Windows sandbox setup fails with error 32 on node_repl.exe, blocking shell execution and browser automation #51741

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

Codex: 26.1002.52244, build 13536

What subscription do you have?

Business premium

What platform is your computer?

Windows 11 Home: build 26300

What issue are you seeing?

Both sandboxed shell commands and browser automation fail during Windows sandbox initialization. The requested command or browser action never executes.

The sandbox setup helper reports a sharing violation while opening node_repl.exe to validate or update its read/execute permissions.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

On the affected installation:

1. Open Codex desktop on Windows with a local project and workspace-write permissions.
2. Ask the agent to execute a minimal, read-only PowerShell command:

Run Get-Location in the current workspace.

Corresponding tool invocation:
{
"cmd": "Get-Location",
"max_output_tokens": 100
}

The command fails before PowerShell executes, with:
Failed to create unified exec process:
helper_unknown_error: setup refresh had errors

Ask the agent to inspect the available browser state. The browser automation invocation is:
await cua.getState();

The browser runtime exits during initialization with the same sandbox setup error.

Resetting the browser runtime and retrying produces the same failure. Some attempts first return:
trusted Node process exited unexpectedly; kernel reset, rerun your request

Session and usage details:
Session/thread ID:
01a0d90e-e035-7891-88c8-4ce750a10bc6

Observed failure date:
2026-10-07

Timezone:
America/Bogota (UTC-5)

Token limit usage:
Not available

Context window usage:
Not available

What is the expected behavior?

The Windows sandbox should initialize successfully so that:

• A basic read-only command such as Get-Location can execute.
• Browser automation can initialize and retrieve browser state.
• A running or locked browser-runtime executable does not prevent unrelated shell commands from starting.
  If initialization cannot proceed, the application should expose the underlying error and affected file, rather than only reporting:

helper_unknown_error: setup refresh had errors

Additional information

Application: Codex desktop
Installed version: 26.1002.52244
Installed build: 13536
Release channel: prod
Update check: up_to_date

Operating system: Microsoft Windows 11 Home
Windows version: 10.0.26300
Windows build: 26300

Shell: PowerShell
Sandbox permission profile: workspace-write