Installer freezes on 'Processing: Closing PowerToys application' and eventually aborts

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#45,338 opened on Feb 3, 2026 5 comments 2 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub

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Area-Quality Area-Setup/Install Issue-Bug Needs-Triage Product-General Severity-Medium

Dominant language: C
Stars: 139k
Forks: 8.6k
PR merge metrics: PR metrics pending

Description

### Microsoft PowerToys version

0.97.1

### Installation method

GitHub

### Area(s) with issue?

Installer

### Steps to reproduce

1. Downloaded the installer from GitHub
2. Ran the PowerToysSetup-0.97.1-x64.exe
3. During installation, the process freezes on "Processing: Closing PowerToys application" and never completes.
4. Cancelling the install produces the attached log.

### ✔️ Expected Behavior

Install should complete successfully without freezing when closing PowerToys application.

### ❌ Actual Behavior

Installer remains stuck at 'Processing: Closing PowerToys application'. The install does not proceed unless cancelled.

### Additional Information

OS version: Windows 10 Build 26200
Running as admin: Yes
User Installation
Log file excerpt:
[6530:67C0][2026-02-03T20:37:32]e000: Error 0x80070642: Bootstrapper application aborted during package process progress.
[6530:67C0][2026-02-03T20:37:32]e000: Error 0x80070642: Failed to run EXE process
[6530:67C0][2026-02-03T20:37:32]e000: Error 0x80070642: Failed to execute EXE package.
[35D0:484C][2026-02-03T20:37:32]e000: Error 0x80070642: Failed to configure per-machine EXE package.

### Other Software

_No response_

Contributor guide

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First steps

Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
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Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start with the PowerToysSetup-0.97.1-x64.exe installation flow and the provided log excerpt, focusing on the step that closes the PowerToys application. Reproduce the freeze on Windows 10 Build 26200 with a user installation, then verify that installation completes without hanging or requiring cancellation.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Domain: desktop, release
Issue type: Bug
Difficulty: 4/5
Estimated time: 3-5 days
Activity status: Quiet
Clarity: Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness: 38/100