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Windows Codex Desktop: Browser control / node_repl fails with "windows sandbox failed: spawn setup refresh"; config changes are overwritten on restart #25090
Description
What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?
codex-cli 0.133.0
What subscription do you have?
pro5x
What platform is your computer?
No response
What issue are you seeing?
Environment:
- Windows
- Codex Desktop
- codex-cli 0.133.0
- Browser plugin: openai-bundled browser / chrome plugin installed
- In-app browser can open pages, but agent cannot control it
Problem:
Browser control fails before navigation. Even a minimal node_repl test crashes.
Error:
node_repl kernel exited unexpectedly
windows sandbox failed: spawn setup refresh
reason: stdout_eof
What I tried:
- Restarted Codex Desktop.
- Reinstalled / re-enabled Browser plugin.
- Installed Codex browser extension in Edge.
- Verified node_repl.exe, node.exe, and codex.exe exist and run:
- node_repl.exe --help works
- node.exe --version returns v24.14.0
- codex.exe --version returns codex-cli 0.133.0
- Edited C:\Users\50530.codex\config.toml:
js_repl = true
args = ["--disable-sandbox"]
Observed:
After restarting Codex, config.toml is automatically rewritten back to:
js_repl = false
args = []
Also:
- Native messaging manifest exists:
C:\Users\50530\AppData\Local\OpenAI\extension\com.openai.codexextension.json - But Chrome/Edge NativeMessagingHosts registry entries are missing.
Expected:
Codex Browser plugin should be able to control the in-app browser, or node_repl should start successfully with --disable-sandbox if Windows sandbox startup fails.
What steps can reproduce the bug?
Environment:
- Windows
- Codex Desktop
- codex-cli 0.133.0
- Browser plugin: openai-bundled browser / chrome plugin installed
- In-app browser can open pages, but agent cannot control it
Problem:
Browser control fails before navigation. Even a minimal node_repl test crashes.
Error:
node_repl kernel exited unexpectedly
windows sandbox failed: spawn setup refresh
reason: stdout_eof
What I tried:
- Restarted Codex Desktop.
- Reinstalled / re-enabled Browser plugin.
- Installed Codex browser extension in Edge.
- Verified node_repl.exe, node.exe, and codex.exe exist and run:
- node_repl.exe --help works
- node.exe --version returns v24.14.0
- codex.exe --version returns codex-cli 0.133.0
- Edited C:\Users\50530.codex\config.toml:
js_repl = true
args = ["--disable-sandbox"]
Observed:
After restarting Codex, config.toml is automatically rewritten back to:
js_repl = false
args = []
Also:
- Native messaging manifest exists:
C:\Users\50530\AppData\Local\OpenAI\extension\com.openai.codexextension.json - But Chrome/Edge NativeMessagingHosts registry entries are missing.
Expected:
Codex Browser plugin should be able to control the in-app browser, or node_repl should start successfully with --disable-sandbox if Windows sandbox startup fails.
What is the expected behavior?
No response
Additional information
No response
Activity
xukun-C commentedon May 30, 2026
I have encountered the exact same issue.
ghfjs23fjs commentedon May 31, 2026
I’m seeing the same issue on Windows 11 Codex Desktop.
Environment:
C:\Users\lee.codex\plugins\cache\openai-bundled\browser\26.527.31326
Symptom:
Any node_repl js call fails before code runs, including:
nodeRepl.write("controller alive");
Error:
node_repl kernel exited unexpectedly
windows sandbox failed: spawn setup refresh
reason: stdout_eof
What I tried:
[mcp_servers.node_repl]
args = ["--disable-sandbox"]
but after restarting Codex, config.toml was rewritten back to:
args = []
This changed the failure briefly, then shell launches failed with:
windows sandbox: CreateProcessWithLogonW failed: 2
so I restored the original sandbox folders.
Expected:
Browser plugin / in-app browser control should start, or Codex should expose a supported way to recover from the Windows sandbox setup refresh failure.
AngelaWang00 commentedon Jun 3, 2026
I’m seeing what appears to be the same issue after updating Codex Desktop on Windows.
Environment:
Symptoms:
js_repl = false
to:
js_repl = true
in C:\Users\angel.codex\config.toml, the setting is automatically rewritten back to js_repl = false after restarting Codex.
HKCU\Software\Google\Chrome\NativeMessagingHosts\com.openai.codexextension
C:\Users\angel\AppData\Local\OpenAI\extension\com.openai.codexextension.json
windows sandbox failed: spawn setup refresh
windows sandbox: CreateProcessWithLogonW failed
Things I already tried:
This started immediately after installing a Codex Desktop update. It looks like Codex is disabling js_repl on startup and therefore never registering the Chrome native host, which leaves Chrome / Computer Use unavailable.
dmk75perm commentedon Jun 5, 2026
Same issue:
Computer Use native pipe works:
But official mcp__node_repl.js still fails:
Live node_repl.exe command line:
"C:\Users\dmk75\AppData\Local\OpenAI\Codex\bin\34ab3e1324cc55b5\node_repl.exe"
No --disable-sandbox arg is present.
Codex desktop generated config in app.asar constructs:
{ args: [], command: nodeReplPath, env, startup_timeout_sec: 120 }
Expected:
Generated node_repl config should pass args: ["--disable-sandbox"] when the Windows sandbox helper path fails, or honor user config for node_repl args.
iceweasel-oai commentedon Jun 12, 2026
this is now fixed