diff --git a/.github/workflows/windows.yml b/.github/workflows/windows.yml
index 82aa2f60..74bb17f8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/windows.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/windows.yml
@@ -216,11 +216,13 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           $payload = Resolve-Path 'packaging\windows\igneum-windows-app'
           function Run-Capture([string]$exe, [string]$flag) {
-            $out = Join-Path $env:RUNNER_TEMP ('smoke-' + [IO.Path]::GetRandomFileName() + '.txt')
-            $p = Start-Process -FilePath $exe -ArgumentList $flag -Wait -NoNewWindow -PassThru -RedirectStandardOutput $out
-            $text = if (Test-Path $out) { (Get-Content $out -Raw) } else { '' }
-            Write-Host ("{0} {1} -> exit {2}: {3}" -f (Split-Path -Leaf $exe), $flag, $p.ExitCode, $text.Trim())
-            if ($p.ExitCode -ne 0) { throw "$exe $flag exited $($p.ExitCode)" }
+            # a direct call, not Start-Process -Wait -PassThru: a program that prints and exits at once raced the cmdlet
+            # ("Cannot process request because the process has exited", 7 October 2026, the 0.3.21 run) and the read-back
+            # was lost; the host program is a windows-subsystem exe, so its text comes through the same pipe
+            $text = (& $exe $flag 2>&1 | Out-String)
+            $code = $LASTEXITCODE
+            Write-Host ("{0} {1} -> exit {2}: {3}" -f (Split-Path -Leaf $exe), $flag, $code, $text.Trim())
+            if ($code -ne 0) { throw "$exe $flag exited $code" }
             return $text
           }
           $v = $env:APP_VERSION