diff --git a/docs/github-tracking/issue-qa-helper-window-lifecycle.md b/docs/github-tracking/issue-qa-helper-window-lifecycle.md
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+## Symptom
+
+QA panel is not yet backed by one cross-platform helper-window contract.
+
+What macOS currently expresses as a natural product behavior is:
+
+- non-activating helper window
+- does not steal the source app context
+- draggable by the toolbar/background area
+- dismiss means non-participating, not only visually hidden
+
+Windows currently only matches part of that behavior. Latest local evidence on Windows:
+
+- `Ctrl+Shift+;` works
+- selection + follow-up QA flow works
+- QA panel is still **not draggable**
+
+This narrows the problem from a broad helper-window risk into a concrete gap:
+
+```text
+Windows does not yet carry the draggable semantics of the original macOS helper-window design.
+```
+
+## Evidence
+
+- [openless-all/app/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json](/D:/Users/cooper/Practice-Project/202604/openless/openless-all/app/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json)
+  - `qa` uses `transparent + alwaysOnTop + focus:false + visible:false + skipTaskbar`
+- [openless-all/app/src-tauri/src/lib.rs](/D:/Users/cooper/Practice-Project/202604/openless/openless-all/app/src-tauri/src/lib.rs)
+  - macOS path uses `orderFrontRegardless`
+  - Windows path uses non-activating show/hide combinations
+- [openless-all/app/src/pages/QaPanel.tsx](/D:/Users/cooper/Practice-Project/202604/openless/openless-all/app/src/pages/QaPanel.tsx)
+  - toolbar drag path was attempted in frontend and via runtime drag APIs
+- Tauri/Wry/Tao runtime reading:
+  - `start_dragging()` still maps to a classic `drag_window()` / caption-drag path on Windows
+- Windows local testing:
+  - hotkey path OK
+  - panel drag still fails
+
+## Root Cause Convergence
+
+This is no longer best explained as a missing React handler or a missing JS API call.
+
+Current best root-cause statement:
+
+```text
+The Windows QA panel is shown as a non-activating helper window,
+but it does not gain a native draggable contract equivalent to
+macOS movableByWindowBackground semantics at window-creation /
+message-processing level.
+```
+
+In other words:
+
+- macOS product intent: non-activating **and** draggable
+- Windows implementation today: partially non-activating, not truly draggable
+
+## 5 Whys
+
+1. Why is the QA panel not draggable on Windows?
+   - Because it lacks an OS-level draggable contract.
+2. Why were frontend `startDragging()` and backend `start_dragging()` not enough?
+   - Because they still collapse back to ordinary caption-drag semantics.
+3. Why is that insufficient here?
+   - Because QA is not a normal activated desktop window; it is a transparent, topmost, skip-taskbar helper window.
+4. Why does this diverge from the original macOS intent?
+   - Because macOS naturally supports "non-activating but draggable" for this window pattern, while Windows does not get that for free from the same implementation shape.
+5. Why is this parked instead of force-fixed now?
+   - Because the evidence says the next meaningful fix must move into native window creation / message strategy, not more local toolbar workarounds.
+
+## Platform Scope
+
+- Direct symptom: confirmed on Windows
+- Problem layer: helper-window lifecycle contract, native drag semantics, OS-level window creation / message semantics
+- Cross-platform interpretation:
+  - not a Windows visual-only bug
+  - a helper-window abstraction gap, with Windows as the first strong failure surface
+
+## Related Issues
+
+- #153 main issue anchor
+- #139 helper-window lifecycle precedent on Capsule
+- #158 governance issue for helper-window / native-window contract
+
+## Impact
+
+- QA feature family is still missing one core helper-window behavior on Windows
+- If left vague, future work will keep wasting time on toolbar-level workarounds instead of fixing the OS contract
+- This blocks a clean "QA helper-window semantics aligned" conclusion
+
+## Proposed Acceptance Criteria
+
+- [ ] Decide whether Windows QA panel must fully match the macOS draggable contract
+- [ ] If yes, implement the fix at native window creation / message layer
+- [ ] Keep a real verification that proves both:
+  - `Ctrl+Shift+;` works
+  - QA panel is draggable
+- [ ] Keep this issue out of the main window radius / frame appearance family
+
+## Parked Note
+
+Current recommendation: keep draft and park the repair here until the Windows native window/message strategy is explicitly chosen.
diff --git a/docs/github-tracking/pr-153-qa-helper-lifecycle.md b/docs/github-tracking/pr-153-qa-helper-lifecycle.md
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+## Summary
+
+Closes #153
+
+This draft PR is now a tracking anchor for a narrowed conclusion, not for continued patch stacking.
+
+Current convergence:
+
+- macOS product intent is not "just a floating panel"
+- it is a **non-activating but draggable helper-window**
+- Windows currently only matches the non-activating part of that intent
+- Windows does **not** yet carry the draggable semantics
+
+Therefore the next real fix should move to native window creation / message strategy, not stay in React toolbar or generic drag API workarounds.
+
+## Current Status
+
+- keep draft
+- park here
+- do not continue hard-fixing in this PR until the Windows native helper-window strategy is chosen
+
+## Scope
+
+- helper-window lifecycle semantics
+- helper-window drag semantics
+- selection ask / QA feature family
+
+Out of scope:
+
+- main window frame / radius / shadow issues
+- generic Windows UI appearance fixes
+- large QA renderer refactors
+
+## Key Finding
+
+```text
+Windows QA panel lacks a native draggable contract equivalent to
+the original macOS helper-window behavior.
+```
+
+## Evidence
+
+- Windows local result:
+  - `Ctrl+Shift+;` works
+  - QA flow works
+  - QA panel still does not drag
+- runtime tracing shows drag APIs still reduce to ordinary caption-drag semantics
+- this is enough to stop guessing and treat the remaining problem as a native helper-window semantics gap
+
+## Next Repair Direction
+
+Future repair should move toward:
+
+- native window creation attributes
+- native message / hit-test contract
+- helper-window specific drag-region semantics
+
+## Validation Plan
+
+- [x] Manual verification: QA hotkey path remains healthy
+- [x] Manual verification: panel drag still fails on Windows
+- [ ] Future verification after native strategy:
+  - QA panel opens
+  - QA panel drags
+  - helper-window remains non-disruptive
diff --git a/docs/windows-lifecycle-tracking/issue-153-qa-helper-lifecycle.md b/docs/windows-lifecycle-tracking/issue-153-qa-helper-lifecycle.md
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+# Issue #153 Tracking
+
+Scope: QA helper-window lifecycle consistency against macOS intent
+
+Current stage:
+
+- This branch is a draft PR placeholder.
+- No runtime fix is included yet.
+- The goal is to converge the QA panel lifecycle contract before repair work starts.
+
+Problem statement:
+
+- macOS explicitly implements a non-activating helper-window show path.
+- Windows/Linux currently rely much more on Tauri window config and plain `show()` / `hide()`.
+- Dismiss semantics are not yet proven to mean fully non-participating helper-window end.
+
+Implementation target to converge before coding:
+
+- Define `show`, `dismiss`, `hidden`, and `non-participating` semantics for QA panel.
+- Separate reasonable platform differences from contract violations.
+- Reuse or align with the Capsule helper-window contract where possible.
+
+Non-goals in this draft:
+
+- No QA renderer rewrite
+- No selection / ASR / LLM flow change
+- No speculative Linux parity claim without evidence