codex - 💡(How to fix) Fix Computer Use cannot determine Chrome URL on Windows, even on chrome://newtab/

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

26.527.31326

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?

When using Computer Use in Codex Desktop on Windows to operate Google Chrome, the Chrome window is detected successfully, but Computer Use stops during the screen-state acquisition step with the following message:

Computer Use has been stopped for this turn because it could not determine the current browser URL on Windows with enough confidence to enforce policy.

This reproduces even when Chrome is only showing chrome://newtab/ or about:blank, before any click, input, or external URL navigation.

Computer Use can detect the Chrome app and window title, for example:

{
  "success": true,
  "stage": "computer_use_list_apps",
  "pluginVersion": "openai-bundled/computer-use/26.527.31326",
  "chromeCandidateCount": 6,
  "chromeCandidates": [
    {
      "id": "Chrome",
      "displayName": "Google Chrome",
      "isRunning": true,
      "windows": [
        {
          "app": "Chrome",
          "id": 393446,
          "title": "about:blank - Google Chrome"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

But when attempting to acquire the Chrome window state, it fails:

{
  "success": false,
  "stage": "computer_use_chrome_get_window_state_about_blank",
  "error": "Computer Use has been stopped for this turn because it could not determine the current browser URL on Windows with enough confidence to enforce policy. Stop your work and send a final message noting why Computer Use ended."
}

The issue appears specific to Computer Use targeting Chrome on Windows. Computer Use successfully operates other local Windows apps such as Calculator and Notepad.

There may also be a related Chrome extension / Codex app launch issue. After reinstalling the Codex Chrome Extension and rebooting Windows, the extension popup shows Connected, but clicking the extension settings gear opens an Electron error:

Error launching app

Unable to find Electron app at
C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\OpenAI.Codex_26.527.3686.0_x64__2p2nqsd0c76g0\...\google-chrome

Cannot find module
'C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\OpenAI.Codex_26.527.3686.0_x64__2p2nqsd0c76g0\...\google-chrome'

In the same state, the Chrome plugin backend was not available from Codex and reported:

Browser is not available: extension

I cannot confirm whether this Electron/module error is the direct root cause, but it seems related because the Chrome extension says it is connected while Codex cannot use the Chrome extension backend, and Computer Use cannot determine the current Chrome URL.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

1. Use Codex Desktop on Windows with Computer Use enabled.
2. Install and enable the Codex Chrome Extension.
3. Open Google Chrome.
4. Keep Chrome on chrome://newtab/ or about:blank.
5. Ask Codex to use Computer Use to inspect or operate the Chrome window.
6. Computer Use detects the Chrome app/window successfully.
7. Attempt to acquire the Chrome screen/window state through Computer Use.

Expected reproduction result:

Computer Use has been stopped for this turn because it could not determine the current browser URL on Windows with enough confidence to enforce policy.

Baseline checks that succeeded:

• Computer Use + Windows Calculator: success
• Computer Use + Notepad: success
• Computer Use + Chrome app/window detection: success

Failure:

• Computer Use + Chrome screen-state acquisition: failure

Versions observed:

• Computer Use plugin: openai-bundled/computer-use/26.527.31326
• Chrome plugin: openai-bundled/chrome/26.527.31326
• Browser plugin: openai-bundled/browser/26.527.31326
• Codex Chrome Extension: 1.1.5
• Chrome: 148.0.7778.217

What is the expected behavior?

Computer Use should be able to determine the current URL for a Chrome window on Windows when the tab is on chrome://newtab/ or about:blank, and then continue with the requested browser GUI operation.

If the URL cannot be determined, Computer Use should provide a more specific diagnostic message, such as whether the problem is caused by:

• Chrome extension connection failure
• Chrome profile mismatch
• Native messaging host issue
• Windows UI Automation / address bar URL detection failure
• inability to map the detected Chrome window to a known Chrome tab

If possible, Computer Use should use the same Chrome extension / Chrome plugin connection information to map the detected Chrome window to the current tab URL.

Additional information

I tried the following before filing this issue:

• Retried in multiple Codex threads
• Rebooted the PC
• Reinstalled the Codex Chrome Extension
• Verified that the extension is enabled
• Verified that the extension popup shows Connected
• Verified that Chrome is detected by Computer Use
• Verified that Computer Use works with non-browser Windows apps

The extension settings gear produces this error, which may be related:

Error launching app

Unable to find Electron app at
C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\OpenAI.Codex_26.527.3686.0_x64__2p2nqsd0c76g0\...\google-chrome

Cannot find module
'C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\OpenAI.Codex_26.527.3686.0_x64__2p2nqsd0c76g0\...\google-chrome'

The Chrome extension UI says Connected, but Codex reported:

Browser is not available: extension

This may indicate that the extension UI, the Chrome plugin backend, and Computer Use's Chrome URL safety check are not all using the same working connection path.