Windows Desktop Browser/Chrome plugins fail: node_repl exits with `windows sandbox failed: spawn setup refresh`

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

26.601.21317

What subscription do you have?

Enterprise

What platform is your computer?

_No response_

What issue are you seeing?

Bug description

Codex Desktop on Windows initially showed the Browser and Chrome plugins, but after restarting the laptop they disappeared / stopped working.

After reinstalling Codex and workspace dependencies, Browser/Chrome are visible again, but using Browser fails because node_repl cannot start.

Error

node_repl kernel exited unexpectedly

node_repl diagnostics:
{"kernel_status":"running","kernel_stderr_tail":"windows sandbox failed: spawn setup refresh","reason":"stdout_eof"}

Config

[windows]
sandbox = "elevated"

Diagnostic result

A raw sandbox test behaves differently depending on elevation:

Normal PowerShell: windows sandbox failed: spawn setup refresh
Administrator PowerShell: node-kernel-ok

A raw sandbox probe succeeds from Administrator PowerShell and prints node-kernel-ok, but the same probe from normal PowerShell fails with windows sandbox failed: spawn setup refresh.

Summary

Browser/Chrome plugin startup appears to fail because the Desktop/node_repl path cannot refresh the Windows sandbox from a normal non-elevated Codex Desktop session.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

Steps to reproduce

1. Install Codex Desktop on Windows.

1. Enable the bundled Browser and Chrome plugins.

1. Configure Windows sandboxing as elevated:

[windows]
sandbox = "elevated"

1. Restart the laptop.

1. Reopen Codex Desktop.

1. Try to use the Browser plugin, for example:

open chatgpt.com in @Browser

1. Observe that Browser/Chrome are missing or fail to start.

1. If Browser is visible after reinstalling workspace dependencies, try using it again.

1. Observe that node_repl fails with:

node_repl kernel exited unexpectedly
windows sandbox failed: spawn setup refresh

1. Run the raw sandbox probe from normal PowerShell and Administrator PowerShell.

Expected diagnostic result:

Normal PowerShell: windows sandbox failed: spawn setup refresh
Administrator PowerShell: node-kernel-ok

What is the expected behavior?

_No response_

Additional information

_No response_