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Windows: browser-use IAB can initialize and list tabs, but tab.goto() fails with failed to start codex app-server: 系统找不到指定的路径 (os error 3) #20130
Description
What version of the Codex App are you using (From "About Codex" dialog)?
OpenAI.Codex 26.422.8496.0_x64__2p2nqsd0c76g0
What subscription do you have?
No response
What platform is your computer?
Windows x64
What issue are you seeing?
@browser-use is partially working on Windows, but external navigation through the IAB backend fails.
In my session, Browser Use can:
- initialize successfully with
setupAtlasRuntime({ backend: "iab" }) - create/select/list tabs
- return a selected tab object
But it fails consistently when trying to navigate to an external URL with tab.goto(...).
Observed error:
failed to start codex app-server: 系统找不到指定的路径。 (os error 3)
Activity
github-actions commentedon Apr 29, 2026
Potential duplicates detected. Please review them and close your issue if it is a duplicate.
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jay52121 commentedon Apr 29, 2026
I found a working workaround for Windows Codex App Browser Use failing with:
failed to start codex app-server
The system cannot find the path specified. (os error 3)
In my case, Codex Browser Use was looking for runtime files under:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\OpenAI\Codex\bin
But that directory was missing or incomplete.
Workaround:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\OpenAI\Codex\bin
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\OpenAI.Codex_2p2nqsd0c76g0\LocalCache\Local\OpenAI\Codex\bin
to:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\OpenAI\Codex\bin
C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\OpenAI.Codex_\app\resources
After copying those files and restarting Codex, Browser Use / in-app browser started working again.
This looks like a Windows packaging/cache/runtime path issue: Browser Use expects the local Codex runtime under %LOCALAPPDATA%\OpenAI\Codex\bin, but the files may only exist under the MSIX LocalCache or installation resources path.
zemeng5208 commentedon Aug 12, 2026
I maintain WinBridge Recovery, an independent Windows Codex Desktop local runtime/plugin recovery tool: https://github.com/zemeng5208/winbridge-recovery
This issue is a direct match for the user-side helper materialization layer the project targets. The workaround reported here is especially useful evidence: the IAB backend can initialize and list tabs, but
%LOCALAPPDATA%\OpenAI\Codex\binis missing/incomplete; once the expected Codex helper runtime is restored, Browser Use navigation works again.WinBridge v3.1.1 resolves the currently installed Microsoft Store AppX first, verifies the official bundled CLI/CUA resources, and checks the effective user-side
codex.exe,node.exe,node_repl.exe,rg.exe,CODEX_CLI_PATH,NODE_REPL_NODE_PATH, and app-server/runtime paths together. When the official source is present but the user-owned runtime is missing or stale, it can rebuild that local state through verified staging, source/destination SHA-256 checks, backups, and rollback rather than requiring users to manually copy a guessed set of binaries after every update.It does not modify WindowsApps ownership/ACLs or patch the Store package. If the user-side helper/runtime state is already complete and current but Browser operations still fail, that remaining layer should be treated as an upstream Browser/app-server issue rather than something WinBridge should force around.
etraut-openai commentedon Oct 13, 2026
(response from codex)
Thanks for the reproduction and follow-up. Closing as a duplicate of #19187. It tracks the same Windows Browser Use failure after successful tab initialization, with external navigation unable to start codex app-server (os error 3). Your helper-path findings match one variant covered there.