[Windows] Computer Use is enabled but runtime/control tools are not exposed in Codex sessions #33648

What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?

26.707.91948

What subscription do you have?

ChatGPT Plus

What platform is your computer?

Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.26200.0 x64

What issue are you seeing?

Computer Use is installed and enabled in the Codex desktop app on Windows, but its direct Windows control runtime is not being exposed to new sessions.

The Computer Use plugin appears installed, the Computer Use skill is enabled, “Any application” access is enabled, and the tasks were created directly through the plugin’s “Try now” button.

However, when I invoke @computer, Codex returns messages such as:

• “Computer Use no está disponible como herramienta activa en esta sesión.”
• “El control de Windows del plugin Computadora no está disponible en esta sesión.”
• “La conexión de control directo no está expuesta en esta sesión.”

No Computer Use picture-in-picture window appears, there is no visible mouse or keyboard control, and the requested application is not controlled.

In one test, Codex fell back to executing PowerShell/Windows commands instead of using Computer Use. It attempted to launch Calculator using a command similar to:

Start-Process explorer.exe 'shell:AppsFolder\Microsoft.WindowsCalculator_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App'

Codex then reported that Calculator was opened, but direct visual control was still unavailable and it could not focus or operate the application through Computer Use.

This appears to be a runtime/tool provisioning problem: the plugin is visible and enabled in the UI, but the Computer Use direct-control tools are not attached to the model/tool list for the session.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

Feedback ID: 019f6be4-1b45-7c80-8478-999649463937

What is the expected behavior?

When Computer Use is installed and enabled and a task is launched through “Try now,” Codex should expose the direct Windows control runtime to the session.

Invoking @computer should allow Codex to:

• Detect and open or select Windows applications.
• Display the Computer Use control/PiP interface.
• Interact with applications through visible mouse and keyboard actions.
• Complete the requested action without falling back to PowerShell commands.

If the runtime cannot be exposed, the plugin should not appear enabled, or the UI should clearly explain why the account, environment, or session is not eligible.

Additional information

In-app feedback/session IDs:

• 019f6bd3-e82c-7d62-8f13-93e647c5656f
• 019f6be4-1b45-7c80-8478-999649463937

The issue was reproduced in multiple new tasks.

Computer Use is visible and installed in the plugin marketplace. The failure occurs after the plugin is selected and invoked, when the direct-control runtime should be attached to the session.

Running Codex as administrator did not enable direct Computer Use. It only allowed Codex to fall back to Windows/PowerShell commands.

Screenshots are available showing:

1. Computer Use installed and enabled.
2. A new task reporting that Windows control is unavailable.
3. A task reporting that “the direct control connection is not exposed in this session.”
4. Codex falling back to Start-Process instead of visual control.