Basic troubleshooting and updates

This lesson is still being tested: it improves with learners' feedback. If something is unclear, it is the lesson that needs fixing, not you.

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to

apply 4 reflexes in order when something is stuck;
recognize the most common blockages and their fix;
find the version of your app and of Claude Code, and update;
ask for help with the right information.

Why it matters to you

A technical blockage discourages faster than a learning difficulty. Yet most are solved in two minutes: a wrong folder, a wrong mode, a session to reopen, a usage limit. This lesson makes you independent on these cases, and tells you when to ask for help.

Before you start


You need	The Claude app with the Code tab, your mon-espace-ia folder and your trial folder mon-espace-ia-essais (lesson 4)
Cost	Claude Pro subscription at the minimum: €18 per month excl. VAT, price shown in France on 24/10/2026
Duration	35 minutes
Reminder	Never show a password, neither in a message nor in a screenshot

Understand it in 3 minutes

The 4 reflexes, in order:

Read the message in full, and copy it as is.
Check the 3 settings: the open folder, the mode, the signed-in account.
Restart: quit the app completely, reopen it, open a new session.
Update the app, then open a new session.

The most common blockages, according to the Claude Code documentation (24/10/2026) and the experience of the previous lessons:

What you see	What you do
Error 403 or an authentication problem in the Code tab	Sign out then sign back in from the app menu (the most common fix); check that your paid subscription is active; if the problem remains, and especially if the terminal works but not the app, quit the app completely, reopen it and sign in again
“Authentication required · Sign in again to continue”	Sign in again from the app
Blank or stuck screen at launch	Restart the app; on Mac and Windows, it updates itself at launch
“Failed to load session”	The chosen folder may no longer exist (moved, renamed): choose your folder again, or restart the app
“You’ve hit your session limit · resets…” or “…weekly limit…”	Your usage limit is reached: wait for the time shown, or change plan. Your use of claude.ai, Claude Code and the app counts toward the same limit
“API Error: 500” or “Repeated 529 Overloaded errors”	A temporary problem at Anthropic, not on your side: wait a minute, then send your message again; the service status is at status.claude.com. A 529 error does not count toward your limit
Claude cannot find `CLAUDE.md` or the course	The wrong folder is open: open a new session on mon-espace-ia
Claude changes files without asking you	The mode is not Manual: change it in the selector, under the text box
You rejected a permission by mistake	Nothing is broken: say so, Claude proposes again

Do it together

1Step 1: Note your versions

App version: on Mac, Claude menu, then About Claude; on Windows, Help menu, then About Claude.
Claude Code version in the Code tab: in a session, type /status and read the “Claude Code” line.

Write both in your troubleshooting sheet (resource below).

2Step 2: Check for updates

On Mac: Claude menu, then Check for Updates…; on Windows: Help, then Check for Updates…. Then open a new session: according to the documentation, the Code tab uses its own copy of Claude Code, which the app downloads and updates, and a new session takes the new version.

If you also use Claude Code in the terminal (lesson 2): the recommended installation updates itself in the background. They are two separate copies: updating one does not update the other.

3Step 3: Recognize a harmless failure

Open a new session on your trial folder mon-espace-ia-essais, in Manual mode, and write:

Read the file DEMARRER-ICI.md and guide me.

Claude cannot find it: this is the symptom of the wrong folder. It may also offer to search elsewhere on your computer: if a permission request appears for that, reject it. Close this session, then reopen a new session on mon-espace-ia. You will now recognize this case in a second.

4Step 4: Prepare a help request

In your troubleshooting sheet, fill in the “To ask for help” template with an imaginary problem, for example the 403 error. Check that there is no password and no full email address.

Your turn

Your troubleshooting sheet, filled in and put away:

your versions and your plan;
the 4 reflexes;
the help request template;
for each new problem solved, a line in “My problems already solved”.

Resources to download

My troubleshooting sheet: your setup, the 4 reflexes, the help request template and the log of your problems.

Check your work

It worked if:

your sheet shows the version of your app and of Claude Code, with the date;
you know where to check for updates, on your system;
you recognized the wrong-folder symptom, then reopened the right one;
your help request template is ready, with no secret information at all.

Common mistakes:

reinstalling everything at the first problem: start with the 4 reflexes;
closing the window without quitting the app: on Windows, the icon can stay near the clock;
describing an error from memory instead of copying the exact message;
taking a 500 or 529 error for your own fault: it is temporary, on the server side.

Keep it and pick it up later

Keep your sheet in mon-espace-ia or near your computer.
Note your version after every big update.

Going further

optional

The official documentation, in English: the “Troubleshooting” part of code.claude.com/docs/en/desktop for the app, and code.claude.com/docs/en/errors for each error message.
In the terminal: /doctor checks your installation and suggests fixes; if claude no longer starts at all, run claude doctor from the terminal.

New words

4 words explained

Word	What it means
Version	The number that says which edition of a piece of software you are using
Update	Moving to a more recent version, which fixes problems
Usage limit	The amount of work your plan allows, renewed in 5-hour periods and every week
Error message	The text that says what failed; you copy it as is to look for the fix

Still to verify: the exact on-screen labels (taken from the official English help pages, not from a live test); the behavior of the icon near the clock on Windows has not been tested.

Date, version, sources Written on 24/10/2026. Checks from 24/10/2026:

app troubleshooting (403 error, blank screen, “Failed to load session”, versions, updates, the Code tab’s own copy of Claude Code): code.claude.com/docs/en/desktop, “Troubleshooting” part;
error messages (500, 529, usage limits, signing in again): code.claude.com/docs/en/errors;
/doctor and claude doctor: code.claude.com/docs/en/troubleshooting;
automatic updates of the recommended installation: code.claude.com/docs/en/setup;
usage limits shared by claude.ai, Claude Code and the app: support.claude.com, “How do usage and length limits work?”;
price of Claude Pro: claude.com/pricing (page shown in France).