# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Windows ZIP fallback destructively deletes local files

## Open now

- Nothing open on GitHub.

These issues and fixes address a Windows-specific bug where the ZIP fallback update path triggers inappropriately—on dependency failures or dirty working trees—and permanently deletes uncommitted changes and untracked files. The work focuses on adding guards to prevent this destructive behavior.

## TL;DR

- 5 member(s): 0 open issue(s), 1 closed issue(s), 0 open PR(s), 1 merged PR(s), 3 PR(s) closed without merging.
- A fix was merged to main in PR #92013. Verify it addresses your case.
- **Recommended:** read PR #92013 (and any competing PRs below) before filing. Confirm the merged change covers your symptom.

## Maintainer resolution verdict

- Internal-tracker verdict over this cluster's issue members: `resolved` · deciding PR(s): `pr-92013`. 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evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.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 `0.40`: 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.

## Closed / duplicate issues

- #87304: Windows: ZIP fallback fires on a dependency failure and permanently deletes uncommitted changes + untracked files (no dirty-tree guard)

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#92013: fix(update): ZIP fallback no longer destroys user work or the desktop build (#87331, #91962, #87304, #70337 — salvage #87878 + #70477)**. merged to main · fix tier `verified`
  - maintainer direction: category `merged`; implication `superseded`
  - files: `hermes_cli/update_cmd.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_cmd_update.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_update_zip_fallback_guards.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_update_zip_release_preserve.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_update_zip_symlink_reject.py`
- **#87327: fix(update): stop ZIP fallback from wiping local files on Windows**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `implemented_elsewhere`; implication `superseded`; refs `eac3f645ef`, `#87878`, `#87304`
- **#87392: fix(update): prevent destructive Windows ZIP fallback**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `implemented_elsewhere`; implication `superseded`; refs `eac3f645ef`, `#87304`, `#87327`, `#87878`, `#87304`
- **#87878: fix(update): don't ZIP-fallback on dependency failures or dirty trees (salvage #87327)**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `merged_via`; implication `superseded`; refs `#92013`, `#87327`

## Fix status

- Merged to main in PR #92013 (cited above). No release data is tracked. Verify downstream.
- Fix last verified (merged) `2026-08-22`.
- Subsystem: `hermes_cli`