diff --git a/apps/server/src/device/AgentDeviceShim.test.ts b/apps/server/src/device/AgentDeviceShim.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..7ee999c7c31f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/server/src/device/AgentDeviceShim.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+// @effect-diagnostics nodeBuiltinImport:off - Executes the emitted Node launcher with a local spawn fixture.
+import * as NodeChildProcess from "node:child_process";
+import * as NodeServices from "@effect/platform-node/NodeServices";
+import { assert, it } from "@effect/vitest";
+import {
+  HostProcessExecutablePath,
+  HostProcessIsExecutable,
+  HostProcessPlatform,
+} from "@t3tools/shared/hostProcess";
+import * as Effect from "effect/Effect";
+import * as FileSystem from "effect/FileSystem";
+import * as Path from "effect/Path";
+
+import { ensureAgentDeviceShim } from "./AgentDeviceShim.ts";
+
+it.effect(
+  "sets windowsHide and forwards arguments and exit status in the emitted device launcher",
+  () =>
+    Effect.gen(function* () {
+      const fs = yield* FileSystem.FileSystem;
+      const path = yield* Path.Path;
+      const root = yield* fs.makeTempDirectoryScoped({ prefix: "t3-device-shim-" });
+      const entryPath = path.join(root, "entry with spaces.mjs");
+      const shimDir = yield* ensureAgentDeviceShim({ entryPath, stateDir: root });
+      const preload = path.join(root, "spawn-fixture.cjs");
+      yield* fs.writeFileString(
+        preload,
+        `
+const { EventEmitter } = require("node:events");
+require("node:child_process").spawn = (command, args, options) => {
+  console.log(JSON.stringify({ command, args, windowsHide: options.windowsHide, stdio: options.stdio,
+    inheritedConfig: options.env.AGENT_DEVICE_CONFIG }));
+  const child = new EventEmitter();
+  queueMicrotask(() => child.emit("exit", 23));
+  return child;
+};
+require("node:module").syncBuiltinESMExports();
+`,
+      );
+      const result = NodeChildProcess.spawnSync(
+        process.execPath,
+        ["--require", preload, path.join(shimDir, "agent-device-launcher.mjs"), "--help"],
+        {
+          encoding: "utf8",
+          windowsHide: true,
+          env: { ...process.env, AGENT_DEVICE_CONFIG: "fixture-config" },
+        },
+      );
+      assert.isUndefined(result.error);
+      assert.equal(result.status, 23);
+      assert.deepEqual(JSON.parse(result.stdout), {
+        command: process.execPath,
+        args: [entryPath, "--help"],
+        windowsHide: true,
+        stdio: "inherit",
+      });
+      assert.include(
+        yield* fs.readFileString(path.join(shimDir, "agent-device.cmd")),
+        "agent-device-launcher.mjs",
+      );
+    }).pipe(
+      Effect.scoped,
+      Effect.provideService(HostProcessPlatform, "win32"),
+      Effect.provideService(HostProcessExecutablePath, process.execPath),
+      Effect.provideService(HostProcessIsExecutable, false),
+      Effect.provide(NodeServices.layer),
+    ),
+);
diff --git a/apps/server/src/device/AgentDeviceShim.ts b/apps/server/src/device/AgentDeviceShim.ts
index a5a669d1d8ba..b9303e34e10e 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/device/AgentDeviceShim.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/device/AgentDeviceShim.ts
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ const env = { ...process.env };
 delete env.AGENT_DEVICE_DAEMON_BASE_URL;
 delete env.AGENT_DEVICE_DAEMON_AUTH_TOKEN;
 delete env.AGENT_DEVICE_CONFIG;
-const child = spawn(${JSON.stringify(node)}, [${JSON.stringify(entryPath)}, ...args], { stdio: "inherit", env });
+const child = spawn(${JSON.stringify(node)}, [${JSON.stringify(entryPath)}, ...args], { stdio: "inherit", env, windowsHide: true });
 child.on("error", error => { console.error(error.message); process.exitCode = 1; });
 child.on("exit", code => { process.exitCode = code ?? 1; });
 `,
diff --git a/apps/server/src/process/externalLauncher.test.ts b/apps/server/src/process/externalLauncher.test.ts
index aab4d78f4d71..9794c1c51592 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/process/externalLauncher.test.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/process/externalLauncher.test.ts
@@ -121,6 +121,31 @@ it.effect("launches the default browser through the platform command", () => {
   );
 });
 
+it.effect("sets windowsHide for the Windows browser helper", () => {
+  let spawned: ChildProcess.StandardCommand | undefined;
+  return Effect.gen(function* () {
+    const launcher = yield* ExternalLauncher.ExternalLauncher;
+    yield* launcher.launchBrowser("https://example.com");
+    assert.ok(spawned);
+    assert.equal(spawned.options.windowsHide, true);
+    assert.equal(spawned.options.detached, true);
+    assert.equal(spawned.options.shell, false);
+    assert.include(
+      Buffer.from(spawned.args.at(-1) ?? "", "base64").toString("utf16le"),
+      "https://example.com",
+    );
+  }).pipe(
+    Effect.provide(
+      testLayer({
+        platform: "win32",
+        onSpawn: (command) => {
+          spawned = command;
+        },
+      }),
+    ),
+  );
+});
+
 it.effect("launches an installed editor with platform-safe arguments", () =>
   Effect.gen(function* () {
     const fileSystem = yield* FileSystem.FileSystem;
@@ -338,6 +363,7 @@ it.effect("reveals a file in File Explorer through PowerShell on Windows", () =>
       "$ProgressPreference = 'SilentlyContinue'; Start-Process 'explorer.exe' -ArgumentList ('/select,\"' + 'C:\\workspace with spaces\\media\\author''s clip.mp4' + '\"')",
     );
     assert.equal(spawned.options.shell, false);
+    assert.equal(spawned.options.windowsHide, true);
   }).pipe(Effect.scoped, Effect.provide(NodeServices.layer)),
 );
 
diff --git a/apps/server/src/process/externalLauncher.ts b/apps/server/src/process/externalLauncher.ts
index ab287e4d78ee..ce469bebd2a1 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/process/externalLauncher.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/process/externalLauncher.ts
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ interface EditorLaunch {
   readonly target: string;
   readonly command: string;
   readonly args: ReadonlyArray<string>;
+  readonly hideConsole?: true;
 }
 
 interface ProcessLaunch {
@@ -215,6 +216,7 @@ function resolveWindowsBrowserLaunch(target: string, command: string): ProcessLa
     args: [...POWERSHELL_ARGUMENTS_PREFIX, encodedCommand],
     options: {
       detached: true,
+      windowsHide: true,
       shell: false,
       stdin: "ignore",
       stdout: "ignore",
@@ -599,6 +601,7 @@ function fileExplorerRevealLaunch(
       ...POWERSHELL_ARGUMENTS_PREFIX,
       encodeUtf16LeBase64(buildFileExplorerRevealPowerShellSource("explorer.exe", explorerTarget)),
     ],
+    hideConsole: true,
   };
 }
 
@@ -730,6 +733,7 @@ const launchEditorProcess = Effect.fn("externalLauncher.launchEditorProcess")(fu
       options: {
         detached: true,
         shell: spawnCommand.shell,
+        ...(launch.hideConsole === true ? { windowsHide: true } : {}),
         stdin: "ignore",
         stdout: "ignore",
         stderr: "ignore",
diff --git a/packages/shared/src/legacyCliLauncher.test.ts b/packages/shared/src/legacyCliLauncher.test.ts
index b6630f468a83..12905e6cc397 100644
--- a/packages/shared/src/legacyCliLauncher.test.ts
+++ b/packages/shared/src/legacyCliLauncher.test.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,50 @@ const hostPlatform = NodeOS.platform();
 // oxlint-disable-next-line t3code/no-global-process-runtime -- Match the real executable used by the subprocess.
 const hostArch = NodeOS.arch();
 
+it("sets windowsHide and forwards arguments and exit status in the generated launcher", async () => {
+  const root = await NodeFSP.mkdtemp(NodePath.join(NodeOS.tmpdir(), "t3-legacy-launcher-"));
+  try {
+    const entry = NodePath.join(root, "node_modules/t3/dist/bin.mjs");
+    const packageDir = NodePath.join(root, `node_modules/@t3code/t3-${hostPlatform}-${hostArch}`);
+    const preload = NodePath.join(root, "spawn-fixture.cjs");
+    await NodeFSP.mkdir(NodePath.dirname(entry), { recursive: true });
+    await NodeFSP.mkdir(packageDir, { recursive: true });
+    await NodeFSP.writeFile(NodePath.join(packageDir, "package.json"), "{}");
+    await NodeFSP.writeFile(entry, legacyCliLauncherScript());
+    await NodeFSP.writeFile(
+      preload,
+      `
+const { EventEmitter } = require("node:events");
+require("node:child_process").spawn = (command, args, options) => {
+  const record = { command, args, options };
+  const child = new EventEmitter();
+  console.log(JSON.stringify(record));
+  queueMicrotask(() => child.emit("exit", 23));
+  return child;
+};
+require("node:module").syncBuiltinESMExports();
+`,
+    );
+    const result = NodeChildProcess.spawnSync(
+      process.execPath,
+      ["--require", preload, entry, "serve", "a path with spaces"],
+      {
+        encoding: "utf8",
+        windowsHide: true,
+      },
+    );
+    expect(result.error).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(result.status).toBe(23);
+    expect(JSON.parse(result.stdout)).toEqual({
+      command: NodePath.join(packageDir, hostPlatform === "win32" ? "t3.exe" : "t3"),
+      args: ["serve", "a path with spaces"],
+      options: { stdio: "inherit", windowsHide: true },
+    });
+  } finally {
+    await NodeFSP.rm(root, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  }
+});
+
 // The fixture executable uses a POSIX shebang. The wrapper itself also runs on Windows.
 it.skipIf(hostPlatform === "win32")(
   "keeps service IPC, arguments, and termination connected",
diff --git a/packages/shared/src/legacyCliLauncher.ts b/packages/shared/src/legacyCliLauncher.ts
index b852e2310dba..8c527ca14c81 100644
--- a/packages/shared/src/legacyCliLauncher.ts
+++ b/packages/shared/src/legacyCliLauncher.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ const executable = join(dirname(require.resolve("@t3code/t3-" + process.platform
 const ipc = process.send !== undefined;
 const child = spawn(executable, process.argv.slice(2), {
   stdio: ipc ? ["inherit", "inherit", "inherit", "ipc"] : "inherit",
+  windowsHide: true,
 });
 const fail = (error) => {
   if (!error) return;
diff --git a/packages/shared/src/shell.test.ts b/packages/shared/src/shell.test.ts
index 6c89e49d017f..2270e08e00f3 100644
--- a/packages/shared/src/shell.test.ts
+++ b/packages/shared/src/shell.test.ts
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ describe("readEnvironmentFromWindowsShell", () => {
     expect(execFile).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
       "pwsh.exe",
       expect.arrayContaining(["-NoLogo", "-NoProfile", "-NonInteractive", "-Command"]),
-      { encoding: "utf8", timeout: 5000 },
+      { encoding: "utf8", timeout: 5000, windowsHide: true },
     );
   });
 
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ describe("readEnvironmentFromWindowsShell", () => {
     expect(execFile).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
       "pwsh.exe",
       expect.arrayContaining(["-NoLogo", "-NonInteractive", "-Command"]),
-      { encoding: "utf8", timeout: 5000 },
+      { encoding: "utf8", timeout: 5000, windowsHide: true },
     );
     expect(execFile.mock.calls[0]?.[1]).not.toContain("-NoProfile");
   });
@@ -277,10 +277,12 @@ describe("readEnvironmentFromWindowsShell", () => {
     expect(execFile).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(1, "pwsh.exe", expect.any(Array), {
       encoding: "utf8",
       timeout: 5000,
+      windowsHide: true,
     });
     expect(execFile).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(2, "powershell.exe", expect.any(Array), {
       encoding: "utf8",
       timeout: 5000,
+      windowsHide: true,
     });
   });
 });
diff --git a/packages/shared/src/shell.ts b/packages/shared/src/shell.ts
index 6cb08d2890be..01ef4d244f56 100644
--- a/packages/shared/src/shell.ts
+++ b/packages/shared/src/shell.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ const WINDOWS_SHELL_CANDIDATES = ["pwsh.exe", "powershell.exe"] as const;
 type ExecFileSyncLike = (
   file: string,
   args: ReadonlyArray<string>,
-  options: { encoding: "utf8"; timeout: number },
+  options: { encoding: "utf8"; timeout: number; windowsHide?: true },
 ) => string;
 
 function canExecuteFile(filePath: string): boolean {
@@ -370,7 +370,7 @@ export function readEnvironmentFromWindowsShell(
   ];
   for (const shell of WINDOWS_SHELL_CANDIDATES) {
     try {
-      const output = execFile(shell, args, { encoding: "utf8", timeout: 5000 });
+      const output = execFile(shell, args, { encoding: "utf8", timeout: 5000, windowsHide: true });
 
       const environment: Partial<Record<string, string>> = {};
       for (const name of names) {