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Windows Computer Use / node_repl fails: spawn setup refresh uses AppData codex-windows-sandbox-setup.exe and returns os error 740 #25366

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Windows Computer Use / node_repl fails: spawn setup refresh uses AppData codex-windows-sandbox-setup.exe and returns os error 740#25366
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appIssues related to the Codex desktop appbugSomething isn't workingcomputer-usemcpIssues related to the use of model context protocol (MCP) serverssandboxIssues related to permissions or sandboxingwindows-osIssues related to Codex on Windows systems

Description

@amir-hasan666
amir-hasan666
opened on May 31, 2026

Title:
Windows Computer Use / node_repl fails: spawn setup refresh uses AppData codex-windows-sandbox-setup.exe and returns os error 740

Body:

Environment

  • OS: Windows 11 Professional, Windows 10.0.26200, zh-CN
  • Codex Desktop package: OpenAI.Codex_26.527.3686.0_x64__2p2nqsd0c76g0
  • Codex CLI: 0.135.0-alpha.1
  • Workspace: D:\Codex\project
  • Config includes:
    • [windows] sandbox = "elevated"
    • node_repl configured under mcp_servers.node_repl
  • Computer Use plugin enabled: computer-use@openai-bundled

Problem

Windows Computer Use is unusable because node_repl fails during startup.

Minimal Node REPL test:

nodeRepl.write("node_repl_ok")

fails with:

node_repl kernel exited unexpectedly
windows sandbox failed: spawn setup refresh

Key log evidence

Normal shell sandbox setup succeeds using the WindowsApps resources path:

setup refresh: spawning C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\OpenAI.Codex_26.527.3686.0_x64__2p2nqsd0c76g0\app\resources\codex-windows-sandbox-setup.exe
setup refresh: processed 2 write roots (read roots delegated); errors=[]
setup binary completed

But node_repl startup uses the AppData local bin path and fails:

START: C:\Users\22241\AppData\Local\OpenAI\Codex\bin\5b9024f90663758b\node.exe --experimental-vm-modules ...
setup refresh: spawning C:\Users\22241\AppData\Local\OpenAI\Codex\bin\7dea4a003bc76627\codex-windows-sandbox-setup.exe
setup refresh: failed to spawn ... os error 740

Windows os error 740 means the requested operation requires elevation.

What I tried

  • Restarted Codex.
  • Ran Codex as administrator.
  • Rebooted Windows.
  • Reinstalled Codex Desktop.
  • Ran AppX re-register:
$pkg = Get-AppxPackage OpenAI.Codex
Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register (Join-Path $pkg.InstallLocation 'AppxManifest.xml')
  • Tested with a fresh/renamed .codex directory.
  • codex doctor outside the sandbox reports no failures for install/auth/network/state.
  • Computer Use still fails because node_repl cannot start.

Expected behavior

node_repl should start successfully, allowing Computer Use to list apps/windows and interact with Windows apps.

Actual behavior

node_repl exits during sandbox setup refresh, so Computer Use cannot initialize.

Activity

  1. github-actions
    added
    bugSomething isn't working
    appIssues related to the Codex desktop app
    windows-osIssues related to Codex on Windows systems
    computer-use
    sandboxIssues related to permissions or sandboxing
    mcpIssues related to the use of model context protocol (MCP) servers
    on May 31, 2026

  2. github-actions commented on May 31, 2026

    @github-actions
    github-actionsBot
    on May 31, 2026 – with GitHub Actions
    Contributor

    Potential duplicates detected. Please review them and close your issue if it is a duplicate.

    Powered by Codex Action

  3. ElierHG commented on Jun 1, 2026

    @ElierHG
    ElierHG
    on Jun 1, 2026 – with ChatGPT Codex Connector

    I reproduced a related Windows Computer Use / node_repl failure in Codex Desktop 26.527.7698.0 and found a workaround that may be worth documenting.

    Observed behavior:

    • In Auto-review / default / workspace sandbox mode, Computer Use fails before it can list apps:
    node_repl kernel exited unexpectedly
windows sandbox failed: spawn setup refresh
    • The sandbox log shows:
    codex-windows-sandbox-setup.exe ... requires elevation. (os error 740)
    • Running Codex as Administrator alone was not sufficient in this session while the thread stayed in Auto-review/default/workspace mode.
    • Switching the thread to Full access while Codex was running as Administrator allowed Computer Use to start successfully.
    • After that, Computer Use listed apps, targeted Notepad, typed text, and verified the document text.

    Docs gap:

    The Computer Use docs mention Windows active desktop behavior and that file/shell actions still follow sandbox settings. The Windows docs mention elevated/unelevated sandbox modes. I did not find a troubleshooting note that Windows Computer Use / node_repl may fail with spawn setup refresh / os error 740 unless the user runs Codex elevated and/or switches to Full access.

    Suggested docs addition:

    Add a Windows troubleshooting note to Computer Use docs for:

    • windows sandbox failed: spawn setup refresh
    • codex-windows-sandbox-setup.exe ... requires elevation. (os error 740)
    • Try running Codex as Administrator.
    • If the issue only occurs in sandboxed modes, Full access may be a temporary workaround, with the usual safety warning.

  4. amir-hasan666 commented on Jun 3, 2026

    @amir-hasan666
    amir-hasan666
    on Jun 3, 2026
    Author

    Thanks, this was very helpful.

    I tested it on my side and can confirm that switching the thread to Full access allowed Computer Use to start successfully. Before that, running Codex as Administrator alone was not enough in the default/workspace sandbox mode.

    This confirms the issue is closely related to the Windows sandbox / node_repl startup path rather than Computer Use itself. Your explanation helped me unblock the feature, and I agree this would be useful to document as a Windows troubleshooting note.

  5. MercYuriy commented on Jun 3, 2026

    @MercYuriy
    MercYuriy
    on Jun 3, 2026 – with ChatGPT Codex Connector

    Still reproduces on Codex Desktop Store package 26.601.2237.0 after updating from 26.527.3686.0.

    Environment:

    • Windows laptop, en-US
    • Computer Use plugin enabled
    • [windows] sandbox = "elevated"
    • Normal sandboxed shell commands succeed
    • Computer Use list_apps, Chrome automation, and minimal node_repl startup fail before execution

    After the update, the failing helper path changed from:

    %LOCALAPPDATA%\OpenAI\Codex\bin\7dea4a003bc76627\codex-windows-sandbox-setup.exe

    to:

    %LOCALAPPDATA%\OpenAI\Codex\bin\716dda49c14d31a0\codex-windows-sandbox-setup.exe

    The new build still returns:

    The requested operation requires elevation. (os error 740)

    The packaged helper under the WindowsApps resources path completes successfully, while the copied helper under the AppData bin path fails. Restarting Codex and invoking Computer Use directly with @Computer did not change the result.

  6. MercYuriy commented on Jun 3, 2026

    @MercYuriy
    MercYuriy
    on Jun 3, 2026

    What are any significant downsides to using unelevated vs elevated setting value? Obviously the Ai doenst know how to fix this inconcistency right? because the default seems to be elevated, but why does unelevated fix this? Should i be worried about security?

  7. clark-mackey commented on Jun 4, 2026

    @clark-mackey
    clark-mackey
    on Jun 4, 2026

    +1, same on 26.601.2237.0; unelevated workaround unblocks me

  8. iceweasel-oai commented on Jun 12, 2026

    @iceweasel-oai
    iceweasel-oai
    on Jun 12, 2026 – with ChatGPT Codex Connector
    Contributor

    this is now fixed

  9. iceweasel-oai
    closed this as completedon Jun 12, 2026
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