Windows Desktop: Codex crashes when opening some local file links via "Open with default app"

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

26.601.2237.0

What subscription do you have?

Plus

What platform is your computer?

Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.26100.0 x64

What issue are you seeing?

On Windows, local file links generated in Codex chat sometimes open correctly, but sometimes choosing "Open with default app" crashes Codex Desktop completely.

This appears related to Windows local path / URI normalization. Similar issues already exist around /C:/..., c:\C:\..., drive-letter paths, and open-in-target, but in this case the result is a full Codex Desktop crash rather than only a failed open.

Related issues:

• #14079
• #13548
• #16320

Actual behavior

Codex Desktop crashes and the file is not opened.

Notes

This is intermittent. It seems more likely when links involve Windows drive-letter paths or Codex-rendered local file references.

Example anonymized path formats involved:

• X:\path\to\workspace\file.ext
• /X:/path/to/workspace/file.ext
• file:///X:/path/to/workspace/file.ext
• x:\X:\path\to\workspace\file.ext

I am intentionally using anonymized paths here because the real paths may contain private project names. The important part is the Windows drive-letter / URI format.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

Steps to reproduce

1. Use Codex Desktop on Windows in a local workspace located on a drive-letter path, for example:

X:\path\to\workspace

1. Ask Codex to return clickable local file references.
2. Click a generated local file link.
3. In the popup menu, choose "Open with default app".
4. Sometimes the file opens correctly.
5. Sometimes Codex Desktop crashes immediately.

What is the expected behavior?

Expected behavior

Codex should open the file with the Windows default application, or show a visible error if the path cannot be opened.

Additional information

_No response_