Windows Work @Chrome fails to load browser request policy while @Browser works #45990

Environment

• Windows desktop
• ChatGPT desktop version: 26.908.70816
• About screen: Powered by Codex & OWL
• Release date shown: Sep 14, 2026
• ChatGPT reports up to date
• Microsoft Store offers no newer ChatGPT update
• ChatGPT Plus
• Work model used for reproduction: GPT-5.6 Sol Light
• Google Chrome with ChatGPT extension installed
• Only one ChatGPT desktop installation exists
• No ChatGPT Classic installation
• No separate Codex installation

Problem

Work cannot control or even read an external Chrome tab.

Every @Chrome attempt fails before page access because the browser connection cannot load its request policy / request-header policy.

Representative responses:

I couldn’t read the current Chrome tab because the browser connection failed to load its request policy after retries.

I couldn’t read the current tab because Chrome’s connection repeatedly failed to load its request policy.

No page interaction or modification occurs.

Steps to reproduce

1. Open Chrome in the normal user profile with an authenticated webpage open.

2. Confirm the ChatGPT Chrome side panel loads normally.

3. Open a new Work chat in the ChatGPT Windows desktop app.

4. Explicitly select @Chrome.

5. Send:

   Read only. Use my currently open Chrome session. Report the title and URL of the current tab. Do not navigate, click, type, upload, or modify anything.

6. Work retries and fails before reading the page with the request-policy/request-header-policy error.

The failure reproduces in multiple new Work chats.

Expected behavior

Work should connect to the explicitly selected Chrome session and be able to read the current tab title and URL without modifying the page.

Chrome extension state

• Chrome is recognized as Installed under ChatGPT Settings > Computer use > Google Chrome.
• The ChatGPT Chrome side panel opens and loads normally.
• The correct Chrome profile is being used.
• The extension was removed and reinstalled from the Chrome Web Store.
• Chrome was restarted after reinstall.
• The failure remained unchanged.

Troubleshooting already completed

• Verified ChatGPT desktop is up to date.
• Verified Microsoft Store has no newer ChatGPT update.
• Restarted ChatGPT desktop.
• Restarted Chrome.
• Verified correct Chrome profile.
• Verified Chrome extension is recognized by ChatGPT.
• Verified ChatGPT Chrome side panel loads normally.
• Removed and reinstalled the Chrome extension.
• Retested from new Work chats.
• Verified there is only one ChatGPT desktop installation, with no ChatGPT Classic or separate Codex installation.

Differential test

The built-in browser works normally.

In a new Work chat I ran:

@Browser Read only. Open https://example.com and report the page title and URL. Do not click, type, download, upload, or modify anything.

Result:

Page title: Example Domain

URL: https://example.com/

So @Browser passes while @Chrome fails.

Feedback diagnostics

Feedback/session ID submitted immediately after reproducing the Chrome failure:

01a0ab1f-c048-7b52-9b7d-f86553e819b7

The feedback submission included ChatGPT diagnostic logs and browser logs.

Additional context

The PC unexpectedly restarted during the morning of Sep 16, 2026. Microsoft Store shows ChatGPT as modified/updated that day. I do not know whether this is related.

This issue blocks workflows that specifically require the user's existing authenticated Chrome profile/session. The built-in @Browser is not an equivalent substitute for those workflows.