diff --git a/.github/scripts/interrupt-install.ps1 b/.github/scripts/interrupt-install.ps1
index 6860ad0107..92f6019c31 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/interrupt-install.ps1
+++ b/.github/scripts/interrupt-install.ps1
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 #
 # Usage:
 #   pwsh -File .github/scripts/interrupt-install.ps1 -Marker 'studio deps' `
-#        -LogPath logs/install.log -InstallArgs '-SkipTorch'
+#        -LogPath logs/install.log -InstallArgs '--tauri --no-torch --local'
 [CmdletBinding()]
 param(
   [string]$Marker = '',
@@ -88,8 +88,12 @@ if ($killed) {
   # never under the studio home anyway (install.ps1 takes it from winget or
   # astral.sh). Normalise the separators, and take uv by name since the runner is
   # ephemeral and runs no other uv.
-  $homeNorm = if ([string]::IsNullOrWhiteSpace($env:UNSLOTH_STUDIO_HOME)) { $null }
-              else { ($env:UNSLOTH_STUDIO_HOME -replace '/', '\').TrimEnd('\') }
+  # Under --tauri there is no UNSLOTH_STUDIO_HOME, so fall back to the root
+  # install.ps1 uses then, or the sweep would only ever see uv.
+  $studioRoot = if ([string]::IsNullOrWhiteSpace($env:UNSLOTH_STUDIO_HOME)) { Join-Path $HOME '.unsloth\studio' }
+                else { $env:UNSLOTH_STUDIO_HOME }
+  $homeNorm = if ([string]::IsNullOrWhiteSpace($studioRoot)) { $null }
+              else { ($studioRoot -replace '/', '\').TrimEnd('\') }
   foreach ($p in @(Get-Process -Name 'uv', 'python', 'pythonw' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)) {
     $path = $null
     try { $path = $p.Path } catch { }
diff --git a/.github/scripts/interrupted_install_probe.py b/.github/scripts/interrupted_install_probe.py
index e7a27c98b9..6c2015facd 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/interrupted_install_probe.py
+++ b/.github/scripts/interrupted_install_probe.py
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ ManagedReady with can_auto_repair=false and the backend dies on `import structlo
 
 Verdicts:
   HEALTHY      the backend boots -- the interruption did no lasting harm
-  REPAIRABLE   the backend is broken AND something reports it, so the app can repair
+  REPAIRABLE   the backend is broken AND a probe the DESKTOP consumes reports it,
+               so the app can offer a repair
   FALSE_READY  the backend is broken and every probe says ready -> THE BUG
 
 Exit: 0 for HEALTHY/REPAIRABLE/NO_CLI, 1 for FALSE_READY, 2 for a usage error.
@@ -107,6 +108,12 @@ def main(argv: list[str]) -> int:
     say("capabilities.studio_install_ok", install_ok)
 
     # ── the deeper probes the fix PRs add ────────────────────────────────────
+    # RECORDED, but NOT repair evidence: preflight/managed.rs runs only `-h` and
+    # `studio desktop-capabilities --json` (managed.rs:357) and reads
+    # studio_install_ok from that payload (managed.rs:445). It never invokes these
+    # two commands, so counting them would let a leg pass while the real app still
+    # reports ManagedReady over a torn install -- the exact false negative this
+    # workflow exists to catch.
     for label, args in (
         ("verify_install", ["studio", "verify-install"]),
         ("desktop_runtime_check", ["studio", "desktop-runtime-check"]),
@@ -142,16 +149,25 @@ def main(argv: list[str]) -> int:
     # then be false for a perfectly good install.
     blog_path = out / "backend.log"
     blog_fh = blog_path.open("w", encoding = "utf-8", errors = "replace")
-    proc = subprocess.Popen(
-        [binp, "studio", "--api-only", "-H", "127.0.0.1", "-p", str(port)],
-        stdout = blog_fh,
-        stderr = subprocess.STDOUT,
-        text = True,
-        **popen_kw,
-    )
+    # An interrupted install can leave the console script in place while its venv
+    # interpreter is gone: the earlier probes then report failure through run()'s
+    # OSError catch, but an unguarded spawn here raises instead, so no verdict.json
+    # is written and both workflows die on the json.load rather than reporting. An
+    # unlaunchable CLI is a broken backend that `-h` already flags -> REPAIRABLE.
+    proc = None
+    try:
+        proc = subprocess.Popen(
+            [binp, "studio", "--api-only", "-H", "127.0.0.1", "-p", str(port)],
+            stdout = blog_fh,
+            stderr = subprocess.STDOUT,
+            text = True,
+            **popen_kw,
+        )
+    except OSError as e:
+        say("backend_spawn_error", f"{type(e).__name__}: {e}")
     backend_ok = False
     deadline = time.time() + a.boot_timeout
-    while time.time() < deadline:
+    while proc is not None and time.time() < deadline:
         if proc.poll() is not None:
             break
         for path in ("/api/health", "/healthz"):
@@ -167,6 +183,8 @@ def main(argv: list[str]) -> int:
         time.sleep(1)
 
     def reap() -> None:
+        if proc is None:
+            return
         if os.name == "posix":
             import signal
             for sig in (signal.SIGTERM, signal.SIGKILL):
@@ -180,11 +198,20 @@ def main(argv: list[str]) -> int:
                 except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
                     continue
         else:
-            proc.terminate()
+            # On win32 the CLI re-spawns the server as a CHILD and waits on it
+            # (unsloth_cli/commands/studio.py:1543); CREATE_NEW_PROCESS_GROUP does not
+            # make terminate() reach descendants, so killing the wrapper alone leaves a
+            # server holding the venv open and the repair step reinstalls into files
+            # Windows has locked. taskkill /T takes the tree.
+            run(["taskkill", "/F", "/T", "/PID", str(proc.pid)], timeout = 30)
             try:
                 proc.wait(timeout = 10)
             except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
-                proc.kill()
+                proc.terminate()
+                try:
+                    proc.wait(timeout = 10)
+                except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
+                    proc.kill()
 
     reap()
     blog_fh.close()
@@ -202,9 +229,7 @@ def main(argv: list[str]) -> int:
     if backend_ok:
         verdict = "HEALTHY"
     elif (
-        facts.get("verify_install") == "failed"
-        or facts.get("desktop_runtime_check") == "failed"
-        or facts.get("capabilities.studio_install_ok") is False
+        facts.get("capabilities.studio_install_ok") is False
         or not facts.get("cli_h_ok")
         or not facts.get("capabilities_ok")
     ):
diff --git a/.github/workflows/interrupted-install-ci.yml b/.github/workflows/interrupted-install-ci.yml
index c59b31fdd2..7d8d3438b4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/interrupted-install-ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/interrupted-install-ci.yml
@@ -201,11 +201,14 @@ jobs:
   # ── Windows: no process groups, so the kill path differs ──────────────────
   interrupt-windows:
     name: windows kill@${{ matrix.label }}
-    env:
-      # These legs run install.ps1 WITHOUT --tauri (install.ps1:189-215 rejects a custom
-      # root under --tauri exactly like install.sh:100-147), so the workspace-scoped
-      # root is usable here.
-      UNSLOTH_STUDIO_HOME: ${{ github.workspace }}/.studio-home
+    # No UNSLOTH_STUDIO_HOME here. The desktop app always invokes the installer as
+    # `--tauri [--local]` and scrubs the variable first (install.rs:202 and :356), and
+    # install.ps1:189-215 rejects a custom root under --tauri, so a workspace-scoped
+    # root forced these legs down the shell-install path instead: UNSLOTH_TAURI_MODE=0,
+    # frontend build enabled, different root resolution, no bundled-file overlay. Worse,
+    # "Installing PyTorch" is only ever printed by Write-TauriLog (install.ps1:2440), so
+    # without --tauri the torch leg's marker could not appear at all. The runner is
+    # ephemeral, so the default root is safe to install into.
     runs-on: windows-latest
     timeout-minutes: 60
     strategy:
@@ -215,8 +218,8 @@ jobs:
           # install.ps1 parses `--no-torch` (install.ps1:121); `-SkipTorch` matches no
           # case in that switch and is silently dropped. The torch leg must NOT skip
           # torch, or its marker never appears.
-          - {label: studio-deps, marker: 'studio deps', installArgs: '--no-torch --local'}
-          - {label: torch, marker: 'Installing PyTorch', installArgs: '--local'}
+          - {label: studio-deps, marker: 'studio deps', installArgs: '--tauri --no-torch --local'}
+          - {label: torch, marker: 'Installing PyTorch', installArgs: '--tauri --local'}
 
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd  # v6.0.2
@@ -251,7 +254,8 @@ jobs:
         id: probe
         shell: pwsh
         run: |
-          $bin = Join-Path $env:UNSLOTH_STUDIO_HOME 'unsloth_studio\Scripts\unsloth.exe'
+          # --tauri refuses a custom root, so this is where install.ps1:254-262 puts it.
+          $bin = Join-Path $env:USERPROFILE '.unsloth\studio\unsloth_studio\Scripts\unsloth.exe'
           if (-not (Test-Path $bin)) {
             "verdict=NO_CLI" | Out-File -FilePath $env:GITHUB_OUTPUT -Append -Encoding utf8
             Write-Host '[probe] no unsloth CLI -> preflight reports NotInstalled (safe)'
@@ -278,7 +282,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           pwsh -NoProfile -NonInteractive -File install.ps1 ${{ matrix.installArgs }} *>&1 |
             Tee-Object -FilePath logs/repair.log
-          $bin = Join-Path $env:UNSLOTH_STUDIO_HOME 'unsloth_studio\Scripts\unsloth.exe'
+          $bin = Join-Path $env:USERPROFILE '.unsloth\studio\unsloth_studio\Scripts\unsloth.exe'
           if (-not (Test-Path $bin)) {
             Write-Host "::error::after a full re-run there is still no unsloth CLI at $bin"
             Get-Content logs/repair.log -Tail 30 -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue