Windows 11: Codex workspace dependencies cannot be installed

Open 💬 3 comments Opened May 10, 2026 by COBRA-LADY

💡 Likely answer: A maintainer (github-actions[bot], contributor) responded on this thread — see the highlighted reply below.

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

Unknown / Microsoft Store version, updated via Microsoft Store on 2026-05-10

What subscription do you have?

ChatGPT Plus

What platform is your computer?

Windows 11 x64, desktop app installed from Microsoft Store

What issue are you seeing?

I am using the Codex desktop app on Windows 11.

In Settings > Configuration > Workspace dependencies, the current version is shown as "Not installed".

When I click "Diagnose", the issue is not resolved.
When I click "Reinstall", Codex shows:

"Codex dependencies could not be reinstalled."

The problem still remains after multiple troubleshooting steps.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

Steps to reproduce:

Install and launch the Codex desktop app on Windows 11.
Sign in with a ChatGPT Plus account.
Open Settings > Configuration.
Check Workspace dependencies.
The current version is shown as "Not installed".
Click "Diagnose".
The issue is not resolved.
Click "Reinstall".
Codex shows: "Codex dependencies could not be reinstalled."

Troubleshooting already attempted:

Updated Codex via Microsoft Store
Uninstalled and reinstalled Codex
Repaired Codex from Windows app settings
Reset Codex from Windows app settings
Installed Microsoft Visual C++ v14 Redistributable (x64)
Enabled Developer Mode
Enabled Windows Subsystem for Linux
Enabled Virtual Machine Platform
Restarted Windows multiple times
Logged out of Codex and logged back in
Sent /feedback from Codex

Feedback correlation ID:
d4962934-a9a6-407e-b27c-601f36374405

What is the expected behavior?

The workspace dependencies should install successfully.

After installation, Settings > Configuration > Workspace dependencies should show an installed version instead of "Not installed", and the Codex app should be able to use the bundled Node.js and Python tools normally.

Additional information

This issue persists even after reinstalling the Codex app and enabling the Windows features suggested by other troubleshooting steps.

I have also submitted feedback from the Codex app.

Feedback correlation ID:
d4962934-a9a6-407e-b27c-601f36374405

I can provide additional logs or screenshots if needed.

View original on GitHub ↗

3 Comments

github-actions[bot] contributor · 3 months ago

Potential duplicates detected. Please review them and close your issue if it is a duplicate.

#21917
#21247
#21116

Powered by Codex Action

cballard1111 · 3 months ago

I hit a very similar Windows 11 issue and posted the fuller details/workaround in #21247.

Short version of what fixed it for me:

Added apps = true under [features] in C:\Users\<user>\.codex\config.toml.
Closed Codex completely.
Ran Codex Desktop once as Administrator.
Reinstalled Workspace Dependencies from Settings > Configuration.
It successfully installed and showed a runtime version.
Closed Codex and reopened normally without Administrator. The dependencies still showed installed.

My case had clickable Diagnose/Reinstall buttons, not disabled buttons. Logs showed both:

unsupported feature enablement workspace_dependencies

and:

primary_runtime_install_failed
Failed to extract primary runtime archive
Can't create ... node_modules\docx: Invalid argument

This was not an npm proxy issue in my case.

lucassena · 3 months ago

I hit a very similar Windows 11 issue and posted the fuller details/workaround in #21247. Short version of what fixed it for me: 1. Added apps = true under [features] in C:\Users\<user>\.codex\config.toml. 2. Closed Codex completely. 3. Ran Codex Desktop once as Administrator. 4. Reinstalled Workspace Dependencies from Settings > Configuration. 5. It successfully installed and showed a runtime version. 6. Closed Codex and reopened normally without Administrator. The dependencies still showed installed. My case had clickable Diagnose/Reinstall buttons, not disabled buttons. Logs showed both: `` unsupported feature enablement workspace_dependencies ` and: ` primary_runtime_install_failed Failed to extract primary runtime archive Can't create ... node_modules\docx: Invalid argument `` This was not an npm proxy issue in my case.

That didn't work for me.