Support standalone Windows installer (`codex-setup.exe`)

Use this maybe its helps winget install Codex -s msstore

Use this maybe its helps winget install Codex -s msstore

That's using the store too. Just via terminal instead of GUI

Microsoft Store might still mean it is not very mature. 😄

I can’t install it from the store, this issue is definitely important.

Agree, Microsoft Store is terrible

I’m also affected on Windows 11.

I want to use the Codex App for Windows, but Microsoft Store is not a reliable installation path for my setup. A standalone installer such as .exe or .msi would make installation much easier and would avoid Store-related failures and policy restrictions.

In my case, I’m on Windows 11 and the Store path is the blocker. I would strongly support:

• a direct download from the GitHub releases page or official OpenAI site
• a standard .exe installer
• or an .msi package for managed or enterprise deployment

Even if Microsoft Store remains supported, having a standalone installer in parallel would make the Windows app much more accessible.

+1

Over a week of this issue persisting. Unforgivable really. App download is still broken through the store. How hard is it to release a direct download? How does microsoft + openai have a functioning application on macs, while not being able to support their own native ecosystem? Utterly repugnant

+1 from me. Requiring the Microsoft Store can be a real blocker, especially on work machines or restricted environments. A simple standalone .exe or .msi installer would make Codex much easier to adopt and deploy.

+1 Msstore blocked

+1 from me. Requiring the Microsoft Store can be a real blocker, especially on work machines or restricted environments. A simple standalone .exe or .msi installer would make Codex much easier to adopt and deploy.

+1

Thanks for the feedback here, this is something we are looking into and figuring out the next steps. Right now we chose MSIX as the installer technology for a few reasons:

1. better security model
2. cleaner install/uninstall behavior
3. being preferred by IT admins.

But we realize there are some limitations (i.e. you can't choose the install location).

Would a self-signed MSIX that is not managed via the store meet enough of your needs, or do you strongly prefer a classic .msi or .exe installer which doesn't use MSIX? If you'd really prefer non-msix, I'd love to know more. Thank you! 🙏

Thanks for the feedback here, this is something we are looking into and figuring out the next steps. Right now we chose MSIX as the installer technology for a few reasons: 1. better security model 2. cleaner install/uninstall behavior 3. being preferred by IT admins. But we realize there are some limitations (i.e. you can't choose the install location). Would a self-signed MSIX that is not managed via the store meet enough of your needs, or do you strongly prefer a classic .msi or .exe installer which doesn't use MSIX? If you'd really prefer non-msix, I'd love to know more. Thank you! 🙏

Thanks for the reply. Glad to hear this is being considered.
A self-signed MSIX would definitely be better than Store-only, but I’d still vote for an MSI or EXE if you have to choose.

That would be easier for a lot of people dealing with managed Windows machines, company policies, offline setups, or just environments where the Store is a pain to work with. A normal installer is usually much easier to deploy, script, cache internally, and troubleshoot.

It would also help with other distribution channels developers already use, including package managers like Scoop. That is not the main issue here, but it is another good reason to have a proper standalone installer.

If both are possible, great. But if the goal is to remove the biggest blocker for the most Windows users, MSI/EXE seems like the better option.

And if a portable ZIP is ever possible too, that would be a nice bonus.

The following website might be helpful for you. It allows you to get the full download links for apps on the Microsoft Store:
https://store.rg-adguard.net/

以下网站可能对您有所帮助。它可以让您获取 Microsoft Store 应用的完整下载链接： https://store.rg-adguard.net/

helpful!

Sorry for the delayed response, I was out last week.

>A self-signed MSIX would definitely be better than Store-only, but I’d still vote for an MSI or EXE if you have to choose.

That would be easier for a lot of people dealing with managed Windows machines, company policies, offline setups, or just environments where the Store is a pain to work with. A normal installer is usually much easier to deploy, script, cache internally, and troubleshoot.

Why is MSI or EXE better? I am not an expert, so I'm eager to learn about your environment and needs - but from talking with Microsoft and other enterprises who manage devices through Intune, it's my understanding that Store/MSIX is the better path. Is there some other software you use to manage Windows devices in your environment?

Open https://store.rg-adguard.net/ ( or winget download --id 9PLM9XGG6VKS --source msstore --accept-package-agreements, if you prefer)
Paste 9PLM9XGG6VKS (this is the app ProductId)
Download the .msix (DO NOT install it)
Rename to .zip
Extract the contents of the app/ directory only to some folder
Run Codex.exe from there

Enjoy.

This works even on full debloat, I think, even with AppX services off etc.

Will set up a repo with an autoupdater for this method some time this week.

Edit: here https://github.com/vaportail/codex-windows-updater

Why not use winget to download the msix?
winget download --id 9PLM9XGG6VKS --source msstore --accept-package-agreements

Why use a third party website to download? Sounds fishy to me.

Open https://store.rg-adguard.net/ Paste 9PLM9XGG6VKS (this is the app ProductId) Download the .msix (DO NOT install it) Rename to .zip Extract the contents of the app/ directory only to some folder Run Codex.exe from there Enjoy. This works even on full debloat, I think, even with AppX services off etc.

THX！！

My problem was a little different in that we block the Microsoft Store on corporate assets but for our staff who need to have the app and have rights to install it, there's a winget command that will do the install:

winget install Codex -s msstore

Feels like going around your neck to scratch your butt, but this may work for some who have access to the MS Store blocked.

choco install codex

打开https://store.rg-adguard.net/ ，粘贴 9PLM9XGG6VKS（这是应用产品 ID）， 下载 .msix 文件（不要安装）， 将其重命名为 .zip， 仅将 app/ 目录下的内容解压到某个文件夹， 然后从该文件夹运行 Codex.exe。 享受。 我认为，即使完全精简系统，即使关闭 AppX 服务等，这个方法也有效。

This provided me with immense help.

Make a normal Windows app, exe or msi is fine. The best, of course, is just a packed archive. MS Store sucks BIG TIME. I stay as far away from this junk as possible.

@AlexanderRydberg

Why use a third party website to download? Sounds fishy to me.

The third party just looks up the url just like winget does.

also, microsoft seems to have added an Entra ID requirement to use winget download from msstore.
Even for free apps. Idk what they are smoking there, but it must be laced.

Open https://store.rg-adguard.net/ ( or winget download --id 9PLM9XGG6VKS --source msstore --accept-package-agreements, if you prefer) Paste 9PLM9XGG6VKS (this is the app ProductId) Download the .msix (DO NOT install it) Rename to .zip Extract the contents of the app/ directory only to some folder Run Codex.exe from there Enjoy. This works even on full debloat, I think, even with AppX services off etc. Will set up a repo with an autoupdater for this method some time this week.

Thanks @vaportail !

+1 只通过微软商店分发不好用

Agreed. Classic installers are great, and Microsoft Store only adds unnecessary complexity.

https://github.com/vaportail/codex-windows-updater

Unofficial Codex installer/updater for Windows. Pulls the official MSIX directly from the Store and re-launches the newest version.

https://github.com/vaportail/codex-windows-updater/releases/latest
First version just built.
Seems to work.
Experimental.

The auto-updater does NOT currently auto-update itself. Ironic I know but whatever. ~~Will include later.~~ Added in v0.1.1

@pchemguy @hatsune-miku above might be of use

If someone has a problem with msstore still being blocked, even with the direct method, but the rg-adguard method works, ping me and I will add a fallback method that uses rd-adguard for resolving the msix location instead of direct.

@pchemguy @hatsune-miku above might be of use If someone has a problem with msstore still being blocked, even with the direct method, but the rg-adguard method works, ping me and I will add a fallback method that uses rd-adguard for resolving the msix location instead of direct.

@vaportail rg-adguard worked for me. There is no problem with msix at all, as it is simply an archive, which does not need to be executed. Simple unpacking works perfectly.
I previously downloaded an official Windows "installer", which simply took me to the msstore web page.

@pchemguy This includes a proxy-launcher that checks for updates to Codex on launch, and automates the manual stuff, but it is a complex app compared to what is done manually.

Mudosoft store is trash. We demand a proper installer!

Remove the microslop store requirement

msstore is fucked up.

Also, it makes Codex CLI easier to use on Windows,
especially because using tools like mise or Volta can quickly become a nightmare.

I cant open msstore

it shouldnt be hard to use setup wizard....

Please make a normal non-store version that installs to Program Files or AppData, not to WindowsApps. Store apps often are not compatible with sandboxing methods working for normal win32 apps. And no, msix package distributed separately will not solve anything.

Agree totally! Why don't they just release a stand-alone installer, I don't want any half-baked psuedo smartphone store on my pc...

@vaportail rg-adguard worked for me. There is no problem with msix at all, as it is simply an archive, which does not need to be executed. Simple unpacking works perfectly. I previously downloaded an official Windows "installer", which simply took me to the msstore web page.

Query Store Links is a better alternative and open-source. It even has a direct download link: https://qsl.krnl64.win/d/9plm9xgg6vks

I installed codex-cli and codex-app using winget. As it turns out, when I type "codex" in the terminal, it seems to point to codex-app instead of the CLI. In conclusion, I believe a standalone installer is very necessary.

Adding another option for people who specifically need a downloadable package rather than the Store UI:

https://github.com/Wangnov/codex-app-mirror

It is an unofficial mirror of the official Codex desktop installers. For Windows it resolves the current MSIX from Microsoft Store ProductId 9PLM9XGG6VKS, publishes it as a GitHub Release asset, and includes checksums plus a release manifest.

Latest Windows MSIX mirror:
https://codexapp.agentsmirror.com/latest/win

This still is not the same as an official MSI/EXE installer, but it can be useful when the main blocker is getting the official MSIX package without relying on the Microsoft Store app flow.

We block the MS-Store to prevent our users installing a ton of apps that we don't want on our corporate machines. Plus having a machine-wide installer, ideally an MSI, but .EXE will do so long as it has silent install options, that we can then use with our software deployment agent, would mean we can deploy this to machines in our environment without having to mess about with powershell scripts or weird exceptions for the store etc.

Plus, MS Store apps always install into the user profile, which again we don't want in our setup. Machine wide is much better since it allows us to control the install much better, have better visibility of the version installed, helping us patch for any vulnerabilities that might come our for Codex, plus help us manage the install much better as well.

I'm trying to install Codex through the Microsoft Store, but it's been stuck for the last 20 minutes and nothing happens. I also tried installing via terminal (winget) and got the same result.

Please consider providing a standalone installer (.exe or .msi) instead of requiring the Microsoft Store.
Right now the installation experience on Windows is extremely frustrating.

We just recently added support for stand-alone installers for all supported platforms (Windows, macOS and Linux). For details, refer to this documentation.

For details, refer to this documentation.

You seem to have linked something else as this is just pointing to another issue.

refer to this documentation.

What we need is Codex Desktop exe installer, not CLI standalone installers. We know CLI has its own installers for a while.

What we need is Codex Desktop exe installer

Ah yes, my bad. Reopening.

@etraut-openai Is it really that difficult to create a standalone installer for Windows? Why isn't it supported?

Yes, we really need standalone installer.

What MS Store version does is it changes the executable path on every single app update, which means:
A: It makes it impossible to disable smooth scrolling using command line arguments, since every update invalidates the executable path
B: It makes the tray icon semi-broken, as Windows remembers shown/hidden status of the tray icon based on executable path, which in case of MS store changes each update

The MS store experience is truly miserable, and makes the use of Codex depressing

To be honest, Codex is a great tool, but the fact that it’s currently only available via the Microsoft Store is a bit of a dealbreaker. I think it’s essential for the team to release an offline installer; otherwise, a lot of people simply won’t be able to use it.

Here are a few pain points:

1. Enterprise Restrictions: Many company computers have the Microsoft Store blocked. A lot of developers can’t even open the Store at work, which means the very people who need Codex the most are the ones unable to use it. It’s quite an awkward situation.
2. LTSC and Server Users: Many power users run LTSC (Long-Term Servicing Channel) or server editions of Windows, which don’t come with the Store at all. For them, an offline package is the only option.
3. Network Environments: Network setups can be a nightmare. Some companies use internal intranets or have incredibly slow speeds. It would be much easier if we could just download an installer and copy it over.
4. Store Glitches: The Microsoft Store can be buggy—getting stuck on "Downloading" or hitting regional restrictions. Having an installer gives you more control and peace of mind since you can install the specific version you want.
5. Developer Habits: Most tools in the dev community, like VS Code or Git, provide direct download installers. This is just how developers prefer to manage their software.

If a package were available on GitHub Releases or via WinGet, the user base would definitely grow significantly.

I hope the team considers this. Thanks for all your hard work!

The Microsoft Store user experience is like a thick pile of dog shit.

A standalone installer is essential. Microsoft Store is a buggy mess, and randomly but regularly suffers from erroneous region and licensing failures, even on US-based, legitimate Windows 11 machines. Relying on it was a really odd choice.

OpenAI has already fallen behind in the current AI race, yet you still refuse to listen to your users.

Users don't have complex or demanding requests; we simply want a standalone installer. Is it really that difficult to provide something so simple?

I am genuinely concerned about the future of OpenAI because you aren't listening to the voice of your users.

Anthropic Claude Desktop has exe installer?
I only found msix download, such as OpenAI Codex APP.

I can't use microsoft store to install codex it's a dead loop!

Anthropic Claude Desktop has exe installer? I only found msix download, such as OpenAI Codex APP.

Yes, you need to go to "https://claude.ai/downloads" and choose the required installer.

> Anthropic Claude Desktop has exe installer? I only found msix download, such as OpenAI Codex APP. Yes, you need to go to "https://claude.ai/downloads" and choose the required installer.

I don't think so .
Both Codex APP and Claude Desktop use Electron, and I reversed them (use codex lol) to find real update and download link.
Claude Desktop's download link is it's Google Cloud, and there are exe installer (just 10MB, in fact a way to open MS Store) & msix package (in fact a zip, unzip you'll found exe in it)
The difference between Codex APP and Claude Desktop is just Claude Desktop also give us .msix to download, and Codex APP just give us MS Store installer exe (10MB too).

You are right that Claude App Desktop only offer msix installer which comes with a big problem: it wants to elevate and when I do - I type credentials for other user (my main user doesn't have admin rights) - it installs for other user, not for my normal user. So I cannot run it from my normal user where I initially launched the installer from.
@Wangnov

Any updates on this?

I'm also affected by the Microsoft Store requirement and would really appreciate a standalone .exe or .msi installer. Curious whether there's any roadmap or timeline to share.

Thanks!

For me, the MS Store is unusable. I sincerely hope this can be resolved. Thanks!

Microsoft Store is an absolute mess — the instability is just gross. Literally no one wants to use it.

I found a quick way to install Codex directly, no Microsoft Store needed:

1. Open https://store.rg-adguard.net/
2. Set the dropdown to ProductId, then search for 9PLM9XGG6VKS (the Codex app ID).
3. Download the file that starts with OpenAI.Codex and ends with .Msix.

1. ✅ Pick x64 for most Windows PCs.
2. ❌ Pick arm64 only if your device is ARM.
3. 💡 Tip: If clicking the download link does nothing, your browser probably blocked it.
4. 👉 Right click the link, choose Copy link address, paste it into the address bar, then hit Enter.
5. 🔧 If the download still will not start, open PowerShell (no admin needed) and run:

``powershell
curl.exe -L "paste_your_copied_link_here" -o Codex.Msix
``

1. The file will be saved as Codex.Msix in your current PowerShell folder.
2. Open PowerShell as Administrator.
3. Install it with:

``powershell
Add-AppxPackage -Path "C:\path\to\Codex.Msix"
``

1. Wait for the progress bar to finish. Done ✅
2. No desktop shortcut? Just search Codex in the Start menu.

@olokojoh , this doesn't solve issue for those who want to install it as normal app that will launch without APPX mechanism

All msix mirrored in my repo's release:
https://github.com/Wangnov/codex-app-mirror
If you need, store.rg-adguard.net is too complex. @olokojoh

I strongly support this request.

For me, the main issue is not just personal preference. The Microsoft Store experience has been very unreliable: long waiting times, downloads getting stuck at “preparing”, failed updates, and the Store itself sometimes becoming unresponsive or crashing. This makes it unnecessarily hard to install or update a developer tool that should be quick to access.

A standalone installer would make a big difference, especially for developers who need predictable installation and update flows. Even a simple official .exe or .msi published through GitHub Releases or the OpenAI website would be enough.

Having only the Microsoft Store as the distribution channel creates a single point of failure. Providing an alternative official installer would improve accessibility, reliability, automation, and adoption on Windows.

I strongly support this request.

For me, the main issue is not just personal preference. The Microsoft Store experience has been very unreliable: long waiting times, downloads getting stuck at “preparing”, failed updates, and the Store itself sometimes becoming unresponsive or crashing. This makes it unnecessarily hard to install or update a developer tool that should be quick to access.

A standalone installer would make a big difference, especially for developers who need predictable installation and update flows. Even a simple official .exe or .msi published through GitHub Releases or the OpenAI website would be enough.

Having only the Microsoft Store as the distribution channel creates a single point of failure. Providing an alternative official installer would improve accessibility, reliability, automation, and adoption on Windows.

This would be especially useful for Windows developers, corporate environments, restricted machines, and anyone who cannot rely on the Microsoft Store.

@olokojoh , this doesn't solve issue for those who want to install it as normal app that will launch without APPX mechanism

thats why this issue still here lol. It could only be solved by openai.

I hate the windows store installer, it always tell me need to close OpenAI.Codex_2p2nqsd0c76g0!App. (0x8007001f), And there's no any process name include "codex". click update do not anything, I am stuck at very old version.

It may help you update your Codex APP or uninstall it and install a portable version @ZHLONG-CN
https://github.com/Wangnov/Codex-App-Manager
And if you want standalone installer package:
https://github.com/Wangnov/codex-app-mirror

@Wangnov I downloaded Misx file from codex-app-mirror, but click install was showing error 0x8007001f. I will try Codex App Manager at another time.

@olokojoh This works very well, thank you for the workaround. The issue I am finding however is that every day the app is updated so when I log on the next day my Codex fails to start because upon launch the app tries to hit the Microsoft Store to update. So I have to go through these steps every day. Please openai can you remove the requirement of MS Store for this app.

reenabling UAC and turning off proxy softwares helps.

As an individual Windows developer, I find the Microsoft Store-only distribution model for Codex Desktop very disappointing.

I already have Codex CLI installed, but the desktop app is a separate workflow. For developer tooling, I expect a direct installer and predictable version management, not a consumer-app distribution model tied to Microsoft Store.

A standalone Windows installer would help with:

• installing without Microsoft Store;
• controlling updates;
• pinning or rolling back versions;
• scripting installation on development machines;
• working in restricted or corporate Windows environments;
• keeping Codex Desktop aligned with how most developer tools are distributed on Windows.

I understand the convenience of Store/MSIX distribution from the vendor side, but from the user side it creates friction and reduces trust in the tool as part of a professional development setup.

Please provide an official standalone .exe or .msi installer, ideally with versioned releases, checksums/signatures, and non-Store winget support.

Full Decontainerization (Convert to 100% Portable App)

If you have Windows updates disabled or modified (like some of us do), the containerized .msix package will likely fail to launch silently due to broken Microsoft licensing/update services (ClipSVC / AppXSvc).

Since Codex is under the hood just a standard Electron app (Node.js + Chromium), you can completely rip it out of the Microsoft Store sandbox and run it as a clean, tracking-free portable app.

Here is how to break it out of the system prison:

1. Create a regular folder where you want your portable app to live (e.g., W:\CodexStandalone).
2. Open PowerShell as Administrator and copy the internal application files directly from the hidden system directory:

Copy-Item -Path "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\OpenAI.Codex_26.616.6631.0_x64__2p2nqsd0c76g0\app\*" -Destination "W:\CodexStandalone" -Recurse -Force

(Note: Make sure the folder name OpenAI.Codex_... matches the exact version you just installed).

1. Now, uninstall the crappy .msix package from your system via the standard Windows Apps menu or Start Menu (right-click -> Uninstall). We don't need the Microsoft container anymore.
2. Go to your new folder (W:\CodexStandalone) and run Codex.exe.

Done! ✅

You now have a 100% independent, portable version of Codex. It bypasses all Microsoft Store telemetry, works flawlessly with disabled Windows Updates, runs with standard user permissions, and can be moved to any other PC via USB drive. Just create a desktop shortcut for Codex.exe and enjoy.

### Full Decontainerization (Convert to 100% Portable App) If you have Windows updates disabled or modified (like some of us do), the containerized .msix package will likely fail to launch silently due to broken Microsoft licensing/update services (ClipSVC / AppXSvc). Since Codex is under the hood just a standard Electron app (Node.js + Chromium), you can completely rip it out of the Microsoft Store sandbox and run it as a clean, tracking-free portable app. Here is how to break it out of the system prison: 1. Create a regular folder where you want your portable app to live (e.g., W:\CodexStandalone). 2. Open PowerShell as Administrator and copy the internal application files directly from the hidden system directory: Copy-Item -Path "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\OpenAI.Codex_26.616.6631.0_x64__2p2nqsd0c76g0\app\*" -Destination "W:\CodexStandalone" -Recurse -Force _(Note: Make sure the folder name OpenAI.Codex_... matches the exact version you just installed)._ 3. Now, uninstall the crappy .msix package from your system via the standard Windows Apps menu or Start Menu (right-click -> Uninstall). We don't need the Microsoft container anymore. 4. Go to your new folder (W:\CodexStandalone) and run Codex.exe. Done! ✅ You now have a 100% independent, portable version of Codex. It bypasses all Microsoft Store telemetry, works flawlessly with disabled Windows Updates, runs with standard user permissions, and can be moved to any other PC via USB drive. Just create a desktop shortcut for Codex.exe and enjoy.

updating the Store version of Codex relies on the Store. If I use this method, does it mean I can no longer receive direct updates?

@sky40419 right. So I build a app to update self-unzip codex windows app.
https://github.com/Wangnov/Codex-App-Manager
welcome to use and test
If you want to download raw msix, visit releases of my other repo:
https://github.com/Wangnov/codex-app-mirror

### What variant of Codex are you using? App ### What feature would you like to see? Many Windows users cannot easily install applications from the Microsoft Store due to system restrictions, corporate policies, offline environments, or personal preference for traditional installers. Currently the Codex Windows app appears to be distributed only through the Microsoft Store. It would be very helpful if a standalone installer such as codex-setup.exe or .msi were provided. Benefits of a standalone installer: Allows installation without Microsoft Store Works in offline or restricted enterprise environments Lets users choose the installation directory Easier automation and deployment (scripts, DevOps, package managers) * Better compatibility with portable setups and custom Windows environments Many developer tools provide both distribution methods (Store + standalone installer), which gives users more flexibility. A simple downloadable installer from the GitHub releases page or official website would solve this. Example: `` codex-setup.exe codex-x64.msi `` ### Additional information Other developer tools commonly provide standalone installers alongside store versions, which improves accessibility for developers using custom setups or environments where the Microsoft Store is disabled. Providing a traditional installer would make Codex easier to adopt across a wider range of developer environments.

### What variant of Codex are you using? App ### What feature would you like to see? Many Windows users cannot easily install applications from the Microsoft Store due to system restrictions, corporate policies, offline environments, or personal preference for traditional installers. Currently the Codex Windows app appears to be distributed only through the Microsoft Store. It would be very helpful if a standalone installer such as codex-setup.exe or .msi were provided. Benefits of a standalone installer: Allows installation without Microsoft Store Works in offline or restricted enterprise environments Lets users choose the installation directory Easier automation and deployment (scripts, DevOps, package managers) * Better compatibility with portable setups and custom Windows environments Many developer tools provide both distribution methods (Store + standalone installer), which gives users more flexibility. A simple downloadable installer from the GitHub releases page or official website would solve this. Example: `` codex-setup.exe codex-x64.msi `` ### Additional information Other developer tools commonly provide standalone installers alongside store versions, which improves accessibility for developers using custom setups or environments where the Microsoft Store is disabled. Providing a traditional installer would make Codex easier to adopt across a wider range of developer environments.

For anyone who is facing the issue just download it through the uptodown website and install manually this will also use microsft installer but it works , For Mine it's works perfectly .