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Reset Claude Desktop and Claude Code Local Identifiers on Windows

This tutorial explains how to download and run Aegis Claude on Windows, review the data it finds, reset Claude’s local machine identifiers, and understand which settings, sessions, conversations, and browser data remain untouched.

About 12 min read
Reset Claude Desktop and Claude Code Local Identifiers on Windows

What Aegis Claude Does

Aegis Claude is a Windows reset script for the local identifiers used by Claude Desktop and Claude Code. Claude can remember a computer separately from the account signed into it. Aegis Claude removes those locally stored markers so that Claude creates fresh identifiers the next time it launches.

The reset does not uninstall Claude, remove its installation directory, or delete Claude Code transcripts. However, it clears the saved login, so you must sign in again afterward.

The script displays what it found before making changes. Nothing is removed until you explicitly select the delete option.

Key Features

  • Resets local values such as machineID, userID, and ant-did.
  • Removes the device registry data and telemetry salts used by the local application.
  • Clears the application's cookies, local storage, and saved login.
  • Preserves Claude Code transcripts under %USERPROFILE%\.claude\projects.
  • Keeps sessions, file history, settings.json, and desktop session folders.
  • Leaves the Claude installation at %LOCALAPPDATA%\AnthropicClaude in place.
  • Provides an interactive confirmation step before deletion.

What the Reset Does Not Change

Aegis Claude is limited to specific local Claude data. It does not change your Windows locale, timezone, or IP address. It also leaves Chrome and Edge cookies for claude.ai untouched, including ajs_anonymous_id.

Conversations already stored on the account's servers remain available. The reset also preserves the local Claude Code transcript directory and the other retained files listed above.

Download and Set Up Aegis Claude

  1. Download the repository as a ZIP file from GitHub.
  2. Extract the downloaded ZIP archive to a folder on your Windows computer.
  3. Quit Claude before running the reset. This helps prevent local files from remaining locked by the application.
  4. Locate Reset-ClaudeIdentity.bat in the extracted folder.

Aegis Claude does not replace or reinstall Claude. Its purpose is only to remove the targeted local identity data.

Run the Interactive Reset

  1. Double-click Reset-ClaudeIdentity.bat.
  2. Review the items that the script reports finding.
  3. Press 1 to delete the targeted local identifiers and application data.
  4. Alternatively, press 2 to exit without making changes.
  5. Launch Claude again after the script completes.
  6. Sign in again because the saved login is cleared.

The next Claude launch writes new local identifiers. Your retained chats, transcripts, settings, sessions, and installation remain in their documented locations.

Example Decision

If you only want to inspect what the script detects, launch the batch file, read the displayed results, and select 2. To proceed with the reset after reviewing those results, run it again and select 1.

Run Aegis Claude from PowerShell

You can invoke the PowerShell script directly instead of using the batch-file launcher. Open PowerShell in the extracted project folder and run:

powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\Reset-ClaudeIdentity.ps1

The -NoProfile option starts PowerShell without loading the current user's profile, while -ExecutionPolicy Bypass allows this invocation of the script to run without changing the command shown in the project documentation.

Verify What Is Preserved

After the reset, the following data should remain according to the project documentation:

  • Claude Code transcripts in %USERPROFILE%\.claude\projects.
  • Sessions and file history.
  • The settings.json file.
  • Desktop session folders.
  • The Claude installation in %LOCALAPPDATA%\AnthropicClaude.
  • Server-side conversations associated with your account.
  • Chrome and Edge cookies for claude.ai.

The saved application login is not preserved. Needing to authenticate again after the reset is expected behavior.

Advanced Tips and Troubleshooting

Handle Files That Are in Use

If the script reports that a file is in use, quit Claude completely and run the reset again. A locked file indicates that the application still has access to data the script is attempting to remove.

Preview Before Deleting

Use the interactive report as a review step. Because the script does not modify anything until you press 1, you can inspect the detected items and exit with 2 if you do not want to continue.

Understand the Reset Boundary

This tool resets Claude's documented local identity layer. It is not a general Windows identity or network reset: it does not alter the operating system's language, timezone, or IP address. It also does not reset the separate cookies stored by Chrome or Edge for the Claude website.

Distinguish Login Data from Conversations

The saved login is cleared, but conversations already stored on the account's servers remain. Likewise, Claude Code transcripts in %USERPROFILE%\.claude\projects are retained. Signing in again is therefore different from losing conversation content.

Conclusion

Aegis Claude provides a focused way to reset the local identifiers used by Claude Desktop and Claude Code on Windows. Download and extract the project, quit Claude, run Reset-ClaudeIdentity.bat, review the detected data, and press 1 to proceed. Claude will generate fresh identifiers on its next launch, while the documented chats, settings, sessions, browser cookies, and installation remain intact.