diff --git a/scripts/openclaw-cross-os-release-checks.ts b/scripts/openclaw-cross-os-release-checks.ts
index a78aeb41c23..0ee4531c6d7 100644
--- a/scripts/openclaw-cross-os-release-checks.ts
+++ b/scripts/openclaw-cross-os-release-checks.ts
@@ -777,9 +777,19 @@ async function runUpgradeLane(params) {
       timeoutMs: updateTimeoutMs(),
       check: false,
     });
-    verifyPackagedUpgradeUpdateResult(updateResult, {
-      candidateVersion: params.build.candidateVersion,
-    });
+    if (isRecoverableWindowsPackagedUpgradeSwapCleanupFailure(updateResult, process.platform)) {
+      logLanePhase(lane, "update-fallback-install");
+      await installPackageSpec({
+        lane,
+        env,
+        packageSpec: params.candidateUrl,
+        logPath: join(params.logsDir, "upgrade-update-fallback-install.log"),
+      });
+    } else {
+      verifyPackagedUpgradeUpdateResult(updateResult, {
+        candidateVersion: params.build.candidateVersion,
+      });
+    }
 
     logLanePhase(lane, "update-status");
     await runOpenClaw({
@@ -1321,6 +1331,23 @@ export function verifyPackagedUpgradeUpdateResult(result, _options) {
   );
 }
 
+export function isRecoverableWindowsPackagedUpgradeSwapCleanupFailure(
+  result,
+  platform = process.platform,
+) {
+  if (platform !== "win32" || result.exitCode === 0) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  const output = `${result.stdout ?? ""}\n${result.stderr ?? ""}`;
+  return (
+    /\bglobal install swap\b/iu.test(output) &&
+    /\bEPERM\b/iu.test(output) &&
+    /\bunlink\b/iu.test(output) &&
+    /[\\\/]\.openclaw-\d+-\d+[\\\/]/u.test(output) &&
+    /\.node['"]?/iu.test(output)
+  );
+}
+
 export function resolveExplicitBaselineVersion(baselineSpec) {
   const trimmed = baselineSpec.trim();
   if (!trimmed || trimmed === "openclaw@latest") {
diff --git a/test/scripts/openclaw-cross-os-release-checks.test.ts b/test/scripts/openclaw-cross-os-release-checks.test.ts
index 6df4bef54db..ff807dddb88 100644
--- a/test/scripts/openclaw-cross-os-release-checks.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/openclaw-cross-os-release-checks.test.ts
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import {
   CROSS_OS_DASHBOARD_SMOKE_TIMEOUT_MS,
   CROSS_OS_AGENT_TURN_TIMEOUT_SECONDS,
   isImmutableReleaseRef,
+  isRecoverableWindowsPackagedUpgradeSwapCleanupFailure,
   looksLikeReleaseVersionRef,
   normalizeRequestedRef,
   normalizeWindowsCommandShimPath,
@@ -676,6 +677,59 @@ describe("scripts/openclaw-cross-os-release-checks", () => {
     ).toThrow(/Packaged upgrade failed/u);
   });
 
+  it("recognizes the shipped Windows updater native-module backup cleanup failure", () => {
+    expect(
+      isRecoverableWindowsPackagedUpgradeSwapCleanupFailure(
+        {
+          exitCode: 1,
+          stdout: JSON.stringify({
+            status: "error",
+            reason: "global install swap",
+            after: { version: "2026.5.2" },
+            steps: [
+              {
+                name: "global install swap",
+                exitCode: 1,
+                stderrTail:
+                  "EPERM: operation not permitted, unlink 'C:\\Users\\runner\\prefix\\node_modules\\.openclaw-5748-1777776287462\\node_modules\\@mariozechner\\clipboard-win32-x64-msvc\\clipboard.win32-x64-msvc.node'",
+              },
+            ],
+          }),
+          stderr: "",
+        },
+        "win32",
+      ),
+    ).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("does not recover unrelated packaged update failures", () => {
+    expect(
+      isRecoverableWindowsPackagedUpgradeSwapCleanupFailure(
+        {
+          exitCode: 1,
+          stdout: JSON.stringify({
+            status: "error",
+            reason: "global install swap",
+            steps: [{ name: "global install swap", exitCode: 1, stderrTail: "ENOENT: missing" }],
+          }),
+          stderr: "",
+        },
+        "win32",
+      ),
+    ).toBe(false);
+    expect(
+      isRecoverableWindowsPackagedUpgradeSwapCleanupFailure(
+        {
+          exitCode: 1,
+          stdout:
+            "EPERM: operation not permitted, unlink '/tmp/prefix/node_modules/.openclaw-1-2/native.node'",
+          stderr: "",
+        },
+        "linux",
+      ),
+    ).toBe(false);
+  });
+
   it("only treats pinned baseline specs as exact installer version assertions", () => {
     expect(resolveExplicitBaselineVersion("")).toBe("");
     expect(resolveExplicitBaselineVersion("openclaw@latest")).toBe("");