Chrome plugin cannot connect to Chrome Beta profile on Windows

Open 💬 2 comments Opened May 24, 2026 by snaggyelk

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

26.519.41501

What subscription do you have?

Plus

What platform is your computer?

Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.26220.0 x64

What issue are you seeing?

Chrome plugin cannot connect when using Chrome Beta on Windows.

The Codex Chrome plugin appears to look for the regular Chrome profile path:

C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data

But my installed/running browser is Chrome Beta, with profile data at:

C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome Beta\User Data

The regular Chrome profile path does not exist, so the connector fails or times out even though the Codex Chrome Extension is installed and enabled in Chrome Beta.

Error seen from helper check:

Chrome user data directory does not exist: C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data

Diagnostics:

  • Chrome Beta is installed at: C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome Beta\Application\chrome.exe
  • Chrome is running.
  • Codex Chrome Extension is installed and enabled in Chrome Beta Default profile.
  • Native host manifest is installed and correct.
  • check-extension-installed.js succeeds only when CODEX_CHROME_USER_DATA_DIR is manually set to the Chrome Beta profile path.
  • open-chrome-window.js can open Chrome Beta when CODEX_CHROME_USER_DATA_DIR is set.
  • The actual connector still times out.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

  1. Use a Windows machine that has Google Chrome Beta installed, but does not have a regular Google Chrome profile folder at:

C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data

  1. In Chrome Beta, install and enable the Codex Chrome Extension.
  1. Confirm the Chrome Beta profile exists at:

C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome Beta\User Data

  1. Open the Codex desktop app.
  1. Enable/install the Chrome plugin in Codex.
  1. Try to use the Chrome plugin, for example by asking Codex to connect to Chrome or use @chrome.
  1. The Chrome plugin fails to connect or times out.
  1. Running the plugin helper check without any override produces this error:

Chrome user data directory does not exist: C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data

  1. If the same helper is run with CODEX_CHROME_USER_DATA_DIR set to the Chrome Beta profile path, it succeeds and detects the extension. This suggests the failure happens because the plugin is looking at the regular Chrome profile path instead of the Chrome Beta profile path.

What is the expected behavior?

The Codex Chrome plugin should connect successfully when the Codex Chrome Extension is installed and enabled in Chrome Beta.

Expected behavior should be one of:

  1. Automatically detect Chrome Beta on Windows and use its profile path:

C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome Beta\User Data

  1. Or expose a setting to manually configure the Chrome executable, user data directory, or profile.

A runtime setting equivalent to this would likely fix the issue:

CODEX_CHROME_USER_DATA_DIR=C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome Beta\User Data

Additional information

Feedback ID: 019e5c17-2567-7a50-b9a5-12fe11b55aae

Codex Chrome Extension ID:

hehggadaopoacecdllhhajmbjkdcmajg

Native host manifest check succeeds and reports the manifest as correct.

The extension check succeeds when CODEX_CHROME_USER_DATA_DIR is manually set to the Chrome Beta profile path.

open-chrome-window.js also successfully opens Chrome Beta when CODEX_CHROME_USER_DATA_DIR is manually set.

However, the actual connector still times out, which suggests the connector runtime is not using the Chrome Beta profile path.

View original on GitHub ↗

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