paulcam206 · Oct 19, 2026 · Oct 20, 2026 · Oct 20, 2026 · Oct 20, 2026 · Oct 22, 2026
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -603,6 +603,10 @@ jobs:
         -TrxFileName OpenClaw.SetupEngine.Tests.trx
         -Runtime win-x64
 
+    - name: Test cleanup helper signing boundary
+      shell: pwsh
+      run: .\scripts\test-cleanup-host-signing.ps1
+
     - name: Run Dev containment settings tests
       run: >
         dotnet test tests/OpenClaw.Tray.Tests
@@ -996,13 +1000,78 @@ jobs:
           TestResults/E2E/
         if-no-files-found: warn
 
+  sign-cleanup-host:
+    name: Sign embedded cleanup host before compilation
+    needs: [change-classification, metadata]
+    if: (startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/v') || inputs.promotion_alpha != '') && needs.metadata.result == 'success'
+    runs-on: windows-latest
+    environment: release-signing
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+      id-token: write
+    steps:
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v7
+      with:
+        fetch-depth: 0
+        ref: ${{ inputs.promotion_source_sha || github.sha }}
+        persist-credentials: false
+
+    - *promotion-version-tag
+
+    - uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v6
+      with:
+        global-json-file: global.json
+
+    - name: Build AnyCPU cleanup host
+      run: dotnet build src/OpenClaw.GatewayCleanupHost -c Release -o signing-cleanup-host
+
+    - name: Disable NuGet source mapping for cleanup signing
+      shell: pwsh
+      run: |
+        if (Test-Path NuGet.Config) { Rename-Item NuGet.Config NuGet.Config.signing.bak }
+
+    - name: Azure Login for Cleanup Signing
+      uses: azure/login@v3
+      with:
+        client-id: ${{ secrets.AZURE_CLIENT_ID }}
+        tenant-id: ${{ secrets.AZURE_TENANT_ID }}
+        subscription-id: ${{ secrets.AZURE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID }}
+
+    - name: Sign cleanup executable before embedding
+      uses: azure/artifact-signing-action@v2
+      with:
+        endpoint: https://eus.codesigning.azure.net/
+        signing-account-name: openclaw
+        certificate-profile-name: openclaw
+        files-folder: signing-cleanup-host
+        files-folder-filter: exe
+        files-folder-depth: 1
+        file-digest: SHA256
+        timestamp-rfc3161: http://timestamp.acs.microsoft.com
+        timestamp-digest: SHA256
+
+    - name: Verify signed cleanup input
+      shell: pwsh
+      run: >
+        .\scripts\Test-CleanupHostSignature.ps1
+        -HostPath signing-cleanup-host\OpenClaw.GatewayCleanupHost.exe -RequireSigned
+        -SignerSubject "CN=OpenClaw Foundation, O=OpenClaw Foundation, L=Mill Valley, S=California, C=US"
+
+    - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7
+      with:
+        name: openclaw-signed-cleanup-host
+        path: signing-cleanup-host/OpenClaw.GatewayCleanupHost.exe
+        if-no-files-found: error
+
   build-x64:
     name: x64 release publish smoke
-    needs: [change-classification, metadata]
-    if: ${{ !cancelled() && needs.change-classification.result == 'success' && needs.metadata.result == 'success' && needs.change-classification.outputs.x64_release == 'true' }}
+    needs: [change-classification, metadata, sign-cleanup-host]
+    if: ${{ !cancelled() && needs.change-classification.result == 'success' && needs.metadata.result == 'success' && (needs.sign-cleanup-host.result == 'success' || needs.sign-cleanup-host.result == 'skipped') && needs.change-classification.outputs.x64_release == 'true' }}
     runs-on: windows-latest
     env:
       OPENCLAW_BUILD_VERSION: ${{ needs.metadata.outputs.semVer }}
+      RequireSignedCleanupHost: ${{ startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/v') || inputs.promotion_alpha != '' }}
+      OpenClawSignedCleanupHostPath: ${{ needs.sign-cleanup-host.result == 'success' && format('{0}\signed-cleanup-host\OpenClaw.GatewayCleanupHost.exe', github.workspace) || '' }}
 
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v7
@@ -1029,6 +1098,13 @@ jobs:
     - name: Restore WinUI Tray App
       run: dotnet restore src/OpenClaw.Tray.WinUI -r win-x64
 
+    - name: Download signed cleanup host
+      if: needs.sign-cleanup-host.result == 'success'
+      uses: actions/download-artifact@v8
+      with:
+        name: openclaw-signed-cleanup-host
+        path: signed-cleanup-host
+
     - name: Publish WinUI Tray App
       run: dotnet publish src/OpenClaw.Tray.WinUI -c Release -r win-x64 --self-contained --no-restore -o publish -p:Version=$env:OPENCLAW_BUILD_VERSION -p:InformationalVersion=$env:OPENCLAW_BUILD_VERSION
 
@@ -1058,11 +1134,13 @@ jobs:
 
   build-arm64:
     name: ARM64 release publish
-    needs: [change-classification, metadata]
-    if: ${{ !cancelled() && needs.change-classification.result == 'success' && needs.metadata.result == 'success' && needs.change-classification.outputs.arm64_release == 'true' }}
+    needs: [change-classification, metadata, sign-cleanup-host]
+    if: ${{ !cancelled() && needs.change-classification.result == 'success' && needs.metadata.result == 'success' && (needs.sign-cleanup-host.result == 'success' || needs.sign-cleanup-host.result == 'skipped') && needs.change-classification.outputs.arm64_release == 'true' }}
     runs-on: windows-11-arm
     env:
       OPENCLAW_BUILD_VERSION: ${{ needs.metadata.outputs.semVer }}
+      RequireSignedCleanupHost: ${{ startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/v') || inputs.promotion_alpha != '' }}
+      OpenClawSignedCleanupHostPath: ${{ needs.sign-cleanup-host.result == 'success' && format('{0}\signed-cleanup-host\OpenClaw.GatewayCleanupHost.exe', github.workspace) || '' }}
 
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v7
@@ -1089,6 +1167,13 @@ jobs:
     - name: Restore WinUI Tray App
       run: dotnet restore src/OpenClaw.Tray.WinUI -r win-arm64
 
+    - name: Download signed cleanup host
+      if: needs.sign-cleanup-host.result == 'success'
+      uses: actions/download-artifact@v8
+      with:
+        name: openclaw-signed-cleanup-host
+        path: signed-cleanup-host
+
     - name: Publish WinUI Tray App
       run: dotnet publish src/OpenClaw.Tray.WinUI -c Release -r win-arm64 --self-contained --no-restore -o publish -p:Version=$env:OPENCLAW_BUILD_VERSION -p:InformationalVersion=$env:OPENCLAW_BUILD_VERSION
 
@@ -1120,12 +1205,14 @@ jobs:
 
   build-msix:
     name: MSIX artifacts (${{ matrix.architecture }})
-    needs: [change-classification, metadata, reserve-msix-version]
-    if: ${{ !cancelled() && needs.change-classification.result == 'success' && needs.metadata.result == 'success' && (needs.reserve-msix-version.result == 'success' || needs.reserve-msix-version.result == 'skipped') && (needs.change-classification.outputs.x64_release == 'true' || needs.change-classification.outputs.arm64_release == 'true') }}
+    needs: [change-classification, metadata, reserve-msix-version, sign-cleanup-host]
+    if: ${{ !cancelled() && needs.change-classification.result == 'success' && needs.metadata.result == 'success' && (needs.sign-cleanup-host.result == 'success' || needs.sign-cleanup-host.result == 'skipped') && (needs.reserve-msix-version.result == 'success' || needs.reserve-msix-version.result == 'skipped') && (needs.change-classification.outputs.x64_release == 'true' || needs.change-classification.outputs.arm64_release == 'true') }}
     # Dev-signed packages publish on tag releases. Unsigned Store packages stay workflow-only.
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.architecture == 'arm64' && 'windows-11-arm' || 'windows-latest' }}
     env:
       OPENCLAW_BUILD_VERSION: ${{ needs.metadata.outputs.semVer }}
+      RequireSignedCleanupHost: ${{ startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/v') || inputs.promotion_alpha != '' }}
+      OpenClawSignedCleanupHostPath: ${{ needs.sign-cleanup-host.result == 'success' && format('{0}\signed-cleanup-host\OpenClaw.GatewayCleanupHost.exe', github.workspace) || '' }}
       DEV_MSIX_REVISION: ${{ github.run_number }}
       MSIX_VERSION_INFO: ${{ needs.reserve-msix-version.outputs.versionInfo || needs.metadata.outputs.msixVersionInfo }}
       MSIX_SOURCE_VERSION: ${{ needs.reserve-msix-version.outputs.sourceVersion || needs.metadata.outputs.msixSourceVersion }}
@@ -1168,6 +1255,13 @@ jobs:
         $info | ConvertTo-Json -Depth 4 |
           Set-Content -LiteralPath "$env:RUNNER_TEMP\openclaw-msix-version.json" -Encoding utf8
 
+    - name: Download signed cleanup host
+      if: needs.sign-cleanup-host.result == 'success'
+      uses: actions/download-artifact@v8
+      with:
+        name: openclaw-signed-cleanup-host
+        path: signed-cleanup-host
+
     - name: Build and validate unsigned Store MSIX
       shell: pwsh
       run: >

diff --git a/docs/ARCHITECTURE.md b/docs/ARCHITECTURE.md
@@ -229,6 +229,7 @@ new attempt. This boundary does not change release signing or Windows policy.
 | Exactly-once ordered app shutdown sequencing | `AppShutdownCoordinator` | authoritative |
 | App composition-root startup sequencing | `AppBootstrapper` (planned) | planned |
 | Packaged uninstall cleanup, preservation recovery and removed-target reconciliation | `GatewayPackageCleanup`; App only invokes its startup gate and presents recovery. Legacy name/path markers never grant unattended deletion authority; malformed receipts/settings retain pending evidence and fail closed | authoritative |
+| Windowless scheduled cleanup launch after Companion removal | `OpenClaw.GatewayCleanupHost` (GUI-subsystem .NET Framework helper), embedded and deployed by `GatewayPackageCleanup`; `GatewayPackageCleanup.Task.ps1` registers its durable versioned path. PowerShell starts with `CreateNoWindow`; worker exit codes reach Task Scheduler | authoritative |
 | Inno migration records, preparation, and pre-start completion guard | `MigrationRecordCodec`, `MigrationPreparation`, `MigrationInventory`, `InnoMigrationStartupGuard` | authoritative |
 | Cross-session migration exclusion and source activity inspection | `MigrationOperationLock`, `InnoSourceActivityVerifier` (App only retains the runtime handle through process exit) | authoritative |
 | Store migration startup admission and finalization | `InnoInstallationDetector`, `InnoSourceRemovalVerifier`, `MigrationStartupRecordReader`, `MigrationInventoryCapture`, `StoreMigrationStartupCoordinator`, `StoreMigrationFinalizationCoordinator`, `StoreMigrationStartupGuard` | authoritative |

diff --git a/docs/RELEASING.md b/docs/RELEASING.md
@@ -866,6 +866,7 @@ OpenClaw-owned binaries:
 - `OpenClaw.SetupEngine.dll`
 - `OpenClaw.Shared.dll`
 - `OpenClawTray.FunctionalUI.dll`
+- `OpenClaw.GatewayCleanupHost.exe` embedded inside `OpenClaw.SetupEngine.dll`
 
 Third-party/runtime executables that must not be OpenClaw-signed:
 
@@ -923,6 +924,28 @@ registration should have a federated credential for:
 
 ## How CI signs payload binaries
 
+On release tags and alpha promotion builds, `sign-cleanup-host` first builds the
+AnyCPU .NET Framework cleanup executable and signs it through the existing
+protected `release-signing` environment. The x64, ARM64 and Store/Dev MSIX build
+jobs download that same signed artifact before compiling SetupEngine.
+`OpenClawSignedCleanupHostPath` selects those bytes instead of rebuilding the
+helper through its project reference. Non-dev Release builds default to
+`RequireSignedCleanupHost=true` and reject a missing signing input; any supplied
+signing input must have a valid Authenticode signature. Debug and Dev builds
+retain the unsigned project-reference path. Non-published PR release smoke and
+MSIX fixture builds explicitly set `RequireSignedCleanupHost=false`; the same
+override is available for intentional unsigned local Release testing, not
+release publication.
+
+SetupEngine verifies the input before embedding and checks the actual compiled
+resource afterward for a matching hash and valid signature. The release payload
+verifier also extracts that resource and requires the expected OpenClaw signer.
+Signing only the outer DLL or MSIX does not sign an embedded executable. Do not
+post-sign a loose helper and assume the previously embedded bytes changed.
+`scripts\test-cleanup-host-signing.ps1` exercises the real build with an existing
+OS-signed fixture, unsigned development output, missing/unsigned signing inputs
+and mismatched resource bytes, without creating certificates or changing trust.
+
 The release workflow does not recursively sign every `.exe`. Instead it creates
 temporary signing input directories with hardlinks to only the OpenClaw-owned
 executables and DLLs from the x64 and ARM64 payloads, then runs Azure Artifact
@@ -939,6 +962,7 @@ For release tags, the **Build and Test** workflow should run:
 
 - `change-classification` with the `full` result
 - `fast-validation`
+- `sign-cleanup-host` before release payload compilation
 - `test`
 - `e2etests` shards: `setup-connect`, `revocation-recovery`, and `network-recovery`
 - `build` matrix entries shown by GitHub as `build (win-x64)` and `build (win-arm64)`

diff --git a/docs/SETUP.md b/docs/SETUP.md
@@ -191,6 +191,10 @@ Go to **Settings → Apps → Installed apps**, find **OpenClaw Companion**, and
 
 Your settings file at `%APPDATA%\OpenClawTray\settings.json` is not removed automatically, and device identity files for gateways unrelated to the one you removed (including per-gateway keys at `%APPDATA%\OpenClawTray\gateways\<gateway-id>\device-key-ed25519.json`) are preserved. Choosing **Yes** also removes the removed gateway's own identity directory. Root operator and node tokens are preserved only while an external gateway record remains; otherwise they are cleared, even if another local or loopback gateway record remains. Delete `%APPDATA%\OpenClawTray\` manually if you want a fully clean uninstall.
 
+For the **Companion MSIX**, managed Gateway cleanup uses a current-user interactive scheduled task that survives Companion removal. Its worker, registration script and versioned `cleanup-host-<hash>.exe` are copied to `%USERPROFILE%\.openclaw-companion\cleanup\<Companion-package-family>\`. The task runs at logon and every minute through a GUI-subsystem helper that starts Windows PowerShell with `CreateNoWindow`, preventing a desktop console from being created. The helper targets the Windows-provided .NET Framework 4.8 and forwards the worker's exit code, recording failures in `cleanup-host-error.txt` beside the worker. It does not depend on VBScript, the Companion's .NET 10 runtime, or an executable inside the removed package. Versioned helper paths allow an updated Companion to refresh the task without overwriting a running helper.
+
+The worker checks Companion package identity, ownership sentinels and removal events, then removes only the recorded owned Gateway resources after confirmed Companion removal. Polling also retries pending cleanup and provides a second absence check at least 30 seconds after the first when removal-event evidence is unavailable. The exact one-minute interval is a cleanup-latency choice, not an AppX requirement; increasing it would only slow cleanup, not prevent a visible launch. Opening an updated packaged Companion refreshes an existing owned cleanup task with the new action. A Gateway-only package update cannot refresh this Companion-owned task.
+
 For the headless dev/WSL CLI uninstall (`--uninstall --dry-run`, then `--confirm-destructive`), see the [uninstall skill](../.agents/skills/uninstall/SKILL.md). For a **clean retest of native Gateway/MXC, Companion, and managed llama.cpp**, use its [hard-clean procedure](../.agents/skills/uninstall/HARD-CLEAN.md). This inventories exact targets and requires confirmation before teardown, package removal, or residual-state deletion. Shared model caches, unrelated profiles, and WSL are preserved unless explicitly included.
 
 On a demo/test device without Copilot, copy [scripts/clean-uninstall.ps1](../scripts/clean-uninstall.ps1) and run it with Windows PowerShell 5.1. Running without arguments previews the scope; `-ConfirmDestructive` applies it. Use `-All` to include dev state, receipt-backed cached models, and owned release/dev WSL distros; add `-ExcludeCachedModels` to preserve external shared cached weights. It still requires `-ConfirmDestructive` to apply and does not discover custom profile paths. Read the [standalone options and preservation rules](../.agents/skills/uninstall/HARD-CLEAN.md#standalone-script-no-copilot-required) before expanding the scope or removing shared model weights.

diff --git a/docs/TEST_COVERAGE.md b/docs/TEST_COVERAGE.md
@@ -81,6 +81,28 @@ shared thread-pool scheduling latency.
 
 ### Additional projects
 
+Gateway cleanup task registration, refresh, quoting and failure propagation run
+in the ordinary SetupEngine suite. The registration fixture replaces only the
+persistence boundary and cannot register a real scheduled task. The two desktop
+visibility tests use the existing integration opt-in because their positive
+control deliberately displays a classic console. Run them on an interactive
+Windows desktop without concurrent desktop automation:
+
+```powershell
+$env:OPENCLAW_REPO_ROOT = (Get-Location).Path
+$env:OPENCLAW_RUN_INTEGRATION = '1'
+dotnet test .\tests\OpenClaw.SetupEngine.Tests\OpenClaw.SetupEngine.Tests.csproj --no-restore --filter 'FullyQualifiedName~GatewayCleanupTaskTests'
+```
+
+The visibility contract is no on-screen visible window or taskbar entry, not
+absence of an HWND. WinEvent observations and periodic window sampling cover
+startup through worker exit; native UI Automation checks the shell taskbar,
+including visible custom-shell surfaces when present. The visible-console positive control
+must be detected by both window observers and actual taskbar enumeration.
+Unavailable shell/provider access fails the selected proof instead of treating
+a window-style heuristic as taskbar evidence. Sampling gaps remain a limit of
+the measurement, not proof that an arbitrarily short transient is impossible.
+
 The chat composer's real keyboard regression is opt-in because it uses Windows
 `SendInput` on a visible, focused proof window. Run it only on an isolated
 interactive desktop with no concurrent computer-use or human input, Caps Lock

diff --git a/openclaw-windows-node.slnx b/openclaw-windows-node.slnx
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
     </Project>
     <Project Path="src/OpenClawTray.FunctionalUI/OpenClawTray.FunctionalUI.csproj" />
     <Project Path="src/OpenClaw.SetupEngine/OpenClaw.SetupEngine.csproj" />
+    <Project Path="src/OpenClaw.GatewayCleanupHost/OpenClaw.GatewayCleanupHost.csproj" />
     <Project Path="src/OpenClaw.SetupEngine.UI/OpenClaw.SetupEngine.UI.csproj">
       <Platform Solution="*|Any CPU" Project="x64" />
       <Platform Solution="*|x64" Project="x64" />