# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Windows env vars missing for desktop runtime probes

## Open now

- 1 issue, 2 PRs open on GitHub.
- #122384: \[Bug\]: Windows Desktop with a registry-only environment (no USERPROFILE/SystemRoot) cannot resolve the local install — runtime probe exits 1, PowerShell bootstrap dies with 0x8009001d
- PR #122398: fix(desktop): restore Windows session env before runtime probes
- PR #122419: fix(desktop): backfill Windows profile/system env for probe, PowerShell and backend

A bug where Windows Desktop fails to resolve local installs when USERPROFILE/SystemRoot are absent from the environment, causing runtime probe and PowerShell bootstrap failures. The associated fixes backfill and restore Windows profile and system environment variables before probes run.

## TL;DR

- 3 member(s): 1 open issue(s), 0 closed issue(s), 2 open PR(s), 0 merged PR(s), 0 PR(s) closed without merging.
- No fix has been merged to main; one or more PRs were attempted (see below).
- **Recommended:** review the prior/competing PR(s) below. A fix was attempted but not merged; your case may extend or revive that work.

## Maintainer resolution verdict

- Internal-tracker verdict over this cluster's issue members: `unresolved`. This is distinct from the fix status above. Weigh it yourself.

## How this cluster was grouped

- Link evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.
- Pairwise link density `0.67`: the share of member pairs that carry a link, counting a structural link in full and a relevance-only link at 0.36. `1.00` means every pair is linked.

## Open related issues

- #122384: \[Bug\]: Windows Desktop with a registry-only environment (no USERPROFILE/SystemRoot) cannot resolve the local install — runtime probe exits 1, PowerShell bootstrap dies with 0x8009001d

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#122398: fix(desktop): restore Windows session env before runtime probes**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `silent_close`; implication `active`
  - files: `apps/desktop/electron/backend-env.test.ts`, `apps/desktop/electron/backend-env.ts`, `apps/desktop/electron/main.ts`
- **#122419: fix(desktop): backfill Windows profile/system env for probe, PowerShell and backend**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `uncategorized`; implication `needs_llm`; refs `#122418`, `#122418`
  - files: `apps/desktop/electron/backend-env.test.ts`, `apps/desktop/electron/backend-env.ts`, `apps/desktop/electron/bootstrap-runner.ts`

## Fix status

- No merged fix on record.
- Subsystem: `apps/desktop`