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Chrome plugin missing after reinstall; local plugin cache points to incomplete latest folder #25874
Description
What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?
26.527.60818
What subscription do you have?
Paid
What platform is your computer?
Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.26200.0 x64 , Windows 11 x64
What issue are you seeing?
Title: Chrome plugin missing after reinstall; local plugin cache points to incomplete latest folder
Environment:
- Windows 11
- Codex desktop app from Microsoft Store
- Microsoft Store shows Codex 4.3 installed
- Chrome extension installed from Chrome Web Store:
https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/codex/hehggadaopoacecdllhhajmbjkdcmajg - Chrome extension popup says "Connected"
Problem:
The Chrome plugin disappeared from Codex after I disabled/removed/reinstalled pieces while troubleshooting. It no longer appears under installed plugins or marketplace search. Reinstalling Codex from the Microsoft Store did not restore the Chrome plugin.
Observed behavior:
- In Codex → Plugins → Manage, installed plugins show Documents, Spreadsheets, Presentations, and GitHub only.
- Searching marketplace for Chrome shows no Chrome plugin.
- The Chrome Web Store extension is installed and says Connected, but Codex cannot control Chrome.
Diagnostics:
The local Chrome plugin cache exists, but the latest folder appears incomplete.
Existing complete versioned folders:
%USERPROFILE%.codex\plugins\cache\openai-bundled\chrome\26.519.81530
%USERPROFILE%.codex\plugins\cache\openai-bundled\chrome\26.527.31326
Incomplete latest folder:
%USERPROFILE%.codex\plugins\cache\openai-bundled\chrome\latest
The file expected by the Chrome native-host config is missing:
%USERPROFILE%.codex\plugins\cache\openai-bundled\chrome\latest\scripts\browser-client.mjs
But the file exists in the versioned folder:
%USERPROFILE%.codex\plugins\cache\openai-bundled\chrome\26.527.31326\scripts\browser-client.mjs
Native host diagnostic reports missing registry key and manifest:
HKCU\Software\Google\Chrome\NativeMessagingHosts\com.openai.codexextension
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\OpenAI\extension\com.openai.codexextension.json
Relevant config file exists:
%USERPROFILE%.codex\chrome-native-hosts.json
It points browserClientPath to:
%USERPROFILE%.codex\plugins\cache\openai-bundled\chrome\latest\scripts\browser-client.mjs
Expected behavior:
Reinstalling Codex or reinstalling/enabling the Chrome plugin should restore the bundled Chrome plugin, recreate a complete latest plugin folder, register the native host, and allow Codex to control Chrome through the installed Codex Chrome extension.
Impact:
I need Chrome plugin support for authenticated browser sessions. Playwright-launched Chrome is blocked by sites such as FlexJobs and Indeed.
What steps can reproduce the bug?
Steps to reproduce:
- Install Codex desktop from the Microsoft Store.
- Install the Codex Chrome extension from the Chrome Web Store.
- Confirm the Chrome extension popup says "Connected".
- Open Codex → Plugins → Manage.
- Disable or remove the Chrome plugin while troubleshooting.
- Reinstall Codex from the Microsoft Store.
- Open Codex → Plugins → Manage again.
- Search for Chrome in installed plugins and marketplace search.
Actual result:
The Chrome plugin does not appear in installed plugins or marketplace search. Codex cannot control Chrome even though the Chrome extension is installed and says "Connected".
Expected result:
The Chrome plugin should reappear or be reinstallable, and Codex should recreate the native host registration needed to control Chrome.
What is the expected behavior?
Expected behavior:
After reinstalling Codex or reinstalling/enabling the Chrome plugin, Codex should restore the bundled Chrome plugin, recreate a complete latest plugin folder, register the Chrome native host, and show Chrome as an available plugin in Codex.
Once the Codex Chrome extension is installed and connected in Chrome, Codex should be able to control the user’s Chrome browser.
Additional information
No response
Activity
github-actions commentedon Jun 2, 2026
Potential duplicates detected. Please review them and close your issue if it is a duplicate.
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miketech-code commentedon Jun 2, 2026
zemeng5208 commentedon Aug 12, 2026
I maintain WinBridge Recovery, an independent Windows Codex Desktop local recovery/diagnostic tool: https://github.com/zemeng5208/winbridge-recovery
This is a very direct match for the local consistency failures WinBridge is designed to repair. The important part here is not simply that Chrome disappeared from the UI: complete versioned Chrome plugin directories still exist, while
chrome\latestis incomplete and the paths consumed by the Native Host point through that incomplete alias. At the same time, the user-level Native Messaging manifest/registry state is missing.WinBridge v3.1.1 validates these layers together rather than treating any one of them as authoritative:
openai-bundledmarketplacechrome\latesttarget and required files such asscripts\browser-client.mjs/ extension host%LOCALAPPDATA%\OpenAI\extension\com.openai.codexextension.jsonchrome-native-hosts-v2.jsonpathsWhen the official source is present and those user-owned layers are split/incomplete, WinBridge stages a verified replacement, checks source/destination hashes, backs up the old state, and switches atomically with rollback data. It also tries to avoid replacing cache state while known Chrome/Codex helper processes are still holding it open.
It does not modify WindowsApps ownership/ACLs or bundle patched OpenAI files. If the cache/latest/Native Host layers validate after recovery but Codex still does not expose the Chrome backend to a fresh task, that remaining part is an upstream Desktop/tool-provisioning issue rather than something WinBridge should force.