Windows Terminal crashes when opening the app directly or creating a new tab (v1.23.12811.0 / Win 11 25H2 Build 26200.7019)

[ursatong]

Windows Terminal version

1.23.12811.0

Windows build number

26200.7019

Other Software

No response

Steps to reproduce

Windows Terminal launches, but crashes immediately when:

1. Opening the app directly from Start Menu, or
2. In an existing Terminal window (e.g., running cmd), selecting “New Tab” (cmd or Ubuntu profile).

If I instead launch:

• cmd from Start Menu → works fine
• wsl from Start Menu → works fine
• Crash is fully reproducible on both stable and preview builds.

What I’ve tried

• Disabled hardware acceleration (software rendering)
• Reset / deleted settings.json and state.json
• Uninstalled and reinstalled Terminal
• Ran sfc /scannow and DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
• Verified that the legacy console host (cmd.exe, powershell.exe) works fine

None of these resolved the issue.

Expected Behavior

Opening Windows Terminal or creating a new tab should open the selected profile (cmd or WSL) normally without closing the entire app.

Actual Behavior

Terminal window closes instantly upon opening a new tab or launching the app directly.
Legacy cmd.exe and wsl.exe opens terminal without issue, but cannot add a new tab or it will crash

[carlos-zamora]

Thanks for filing and including great repro steps. Do you have PowerToys installed (and if so, what version) /? We're thinking it might be an issue with WinGet DSC.