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openclaw - 💡(How to fix) Fix [Bug] v2026.4.24 browser-control plugin fails with ERR_UNSUPPORTED_ESM_URL_SCHEME on Windows [1 comments, 2 participants]

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openclaw/openclaw#71951•Fetched 2026-04-27 05:36:56
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Error Message

After upgrading to v2026.4.24, the browser-control plugin fails to load with the following error: The error indicates that on Windows, the ESM loader does not support absolute paths starting with c: and instead requires the file:// protocol.

Error Details

Node.js JS ERROR Error [ERR_UNSUPPORTED_ESM_URL_SCHEME]: Only URLs with a scheme in the file protocol are supported by the ESM loader. Absolute path "c:...\node_modules...\dist\logger.js" is not supported.

  1. memory-core cron error: Cron service unavailable, cannot coordinate scheduled tasks [Screenshot shows PowerShell terminal with v2026.4.24 running, displaying the browser-control plugin error and other warnings] browser-control plugin should load successfully on Windows, or provide a clear error message with guidance.

Code Example

ERR_UNSUPPORTED_ESM_URL_SCHEME

---

plugin service failed (browser-control)
Node.js JS ERROR Error [ERR_UNSUPPORTED_ESM_URL_SCHEME]: Only URLs with a scheme in the file protocol are supported by the ESM loader. Absolute path "c:\...\node_modules\...\dist\logger.js" is not supported.
RAW_BUFFERClick to expand / collapse

Bug Description

After upgrading to v2026.4.24, the browser-control plugin fails to load with the following error:

ERR_UNSUPPORTED_ESM_URL_SCHEME

The error indicates that on Windows, the ESM loader does not support absolute paths starting with c: and instead requires the file:// protocol.

Environment

  • OS: Windows 10/11
  • OpenClaw version: 2026.4.24
  • Node.js: v25.2.1
  • Plugin: browser-control

Error Details

plugin service failed (browser-control)
Node.js JS ERROR Error [ERR_UNSUPPORTED_ESM_URL_SCHEME]: Only URLs with a scheme in the file protocol are supported by the ESM loader. Absolute path "c:\...\node_modules\...\dist\logger.js" is not supported.

Additional Issues Observed

  1. memory-core cron error: Cron service unavailable, cannot coordinate scheduled tasks
  2. OpenRouter/LiteLLM pricing timeout: Pricing fetch fails after 30 second timeout (possibly proxy-related)

Screenshots

[Screenshot shows PowerShell terminal with v2026.4.24 running, displaying the browser-control plugin error and other warnings]

Reproduction Steps

  1. Install/update to v2026.4.24 on Windows
  2. Observe Gateway logs
  3. See browser-control plugin fail to load

Expected Behavior

browser-control plugin should load successfully on Windows, or provide a clear error message with guidance.

Notes

  • Issue may be related to the tslog package loading in the browser-control plugin
  • The file:// protocol prefix is needed for absolute Windows paths in ESM context

extent analysis

TL;DR

The browser-control plugin fails to load due to the ESM loader not supporting absolute Windows paths, and using the file:// protocol prefix may resolve the issue.

Guidance

  • Verify that the error occurs only on Windows and with the specified OpenClaw and Node.js versions.
  • Check if the tslog package is the cause of the issue, as it may be related to the browser-control plugin's failure to load.
  • Consider modifying the plugin to use relative paths or the file:// protocol prefix for absolute Windows paths.
  • Investigate if the memory-core cron error and OpenRouter/LiteLLM pricing timeout are related to the browser-control plugin issue or separate problems.

Example

No code snippet is provided due to the lack of specific implementation details in the issue.

Notes

The issue seems to be specific to the Windows environment and the specified versions of OpenClaw and Node.js. The file:// protocol prefix may be required for absolute Windows paths in the ESM context.

Recommendation

Apply a workaround by modifying the plugin to use the file:// protocol prefix for absolute Windows paths, as this is the most likely solution based on the error message and the notes provided.

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openclaw - 💡(How to fix) Fix [Bug] v2026.4.24 browser-control plugin fails with ERR_UNSUPPORTED_ESM_URL_SCHEME on Windows [1 comments, 2 participants]