Connect Claude Desktop to Claude for Government changedgovernment/deploy-desktop/configure
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1111There are two ways to get Claude Desktop installed and connected to Claude for Government. They differ in who runs the installer, what rights that requires, and how the setting reaches the app.
1212
13| | Configure a single machine | Deploy to your fleet |
14| ------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
15| Best for | Confirming the app works on a representative device before a wider rollout, or setting up a small group of devices by hand | Production rollout across your agency |
16| Who installs the app | A person at the device | Your device management system (for example Intune, Configuration Manager, or Jamf) |
17| Administrator rights to install | Needed by the person doing each install | Not needed by end users; the management system installs with elevated rights |
18| How the address is set | Entered in the app's built-in configuration window | Pushed as a configuration profile alongside the app |
13| | Configure a single machine | Deploy to your fleet |
14| - | - | - |
15| Best for | Confirming the app works on a representative device before a wider rollout, or setting up a small group of devices by hand | Production rollout across your agency |
16| Who installs the app | A person at the device | Your device management system (for example Intune, Configuration Manager, or Jamf) |
17| Administrator rights to install | Needed by the person doing each install | Not needed by end users; the management system installs with elevated rights |
18| How the address is set | Entered in the app's built-in configuration window | Pushed as a configuration profile alongside the app |
1919
2020For a production rollout, use your device management system so end users never need administrator rights. The single-machine path is for testing first or for a small group you set up by hand, with an administrator doing each install. That path can also export a ready-made profile for your management system, so it is a useful starting point even when the fleet path is your destination.
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5959The configuration that the app downloads for a user includes the following settings, all of which you manage in this portal.
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61| What the app receives | Where it is set |
62| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
63| Which of Chat, Cowork, and Code the user can open, and whether Advanced file analysis is on in Chat | [Product availability](/docs/government/config/settings#product-availability) on the Config page |
64| The models the user can choose | The user's [seat tier](/docs/government/org-admin/seat-tiers) |
65| Connectors, plugins, and the settings for the built-in tools | The [tool and connector cards](/docs/government/config/settings#tool-and-connector-cards) on the Config page |
66| The hosts that tools may reach | [Allowed network hosts](/docs/government/config/settings#allowed-network-hosts) |
67| The folders a user can choose as a workspace | [Allowed workspace folders](/docs/government/config/settings#allowed-workspace-folders) |
68| The banner shown across the top of the app | [Claude Desktop banner](/docs/government/config/settings#claude-desktop-banner) |
69| Where the app sends your agency's own telemetry, if you have set a collector | [Telemetry endpoint](/docs/government/config/settings#telemetry-endpoint) |
61| What the app receives | Where it is set |
62| - | - |
63| Which of Chat, Cowork, and Code the user can open, and whether Advanced file analysis is on in Chat | [Product availability](/docs/government/config/settings#product-availability) on the Config page |
64| The models the user can choose | The user's [seat tier](/docs/government/org-admin/seat-tiers) |
65| Connectors, plugins, and the settings for the built-in tools | The [tool and connector cards](/docs/government/config/settings#tool-and-connector-cards) on the Config page |
66| The hosts that tools may reach | [Allowed network hosts](/docs/government/config/settings#allowed-network-hosts) |
67| The folders a user can choose as a workspace | [Allowed workspace folders](/docs/government/config/settings#allowed-workspace-folders) |
68| The banner shown across the top of the app | [Claude Desktop banner](/docs/government/config/settings#claude-desktop-banner) |
69| Where the app sends your agency's own telemetry, if you have set a collector | [Telemetry endpoint](/docs/government/config/settings#telemetry-endpoint) |
7070| Whether automatic updates are blocked, and the restart deadlines for a downloaded update and for a configuration change | [Block automatic updates](/docs/government/config/settings#block-automatic-updates), [Restart deadline for updates](/docs/government/config/settings#restart-deadline-for-updates), and [Restart deadline for configuration changes](/docs/government/config/settings#restart-deadline-for-configuration-changes) on the Config page |
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7272## Configure a single machine
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122122The recommended profile contains two keys. In the macOS and Windows profiles below, write every value as a string exactly as shown, including booleans as the strings `"true"` or `"false"`; the Linux file uses native JSON types, as shown.
123123
124| Key | Value | Purpose |
125| ------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
126| `bootstrapUrl` | `https://<claude-for-government-host>/gateway-api/user/bootstrap` | Required. Points the app at Claude for Government. |
127| `disableDeploymentModeChooser` | `"true"` | Recommended. Hides the claude.ai sign-in option so users can only sign in to Claude for Government. Like any recognized key other than the automatic update settings, it also marks the device as managed (see [Order of deployment](#order-of-deployment)). |
124| Key | Value | Purpose |
125| - | - | - |
126| `bootstrapUrl` | `https://<claude-for-government-host>/gateway-api/user/bootstrap` | Required. Points the app at Claude for Government. |
127| `disableDeploymentModeChooser` | `"true"` | Recommended. Hides the claude.ai sign-in option so users can only sign in to Claude for Government. Like any recognized key other than the automatic update settings, it also marks the device as managed (see [Order of deployment](#order-of-deployment)). |
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129129No other keys are needed to connect the app; Claude for Government supplies everything else per user after sign-in. If your agency distributes Claude Desktop updates itself, [Automatic updates](#automatic-updates) below describes one more key to add. The profile contains no secrets, only a host.
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235235
236236## Troubleshooting
237237
238| What you see | Likely cause | What to do |
239| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
240| Only the claude.ai sign-in screen; no organization option | The configuration never reached the app: the profile was not delivered, a key name is misspelled, the value is in the wrong location or registry type, or the app was not relaunched after the change. A profile that sets any `otlp*` telemetry key but no `bootstrapUrl` also produces this screen, even on a device that was set up in the app's configuration window | Verify delivery in your management console, generate a diagnostic report and check its Configuration section, then fully quit and reopen the app. If the profile sets telemetry keys but no `bootstrapUrl`, add `bootstrapUrl` to the profile or remove the profile, then fully quit and reopen the app |
241| Sign-in times out, or the browser says the code expired | The app stops waiting after about five minutes | Cancel and start sign-in again; a fresh code is issued |
242| Sign-in fails as soon as the user chooses **Sign in with your organization**, and the error on the sign-in screen or in `main.log` says that an address "must be same-origin" as the configured host | `bootstrapUrl` points at an alias that your agency operates, such as a DNS record or reverse proxy under your own domain, rather than the host provided to your agency | Use the host provided to your agency in `bootstrapUrl`, exactly as provided, redeploy the profile, then fully quit and reopen the app |
243| The diagnostic report or `main.log` shows "Managed configuration is invalid; local settings are disabled until it is fixed" | The app detected a managed profile but could not read any of its values | Correct the profile and redeploy; the report's Configuration section names each key that failed |
244| Signed in, but the model picker is empty, or the app shows a **Configuration can't be used** banner whose **Details** or **Copy report for IT** text says the provider returned no usable models | The user has no seat tier, or none of the tier's models is available in Claude for Government, so the app received an empty model list. Nothing is wrong with the device's configuration | Have an organization owner check the user's seat tier on the [Users](/docs/government/org-admin/users) page and the tier's models on the [Seat tiers](/docs/government/org-admin/seat-tiers) page |
245| An **Apply settings from your organization?** window appears after sign-in or at every launch, or the app quits when the user dismisses that window | The bootstrap address was entered in the app or set per user (for example under `HKEY_CURRENT_USER`), so the app asks each user to allow the gateway address that Claude for Government sends before it applies any of the organization's settings, and the user has not yet clicked **Allow**. Choosing **Quit**, pressing Esc, or closing the window quits the app, and it asks again on the next launch. | Have the user expand **Gateway base URL** in that window, confirm that the address is on your Claude for Government host, and click **Allow**. The window does not take focus when it opens, so have the user switch to the Claude app to find it. If the address is not on your host, check the bootstrap address configured on that device. To stop the prompt across a fleet, deliver the bootstrap address through machine-wide device management, as described under [Deploy to your fleet](#deploy-to-your-fleet). Versions earlier than 1.32352.0 that ask for this approval also show a **Configuration sync issue** banner that says "bootstrap response is missing required field(s): inferenceGatewayBaseUrl" for the same cause. Update the app to the latest version, then answer the prompt. |
246| The browser shows a connection error instead of Claude for Government or its sign-in page: "Secure Connection Failed" with `PR_CONNECT_RESET_ERROR` in Firefox, or `ERR_CONNECTION_RESET` in Chrome | A web filter, firewall, or proxy reset the connection, either on your agency's network or on the Claude for Government side. | If the address opens in another browser on the same computer, check the first browser's proxy and DNS settings. Otherwise, open the address from outside your agency's network, for example on a phone using cellular data. If the phone shows a web page, not a connection error, have your network team allow the host in that address and the hosts described under [Before you begin](#before-you-begin). If the phone also fails, or the team finds no block, contact your Anthropic representative with the address, the time and time zone of the error, and your network's public IP addresses. |
247| During sign-in, the browser shows a Microsoft page titled "You cannot access this right now", sometimes in one browser but not in another | Microsoft Entra ID shows this page when one of your agency's Conditional Access policies blocks the sign-in, for example a policy that limits which browsers, devices, or locations can sign in. The refusal happens before the sign-in reaches Claude for Government, so nothing in the app or in this portal changes it. | Ask your identity team to find the failed sign-in in the identity provider's sign-in logs. In the Microsoft Entra admin center, the sign-in event's **Conditional Access** tab names the policy that blocked it and the condition that was not met. Adjust the policy, or have the user sign in from a browser or device the policy allows (Claude Desktop opens sign-in in the computer's default browser). |
248| The app shows **Your session has expired** or **You've been signed out** with a **Sign in again** button, or a device that was already set up opens to the sign-in screen | The user's Claude for Government session ended, most often because they had not used Claude for longer than your tenant's [Session idle timeout](/docs/government/config/settings#session-idle-timeout). A device left idle, locked, or asleep does not keep a session alive. A session also ends at the Maximum session length, or when the user or an administrator signs it out. A user can have at most six active Claude Desktop sessions. When they sign in to Claude Desktop again while six are active, Claude for Government ends the Claude Desktop session that is closest to expiring. | Have the user sign in again. The app keeps its configuration and reconnects. If the session limit is the cause, the user can go to their [Sessions](/docs/government/account/sessions) page and sign out of sessions they no longer use. If people are asked to sign in more often than you intend, ask a tenant administrator to review **Session idle timeout** and **Maximum session length** on the [Config](/docs/government/tenant-admin/configuration) page. On Claude Desktop versions earlier than 1.34493.0 the same situation can appear as a **Configuration sync issue** banner instead, so update the app. |
249| On a Windows device, Cowork tasks fail, the app shows **Failed to start Claude's workspace** with a message under it about a Windows update, or Claude can't read some attached files in Chat, such as Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files | The device has installed the Windows update released September 8, 2026, but not Microsoft's later update that fixes the problem. The September 8 update stops Claude's workspace from reaching files on the device. Cowork tasks and Advanced file analysis in Chat need the workspace. | Install the latest Windows update on the device and restart it. On Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2, the fix is KB5129195. No Claude Desktop update is needed. See [Resolved: Cowork on Windows](/docs/cowork/changelog#resolved-cowork-on-windows) in the Claude Desktop changelog. |
250| Web search is on for your organization, but a user does not have it, and under **Customize**, then **Connectors**, **Web Search** shows as not connected and **Connect** fails, while chat works | A firewall or secure web gateway on that user's network path filters traffic by application. Claude Desktop connects to web search on your Claude for Government host over HTTPS, and such equipment can classify that connection as Model Context Protocol (MCP) traffic and block it even when the host itself is allowed. | Ask your network team to allow this traffic to your Claude for Government host for the affected users. The user's `main.log` records each failed attempt, including any block page the network returned. Then have the user select **Connect** next to **Web Search**, or restart the app. |
251| The app shows **Failed to start Claude's workspace** with a download error under it, or Chat conversations and Cowork tasks fail to start with "Host Claude Code binary not available. Check that the download completed." | Claude Desktop could not download a complete, verified copy of the Cowork workspace or the [agent helper](/docs/third-party/claude-desktop/installation#endpoint-security-software) from `downloads.claude.ai`. This usually means a proxy or web filter on the device's network path is blocking or altering the download. | Follow [Cowork workspace or Claude CLI fails to download](/docs/third-party/claude-desktop/installation#cowork-workspace-or-claude-cli-fails-to-download) in the Claude Desktop documentation. |
238| What you see | Likely cause | What to do |
239| - | - | - |
240| Only the claude.ai sign-in screen; no organization option | The configuration never reached the app: the profile was not delivered, a key name is misspelled, the value is in the wrong location or registry type, or the app was not relaunched after the change. A profile that sets any `otlp*` telemetry key but no `bootstrapUrl` also produces this screen, even on a device that was set up in the app's configuration window | Verify delivery in your management console, generate a diagnostic report and check its Configuration section, then fully quit and reopen the app. If the profile sets telemetry keys but no `bootstrapUrl`, add `bootstrapUrl` to the profile or remove the profile, then fully quit and reopen the app |
241| Sign-in times out, or the browser says the code expired | The app stops waiting after about five minutes | Cancel and start sign-in again; a fresh code is issued |
242| Sign-in fails as soon as the user chooses **Sign in with your organization**, and the error on the sign-in screen or in `main.log` says that an address "must be same-origin" as the configured host | `bootstrapUrl` points at an alias that your agency operates, such as a DNS record or reverse proxy under your own domain, rather than the host provided to your agency | Use the host provided to your agency in `bootstrapUrl`, exactly as provided, redeploy the profile, then fully quit and reopen the app |
243| The diagnostic report or `main.log` shows "Managed configuration is invalid; local settings are disabled until it is fixed" | The app detected a managed profile but could not read any of its values | Correct the profile and redeploy; the report's Configuration section names each key that failed |
244| Signed in, but the model picker is empty, or the app shows a **Configuration can't be used** banner whose **Details** or **Copy report for IT** text says the provider returned no usable models | The user has no seat tier, or none of the tier's models is available in Claude for Government, so the app received an empty model list. Nothing is wrong with the device's configuration | Have an organization owner check the user's seat tier on the [Users](/docs/government/org-admin/users) page and the tier's models on the [Seat tiers](/docs/government/org-admin/seat-tiers) page |
245| An **Apply settings from your organization?** window appears after sign-in or at every launch, or the app quits when the user dismisses that window | The bootstrap address was entered in the app or set per user (for example under `HKEY_CURRENT_USER`), so the app asks each user to allow the gateway address that Claude for Government sends before it applies any of the organization's settings, and the user has not yet clicked **Allow**. Choosing **Quit**, pressing Esc, or closing the window quits the app, and it asks again on the next launch. | Have the user expand **Gateway base URL** in that window, confirm that the address is on your Claude for Government host, and click **Allow**. The window does not take focus when it opens, so have the user switch to the Claude app to find it. If the address is not on your host, check the bootstrap address configured on that device. To stop the prompt across a fleet, deliver the bootstrap address through machine-wide device management, as described under [Deploy to your fleet](#deploy-to-your-fleet). Versions earlier than 1.32352.0 that ask for this approval also show a **Configuration sync issue** banner that says "bootstrap response is missing required field(s): inferenceGatewayBaseUrl" for the same cause. Update the app to the latest version, then answer the prompt. |
246| The browser shows a connection error instead of Claude for Government or its sign-in page: "Secure Connection Failed" with `PR_CONNECT_RESET_ERROR` in Firefox, or `ERR_CONNECTION_RESET` in Chrome | A web filter, firewall, or proxy reset the connection, either on your agency's network or on the Claude for Government side. | If the address opens in another browser on the same computer, check the first browser's proxy and DNS settings. Otherwise, open the address from outside your agency's network, for example on a phone using cellular data. If the phone shows a web page, not a connection error, have your network team allow the host in that address and the hosts described under [Before you begin](#before-you-begin). If the phone also fails, or the team finds no block, contact your Anthropic representative with the address, the time and time zone of the error, and your network's public IP addresses. |
247| During sign-in, the browser shows a Microsoft page titled "You cannot access this right now", sometimes in one browser but not in another | Microsoft Entra ID shows this page when one of your agency's Conditional Access policies blocks the sign-in, for example a policy that limits which browsers, devices, or locations can sign in. The refusal happens before the sign-in reaches Claude for Government, so nothing in the app or in this portal changes it. | Ask your identity team to find the failed sign-in in the identity provider's sign-in logs. In the Microsoft Entra admin center, the sign-in event's **Conditional Access** tab names the policy that blocked it and the condition that was not met. Adjust the policy, or have the user sign in from a browser or device the policy allows (Claude Desktop opens sign-in in the computer's default browser). |
248| The app shows **Your session has expired** or **You've been signed out** with a **Sign in again** button, or a device that was already set up opens to the sign-in screen | The user's Claude for Government session ended, most often because they had not used Claude for longer than your tenant's [Session idle timeout](/docs/government/config/settings#session-idle-timeout). A device left idle, locked, or asleep does not keep a session alive. A session also ends at the Maximum session length, or when the user or an administrator signs it out. A user can have at most six active Claude Desktop sessions. When they sign in to Claude Desktop again while six are active, Claude for Government ends the Claude Desktop session that is closest to expiring. | Have the user sign in again. The app keeps its configuration and reconnects. If the session limit is the cause, the user can go to their [Sessions](/docs/government/account/sessions) page and sign out of sessions they no longer use. If people are asked to sign in more often than you intend, ask a tenant administrator to review **Session idle timeout** and **Maximum session length** on the [Config](/docs/government/tenant-admin/configuration) page. On Claude Desktop versions earlier than 1.34493.0 the same situation can appear as a **Configuration sync issue** banner instead, so update the app. |
249| On a Windows device, Cowork tasks fail, the app shows **Failed to start Claude's workspace** with a message under it about a Windows update, or Claude can't read some attached files in Chat, such as Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files | The device has installed the Windows update released September 8, 2026, but not Microsoft's later update that fixes the problem. The September 8 update stops Claude's workspace from reaching files on the device. Cowork tasks and Advanced file analysis in Chat need the workspace. | Install the latest Windows update on the device and restart it. On Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2, the fix is KB5129195. No Claude Desktop update is needed. See [Resolved: Cowork on Windows](/docs/cowork/changelog#resolved-cowork-on-windows) in the Claude Desktop changelog. |
250| Web search is on for your organization, but a user does not have it, and under **Customize**, then **Connectors**, **Web Search** shows as not connected and **Connect** fails, while chat works | A firewall or secure web gateway on that user's network path filters traffic by application. Claude Desktop connects to web search on your Claude for Government host over HTTPS, and such equipment can classify that connection as Model Context Protocol (MCP) traffic and block it even when the host itself is allowed. | Ask your network team to allow this traffic to your Claude for Government host for the affected users. The user's `main.log` records each failed attempt, including any block page the network returned. Then have the user select **Connect** next to **Web Search**, or restart the app. |
251| The app shows **Failed to start Claude's workspace** with a download error under it, or Chat conversations and Cowork tasks fail to start with "Host Claude Code binary not available. Check that the download completed." | Claude Desktop could not download a complete, verified copy of the Cowork workspace or the [agent helper](/docs/third-party/claude-desktop/installation#endpoint-security-software) from `downloads.claude.ai`. This usually means a proxy or web filter on the device's network path is blocking or altering the download. | Follow [Cowork workspace or Claude CLI fails to download](/docs/third-party/claude-desktop/installation#cowork-workspace-or-claude-cli-fails-to-download) in the Claude Desktop documentation. |
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253253For anything else, the app writes its log to `~/Library/Logs/Claude-3p/main.log` on macOS, `%LOCALAPPDATA%\Claude-3p\logs\main.log` on Windows, and `~/.config/Claude-3p/logs/main.log` on Linux. The log records which configuration keys were read or dropped and why. The diagnostic report from the verification checklist produces a bundle, without conversation content, that you can send to your Anthropic representative.
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