diff --git a/desktop/src/App.test.tsx b/desktop/src/App.test.tsx
index a7183cc..608c678 100644
--- a/desktop/src/App.test.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/App.test.tsx
@@ -394,9 +394,41 @@ describe('desktop target lifecycle', () => {
   it('directs a managed target without browser surface back to managed setup', async () => {
     const setup = { profiles: [managedProfile], selected_profile_id: managedProfile.id, issues: [] };
     mocks.targetSetupState.mockResolvedValue(setup); mocks.recheckTargetState.mockResolvedValue(setup);
-    renderApp();
+    const user = userEvent.setup(); renderApp();
     expect(await screen.findByText('The browser interface is not enabled')).toBeVisible();
-    expect(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Setup options' })).toBeEnabled();
+    const setupOptions = screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Setup options' });
+    await waitFor(() => expect(setupOptions).toBeEnabled());
+    await user.click(setupOptions);
+    expect(await screen.findByRole('heading', { name: 'Choose your VidXP features' })).toBeVisible();
+    expect(screen.queryByRole('heading', { name: 'Install and manage VidXP on this computer?' })).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it('opens a broken managed installation directly on a visible repair action', async () => {
+    const broken = {
+      ...managedProfile,
+      validation_error: {
+        code: 'validation_required',
+        message: 'The desktop runtime needs to be installed for this app version.',
+      },
+    };
+    const setup = { profiles: [broken], selected_profile_id: broken.id, issues: [] };
+    mocks.targetSetupState.mockResolvedValue(setup);
+    mocks.recheckTargetState.mockResolvedValue(setup);
+    mocks.runtimeStatus.mockResolvedValue({
+      state: 'broken', ready: false, runtime_profile: 'runtime-a', package_version: '0.4.0',
+      capabilities: ['scene'], surfaces: [], model_directory: 'C:\\Models',
+      detail: 'The desktop runtime needs to be installed for this app version.',
+    });
+    const user = userEvent.setup(); renderApp();
+
+    const repair = await screen.findByRole('button', { name: 'Repair VidXP' });
+    await waitFor(() => expect(repair).toBeEnabled());
+    await user.click(repair);
+
+    expect(await screen.findByRole('heading', { name: 'Choose your VidXP features' })).toBeVisible();
+    expect(screen.queryByRole('heading', { name: 'Install and manage VidXP on this computer?' })).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.getByText('VidXP needs attention')).toBeVisible();
+    expect(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Repair now' })).toBeVisible();
   });
 
   it('keeps ready managed settings read-only until a draft is dirty, then offers Apply and Reset', async () => {
@@ -431,6 +463,7 @@ describe('desktop target lifecycle', () => {
     expect(screen.getByRole('checkbox', { name: /VidXP app|Browser interface/i })).not.toBeChecked();
     await user.click(screen.getByText('Storage location'));
     expect(screen.getByText('D:\\CustomModels')).toBeVisible();
+    expect(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Repair now' })).toBeVisible();
     expect(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Repair VidXP' })).toBeEnabled();
   });
 
@@ -581,7 +614,6 @@ describe('desktop target lifecycle', () => {
     mocks.runtimeStatus.mockResolvedValue({ state: 'ready', ready: true, runtime_profile: 'runtime-a', package_version: '0.4.0', capabilities: ['scene'], surfaces: [], model_directory: 'C:\\Models', detail: 'Ready.' });
     const user = userEvent.setup(); renderApp();
     await user.click(await screen.findByRole('button', { name: 'Setup options' }));
-    await user.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Choose features' }));
     await screen.findByRole('heading', { name: 'Choose your VidXP features' });
     expect(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Apply update' })).toBeDisabled();
     await user.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Check downloaded models' }));
diff --git a/desktop/src/App.tsx b/desktop/src/App.tsx
index 1de0591..578b4bb 100644
--- a/desktop/src/App.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/App.tsx
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ export function App() {
           {state.stage === 'local' && <LocalSetup onBack={() => dispatch({ type: 'navigate', stage: 'choice' })} onActivated={(setup) => dispatch({ type: 'operationSettled', setup, stage: 'summary' })} />}
           {state.stage === 'managed-confirm' && <section aria-labelledby="managed-confirm-title"><Button variant="subtle" leftSection={<IconArrowLeft size={17} />} disabled={operationPending} onClick={() => dispatch({ type: 'navigate', stage: 'choice' })}>Back</Button><div className="confirmationPanel"><ThemeIcon size={54} radius="xl" variant="light"><IconDownload size={28} /></ThemeIcon><Text className="eyebrow" mt="xl">SET UP VIDXP</Text><Title id="managed-confirm-title" order={1} className="pageTitle">Install and manage VidXP on this computer?</Title><Text className="lede centeredCopy">You choose the features. VidXP checks the new setup before switching to it, so your current installation stays available.</Text><Group justify="center" mt="xl"><Button variant="default" disabled={operationPending} onClick={() => dispatch({ type: 'navigate', stage: 'choice' })}>Cancel</Button><Button loading={state.operation === 'begin-managed'} disabled={operationPending} onClick={() => void beginManaged()}>Choose features</Button></Group></div></section>}
           {state.stage === 'managed' && state.draft && <ManagedSetup draftId={state.draft.id} selectedManagedRuntimeProfile={profile?.kind === 'managed' ? profile.managed_runtime_profile ?? null : null} onBack={cancelManaged} onCommitted={(setup) => dispatch({ type: 'operationSettled', setup, draft: null, stage: 'summary' })} />}
-          {state.stage === 'summary' && profile && <TargetSummary profile={profile} validationError={profile.validation_error} checking={state.operation === 'startup-check' || state.operation === 'recheck'} opening={state.operation === 'open-browser'} operationPending={operationPending} onRecheck={() => recheck()} onManageManaged={() => dispatch({ type: 'navigate', stage: 'managed-confirm' })} onSetupChanged={(setup) => dispatch({ type: 'operationSettled', setup, stage: 'summary' })} onChooseAnother={() => dispatch({ type: 'navigate', stage: 'choice', choice: null })} onOpen={openBrowser} />}
+          {state.stage === 'summary' && profile && <TargetSummary profile={profile} validationError={profile.validation_error} checking={state.operation === 'startup-check' || state.operation === 'recheck'} opening={state.operation === 'open-browser'} operationPending={operationPending} onRecheck={() => recheck()} onManageManaged={() => void beginManaged()} onSetupChanged={(setup) => dispatch({ type: 'operationSettled', setup, stage: 'summary' })} onChooseAnother={() => dispatch({ type: 'navigate', stage: 'choice', choice: null })} onOpen={openBrowser} />}
         </div><footer className="appFooter"><span>Your VidXP settings stay on this computer.</span><span>Desktop only stops services that it starts.</span></footer></main></div>
       </div>
     </DesktopViewport>
diff --git a/desktop/src/components/ManagedSetup.tsx b/desktop/src/components/ManagedSetup.tsx
index 5e4da2d..59b9d86 100644
--- a/desktop/src/components/ManagedSetup.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/components/ManagedSetup.tsx
@@ -344,6 +344,28 @@ export function ManagedSetup({ draftId, selectedManagedRuntimeProfile, onBack, o
 
       {failure && !installFailure && <div ref={failureAlert} tabIndex={-1}><Alert mb="md" icon={<IconAlertCircle aria-hidden="true" />} color="red" title="Could not continue" role="alert">{failure}</Alert></div>}
 
+      {status?.state === 'broken' && operation !== 'install' && (
+        <>
+          <Alert
+            className="managedAttention"
+            icon={<IconAlertCircle aria-hidden="true" />}
+            color="yellow"
+            title={corruptPointer ? 'VidXP could not read the saved setup' : attentionTitle}
+            role="alert"
+          >
+            {corruptPointer
+              ? <Text size="sm">Review the options below and rebuild VidXP. Your saved setup is not changed until the new one is ready.</Text>
+              : <><Text size="sm">Repair this Desktop-managed installation now, or review its saved features below first.</Text><details className="technicalDetails"><summary>Technical details</summary>{message}</details></>}
+            <Button mt="md" disabled={!manifest || isBusy} onClick={() => void install()}>
+              {corruptPointer ? 'Rebuild now' : dirty ? 'Apply update now' : 'Repair now'}
+            </Button>
+          </Alert>
+          <Alert color="yellow" title={dirty ? 'Your current setup stays available during the update' : 'Repair keeps your selected features'}>
+            {dirty ? 'VidXP switches to the updated setup only after it has been installed and checked.' : 'VidXP first repairs the video tools, then restores this installation only if needed.'}
+          </Alert>
+        </>
+      )}
+
       {!manifest ? (
         <div className="emptyState" role="status" aria-live="polite"><Loader size="sm" /> Loading setup options…</div>
       ) : (
@@ -424,20 +446,6 @@ export function ManagedSetup({ draftId, selectedManagedRuntimeProfile, onBack, o
         <div className="neutralSetupNote" role="status">{status.detail}</div>
       )}
 
-      {status?.state === 'broken' && operation !== 'install' && (
-        <Alert
-          className="managedAttention"
-          icon={<IconAlertCircle aria-hidden="true" />}
-          color="yellow"
-          title={corruptPointer ? 'VidXP could not read the saved setup' : attentionTitle}
-          role="alert"
-        >
-          {corruptPointer
-            ? 'Review the options above and rebuild VidXP. Your saved setup is not changed until the new one is ready.'
-            : <><Text size="sm">Use the repair action below to check and restore this installation.</Text><details className="technicalDetails"><summary>Technical details</summary>{message}</details></>}
-        </Alert>
-      )}
-
       {status?.state === 'ready' && (
         <div className="runtimeSummary">
           <Text fw={700}>VidXP is installed</Text>
@@ -447,7 +455,7 @@ export function ManagedSetup({ draftId, selectedManagedRuntimeProfile, onBack, o
         </div>
       )}
 
-      {recoverableConfiguration && (dirty || status?.state === 'broken') && <Alert color="yellow" title={dirty ? 'Your current setup stays available during the update' : 'Repair keeps your selected features'}>{dirty ? 'VidXP switches to the updated setup only after it has been installed and checked.' : 'VidXP first repairs the video tools, then restores this installation only if needed.'}</Alert>}
+      {recoverableConfiguration && dirty && status?.state !== 'broken' && <Alert color="yellow" title="Your current setup stays available during the update">VidXP switches to the updated setup only after it has been installed and checked.</Alert>}
       {status?.ready && !displayedRuntimeSelected && <Alert color="yellow" title="This is not your active installation">Switch back to this installation before preparing models or opening VidXP.</Alert>}
 
       <div className="managedFooter">
diff --git a/desktop/src/components/TargetSummary.tsx b/desktop/src/components/TargetSummary.tsx
index c647ab6..bfb8520 100644
--- a/desktop/src/components/TargetSummary.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/components/TargetSummary.tsx
@@ -355,6 +355,9 @@ export function TargetSummary({ profile, validationError, checking, operationPen
         <Alert color="red" title="This setup needs attention" role="alert" mb="md">
           {validationError.message}
           <details className="technicalDetails"><summary>Technical details</summary><Code>{validationError.code}</Code></details>
+          {profile.kind === 'managed' && (
+            <Button mt="md" variant="light" loading={operationPending} onClick={onManageManaged}>Repair VidXP</Button>
+          )}
         </Alert>
       )}
       {runtimeFailure && <Alert color="red" title="That did not work" role="alert" mb="md">{runtimeFailure}</Alert>}
diff --git a/docs/desktop.md b/docs/desktop.md
index 43a73e1..2253813 100644
--- a/docs/desktop.md
+++ b/docs/desktop.md
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ implementation:
 - managed repositories and models use the same platform VidXP data directory
   as the CLI; adopted targets retain their reported roots, while managed Python
   and package environments use private desktop application-data directories;
+- Desktop-managed launchers stay private and are restored through their saved
+  managed profile rather than being added to `PATH` or offered for external
+  adoption. This preserves Desktop's lifecycle ownership, version checks, and
+  controlled launch environment without shadowing a separately installed CLI;
 - the existing DBOS worker remains the durable execution boundary; and
 - closing the desktop process stops the exact browser and API processes it launched,
   while broad worker shutdown remains limited to desktop-owned runtimes.