days so it should be soon, but I can't say for sure.

Mine is also a bit more narrow in scope; I think your report is about bash causing popups.

[susan-jse]

I think your report is about bash causing popups.

yes.

I think @thedotmack does releases every few days so it should be soon, but I can't say for sure.

Thanks, i am waiting for the Issue to be resolved quickly.

[rodboev]

If you see a fix that looks like it should address the issue you're experiencing, you can also ask Claude or your LLM to replay them in your local environment while you wait for an official release. It is less convenient but helps bridge the gap so you don't have to wait for an official release.

[rodboev]

@susan-jse I still can't promise an exact release version because merge and release timing are up to @thedotmack, but the fuller Windows fix is now open in #2945. This should catch bash.

That PR is broader than the earlier narrow findBun() popup fix in #2890: it rewrites the installed Windows Claude Code hooks so they no longer go through the bash hook path, and it also keeps the hidden Bun lookup fix. So if #2945 lands as-is, this issue should be resolved in the next release that includes that PR.

Your earlier reinstall / restart observation also makes sense: it can change the behavior temporarily, but it does not remove the underlying Windows hook wiring, so an official code fix is still needed.

If you need immediate relief before a release, the most reliable workaround is still replaying the #2945 patch locally if you're comfortable patching before the official release.

[susan-jse]

@rodboev Thank you for your reply. I'll wait for the next official release.