codex - 💡(How to fix) Fix Windows Computer Use plugin fails to bootstrap: native pipe path is unavailable

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

OpenAI.Codex Windows app 26.527.3686.0; Computer Use plugin 26.527.30818

What subscription do you have?

ChatGPT Pro

What platform is your computer?

Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.26200.0 x64

What issue are you seeing?

Computer Use is listed as an available bundled plugin/skill in Codex Desktop, but it cannot be used from the current Windows Desktop turn.

The official Computer Use bootstrap path was followed exactly from the bundled skill instructions. The bundled client module exists, but setup fails immediately with:

Computer Use native pipe path is unavailable

Observed details:

• Codex Windows package: OpenAI.Codex 26.527.3686.0
• Computer Use plugin cache/version: 26.527.30818
• Bundled client exists at sanitized path: <CODEX_HOME>\plugins\cache\openai-bundled\computer-use\26.527.30818\scripts\computer-use-client.mjs
• Client file size: 6,730 bytes
• The failure occurs before any sky.list_apps() result is returned.
• Retrying after resetting the JavaScript execution session produces the same error.
• Request metadata available to the execution context contains progressToken, threadId, and x-codex-turn-metadata, but no native pipe/helper pipe path appears to be present.

This makes the advertised Computer Use capability unavailable even though the plugin and skill are present.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

1. Start a Codex Desktop turn on Windows where the bundled Computer Use plugin/skill is available.
2. Read the bundled Computer Use skill and use the required bootstrap module path.
3. Verify the client module exists at <CODEX_HOME>\plugins\cache\openai-bundled\computer-use\26.527.30818\scripts\computer-use-client.mjs.
4. Run the official bootstrap/lightweight test:

if (!globalThis.sky) {
  const { setupComputerUseRuntime } = await import("file:///.../computer-use-client.mjs");
  await setupComputerUseRuntime({ globals: globalThis });
}
globalThis.apps = await sky.list_apps();

1. Actual result: setup fails with Computer Use native pipe path is unavailable.
2. Reset the JavaScript execution session and retry the same bootstrap/list_apps test.
3. Actual result is still Computer Use native pipe path is unavailable.

Possibly related but not identical open issues found before filing: #25220, #25314, #25194, #25301. In this case the client file is present and the visible failure is missing native pipe metadata/path rather than a list_apps timeout or EFS copy failure.

What is the expected behavior?

When Computer Use is shown as an available bundled plugin/skill in Codex Desktop, the runtime should provide the native pipe/helper path needed by computer-use-client.mjs, setupComputerUseRuntime should complete, and sky.list_apps() should return installed/running Windows apps.

If Computer Use cannot be used in the current turn, Codex should expose a clear product-level reason and not advertise the skill as available for that turn.

Additional information

This was discovered while trying to use Computer Use as requested by the user to control Windows apps. Because Computer Use failed at bootstrap, browser automation had to be handled through another browser-control route instead.

No screenshots or private local logs are attached publicly. Exact local logs can be provided through a private support channel if needed.