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codex - 💡(How to fix) Fix Windows Codex app: Browser Use external navigation fails because nodeRepl.fetch cannot start codex app-server [5 comments, 5 participants]

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openai/codex#19187•Fetched 2026-04-24 05:59:12
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Error Message

Error: failed to start codex app-server: The system cannot find the path specified. (os error 3) I fully quit/reopened Codex and retried. The same error persisted.

Code Example

failed to start codex app-server: The system cannot find the path specified. (os error 3)

---

Get-AppxPackage OpenAI.Codex | Select Name, Version, PackageFullName, InstallLocation

---

Version: 26.422.2339.0
PackageFullName: OpenAI.Codex_26.422.2339.0_x64__2p2nqsd0c76g0
InstallLocation: C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\OpenAI.Codex_26.422.2339.0_x64__2p2nqsd0c76g0

---

& 'C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\OpenAI.Codex_26.422.2339.0_x64__2p2nqsd0c76g0\app\resources\node.exe' --version

---

Program 'node.exe' failed to run: Access is denied
RAW_BUFFERClick to expand / collapse

Initial repro on 26.422.1952.0

Environment:

  • Windows
  • Codex package: OpenAI.Codex_26.422.1952.0_x64__2p2nqsd0c76g0
  • Browser Use plugin: openai-bundled/browser-use/0.1.0-alpha1
  • In-app browser open, current URL about:blank / not navigated

Problem: Browser Use can connect to the in-app browser and see the blank tab, but external navigation fails.

Working:

  • agent.browser.nameSession(...)
  • agent.browser.tabs.list()
  • agent.browser.tabs.selected()
  • tab.url() returns about:blank

Failing:

  • nodeRepl.fetch("https://chatgpt.com/backend-api/aura/site_status?site_url=https%3A%2F%2Fmk48.io")
  • tab.goto("https://mk48.io/")

Error:

failed to start codex app-server: The system cannot find the path specified. (os error 3)

Notes: I fully quit/reopened Codex and retried. The same error persisted.

Update after upgrading to 26.422.2339.0

I upgraded Codex on the same Windows machine and checked the local package/runtime state.

Package check:

Get-AppxPackage OpenAI.Codex | Select Name, Version, PackageFullName, InstallLocation

Result:

Version: 26.422.2339.0
PackageFullName: OpenAI.Codex_26.422.2339.0_x64__2p2nqsd0c76g0
InstallLocation: C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\OpenAI.Codex_26.422.2339.0_x64__2p2nqsd0c76g0

Direct bundled Node execution fails:

& 'C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\OpenAI.Codex_26.422.2339.0_x64__2p2nqsd0c76g0\app\resources\node.exe' --version

Result:

Program 'node.exe' failed to run: Access is denied

This makes #19271 look like the likely underlying Windows/MSIX runtime issue behind this Browser Use failure. Browser Use external navigation and nodeRepl.fetch depend on the Node REPL / app-server path, so if the bundled node.exe cannot be launched from the WindowsApps package, the downstream nodeRepl.fetch, tab.goto(...), DOM snapshot, and screenshot failures in this issue make sense.

extent analysis

TL;DR

The issue is likely due to the Codex app-server not starting correctly, causing external navigation to fail, and a potential workaround is to investigate the app-server startup process.

Guidance

  • Verify that the Codex app-server is properly configured and that its executable path is correctly specified.
  • Check the system's PATH environment variable to ensure it includes the directory containing the Codex app-server executable.
  • Investigate the error "The system cannot find the path specified" to determine if it's related to a missing dependency or incorrect file path.
  • Try to manually start the Codex app-server to see if it produces any error messages that could help diagnose the issue.

Notes

The issue seems to be related to the Codex app-server not starting correctly, but without more information about the app-server's configuration and startup process, it's difficult to provide a more specific solution.

Recommendation

Apply workaround: Investigate the app-server startup process and configuration to identify the root cause of the issue, as the error message suggests a problem with the system finding the app-server executable.

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codex - 💡(How to fix) Fix Windows Codex app: Browser Use external navigation fails because nodeRepl.fetch cannot start codex app-server [5 comments, 5 participants]