Unable to setup admin sandbox, after installing Codex CLI (0.140.0) on Windows using Powershell installation script
Open 💬 1 comment Opened Jun 17, 2026 by ytxmobile98
What version of Codex CLI is running?
codex-cli 0.140.0
What subscription do you have?
Plus
Which model were you using?
gpt-5.5
What platform is your computer?
Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.26200.0 x64
What terminal emulator and version are you using (if applicable)?
Windows Powershell
Codex doctor report
{
"schemaVersion": 1,
"generatedAt": "1781679180s since unix epoch",
"overallStatus": "warning",
"codexVersion": "0.140.0",
"checks": {
"app_server.status": {
"id": "app_server.status",
"category": "app-server",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "background server is not running",
"details": {
"control socket": "C:\\Users\\Tianxing Yang\\.codex\\app-server-control\\app-server-control.sock",
"daemon state dir": "C:\\Users\\Tianxing Yang\\.codex\\app-server-daemon",
"mode": "ephemeral",
"pid file": "C:\\Users\\Tianxing Yang\\.codex\\app-server-daemon\\app-server.pid (missing)",
"settings": "C:\\Users\\Tianxing Yang\\.codex\\app-server-daemon\\settings.json (missing)",
"status": "not running",
"update-loop pid file": "C:\\Users\\Tianxing Yang\\.codex\\app-server-daemon\\app-server-updater.pid (missing)"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 2
},
"auth.credentials": {
"id": "auth.credentials",
"category": "auth",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "auth is configured",
"details": {
"auth file": "C:\\Users\\Tianxing Yang\\.codex\\auth.json",
"auth storage mode": "File",
"stored API key": "false",
"stored ChatGPT tokens": "true",
"stored agent identity": "false",
"stored auth mode": "chatgpt"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 0
},
"config.load": {
"id": "config.load",
"category": "config",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "config loaded",
"details": {
"CODEX_HOME": "C:\\Users\\Tianxing Yang\\.codex",
"config.toml": "C:\\Users\\Tianxing Yang\\.codex\\config.toml",
"config.toml parse": "ok",
"cwd": "C:\\Users\\Tianxing Yang",
"enabled feature flags": "<redacted>",
"feature flag overrides": "none",
"feature flags enabled": "29",
"log dir": "C:\\Users\\Tianxing Yang\\.codex\\log",
"mcp servers": "0",
"model": "<default>",
"model provider": "openai",
"sqlite home": "C:\\Users\\Tianxing Yang\\.codex"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 0
},
"git.environment": {
"id": "git.environment",
"category": "git",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "git version 2.45.2.windows.1",
"details": {
"PATH git #1": "C:\\Program Files\\Git\\cmd\\git.exe",
"PATH git entries": "1",
"git build options": "git version 2.45.2.windows.1; cpu: x86_64; built from commit: 91d03cb2e4fbf6ad961ace739b8a646868cb154d; sizeof-long: 4; sizeof-size_t: 8; shell-path: /bin/sh; feature: fsmonitor--daemon",
"git exec path": "C:/Program Files/Git/mingw64/libexec/git-core",
"git version": "git version 2.45.2.windows.1",
"repo detected": "false",
"selected git": "C:\\Program Files\\Git\\cmd\\git.exe"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 263
},
"installation": {
"id": "installation",
"category": "install",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "installation looks consistent",
"details": {
"PATH codex #1": "C:\\Users\\Tianxing Yang\\AppData\\Local\\Programs\\OpenAI\\Codex\\bin\\codex.exe",
"current executable": "C:\\Users\\Tianxing Yang\\AppData\\Local\\Programs\\OpenAI\\Codex\\bin\\codex.exe",
"install context": "standalone (windows, package C:\\Users\\Tianxing Yang\\.codex\\packages\\standalone\\releases\\0.140.0-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc, bin C:\\Users\\Tianxing Yang\\.codex\\packages\\standalone\\releases\\0.140.0-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc\\bin, resources C:\\Users\\Tianxing Yang\\.codex\\packages\\standalone\\releases\\0.140.0-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc\\codex-resources, path C:\\Users\\Tianxing Yang\\.codex\\packages\\standalone\\releases\\0.140.0-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc\\codex-path)",
"managed by bun": "false",
"managed by npm": "false",
"managed package root": "not set"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 87
},
"mcp.config": {
"id": "mcp.config",
"category": "mcp",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "no MCP servers configured",
"details": {},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 0
},
"network.env": {
"id": "network.env",
"category": "network",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "network-related environment looks readable",
"details": {
"proxy env vars": "none"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 0
},
"network.provider_reachability": {
"id": "network.provider_reachability",
"category": "reachability",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "active provider endpoints are reachable over HTTP",
"details": {
"ChatGPT base URL": "https://chatgpt.com/backend-api/ reachable (HTTP 403)",
"reachability mode": "ChatGPT auth"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 953
},
"network.websocket_reachability": {
"id": "network.websocket_reachability",
"category": "websocket",
"status": "warning",
"summary": "Responses WebSocket timed out; HTTPS fallback may still work",
"details": {
"DNS": "1 IPv4, 0 IPv6, first IPv4",
"auth mode": "chatgpt",
"connect timeout": "15000 ms",
"endpoint": "wss://chatgpt.com/backend-api/<redacted>",
"model provider": "openai",
"provider name": "OpenAI",
"proxy env vars": "none",
"supports websockets": "true",
"wire API": "responses"
},
"notes": [
"handshake timed out"
],
"remediation": "Check proxy, VPN, firewall, DNS, custom CA, and WebSocket policy support.",
"durationMs": 15163
},
"runtime.provenance": {
"id": "runtime.provenance",
"category": "runtime",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "running standalone on windows-x86_64",
"details": {
"commit": "unknown",
"current executable": "C:\\Users\\Tianxing Yang\\AppData\\Local\\Programs\\OpenAI\\Codex\\bin\\codex.exe",
"install method": "standalone (windows, package C:\\Users\\Tianxing Yang\\.codex\\packages\\standalone\\releases\\0.140.0-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc, bin C:\\Users\\Tianxing Yang\\.codex\\packages\\standalone\\releases\\0.140.0-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc\\bin, resources C:\\Users\\Tianxing Yang\\.codex\\packages\\standalone\\releases\\0.140.0-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc\\codex-resources, path C:\\Users\\Tianxing Yang\\.codex\\packages\\standalone\\releases\\0.140.0-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc\\codex-path)",
"platform": "windows-x86_64",
"version": "0.140.0"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 0
},
"runtime.search": {
"id": "runtime.search",
"category": "search",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "search is OK (bundled)",
"details": {
"search command": "C:\\Users\\Tianxing Yang\\.codex\\packages\\standalone\\releases\\0.140.0-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc\\codex-path\\rg.exe",
"search command readiness": "file exists",
"search provider": "bundled"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 1
},
"sandbox.helpers": {
"id": "sandbox.helpers",
"category": "sandbox",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "sandbox configuration is readable",
"details": {
"approval policy": "OnRequest",
"codex-linux-sandbox helper": "none",
"execve wrapper helper": "none",
"filesystem sandbox": "restricted",
"network sandbox": "restricted"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 0
},
"state.paths": {
"id": "state.paths",
"category": "state",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "state paths and databases are inspectable",
"details": {
"CODEX_HOME": "C:\\Users\\Tianxing Yang\\.codex (dir)",
"active rollout files": "0 files, 0 total bytes, 0 average bytes",
"archived rollout files": "0 files, 0 total bytes, 0 average bytes",
"goals DB": "C:\\Users\\Tianxing Yang\\.codex\\goals_1.sqlite (file)",
"goals DB integrity": "ok",
"log DB": "C:\\Users\\Tianxing Yang\\.codex\\logs_2.sqlite (file)",
"log DB integrity": "ok",
"log dir": "C:\\Users\\Tianxing Yang\\.codex\\log (missing)",
"memories DB": "C:\\Users\\Tianxing Yang\\.codex\\memories_1.sqlite (file)",
"memories DB integrity": "ok",
"sqlite home": "C:\\Users\\Tianxing Yang\\.codex (dir)",
"standalone release cache": "1 entries in C:\\Users\\Tianxing Yang\\.codex\\packages\\standalone\\releases",
"state DB": "C:\\Users\\Tianxing Yang\\.codex\\state_5.sqlite (file)",
"state DB integrity": "ok"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 164
},
"state.rollout_db_parity": {
"id": "state.rollout_db_parity",
"category": "threads",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "rollout files and state DB thread inventory agree",
"details": {
"default model provider": "openai",
"rollout DB active files": "0",
"rollout DB active rows": "0",
"rollout DB archive mismatches": "0",
"rollout DB archived files": "0",
"rollout DB archived rows": "0",
"rollout DB duplicate DB paths": "0",
"rollout DB duplicate rollout thread ids": "0",
"rollout DB malformed file names": "0",
"rollout DB missing active rows": "0",
"rollout DB missing archived rows": "0",
"rollout DB model providers": "none",
"rollout DB rows": "0",
"rollout DB scan cap reached": "false",
"rollout DB scan errors": "0",
"rollout DB sources": "none",
"rollout DB stale rows": "0"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 38
},
"system.environment": {
"id": "system.environment",
"category": "system",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "OS language zh-CN",
"details": {
"EDITOR": "not set",
"VISUAL": "not set",
"os": "Windows 10.0.26200 (Windows 11 Professional) [64-bit]",
"os language": "zh-CN",
"os type": "Windows",
"os version": "10.0.26200"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 0
},
"terminal.env": {
"id": "terminal.env",
"category": "terminal",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "terminal metadata was detected",
"details": {
"color output": "disabled (stdout is not a terminal)",
"console input code page": "936",
"console output code page": "936",
"stderr console mode": "0x00000007 (VT processing: true)",
"stderr is terminal": "true",
"stdin is terminal": "true",
"stdout console mode": "unavailable",
"stdout is terminal": "false",
"terminal": "unknown",
"terminal size": "120x30"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 0
},
"terminal.title": {
"id": "terminal.title",
"category": "title",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "terminal title default",
"details": {
"terminal title activity": "true",
"terminal title items": "activity, project-name",
"terminal title project source": "cwd",
"terminal title project value": "Tianxing Yang",
"terminal title source": "default"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 2
},
"updates.status": {
"id": "updates.status",
"category": "updates",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "update configuration is locally consistent",
"details": {
"cached latest version": "0.140.0",
"check for update on startup": "true",
"last checked at": "2026-06-17T06:32:24.370976600Z",
"latest version": "0.140.0",
"latest version status": "current version is not older",
"update action": "standalone installer",
"version cache": "C:\\Users\\Tianxing Yang\\.codex\\version.json"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 1100
}
}
}What issue are you seeing?
I have installed the Codex CLI on Windows using the script here:
powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -c "irm https://chatgpt.com/codex/install.ps1 | iex"After I installed Codex, setting up the "default sandbox" failed. It is unable to find the file "codex-windows-sandbox-setup.exe".
<img width="1116" height="278" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/edf6b5f4-97fc-4c20-aae0-fa8d4956561a" />
What steps can reproduce the bug?
- Install codex CLI for Windows
``powershell``
powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -c "irm https://chatgpt.com/codex/install.ps1 | iex"
- Open Codex and try to set up the admin sandbox.
Terminals I have tried:
- Powershell 5.1 (Windows builtin): got the popup above
- Powershell 5.1, Run as Administrator (Windows builtin): got the error message
```
Couldn't set up your sandbox with Administrator permissions
You can still use Codex in a non-admin sandbox. It carries greater risk if prompt injected.
Learn more <https://developers.openai.com/codex/windows>
```
- Powershell 7.6.2 (from MS Store): got the popup above
- Powershell 7.6.2, Run as Administrator (from MS Store): got the same error message as in Powershell 5.1, Run as Administrator
- cmd: got the popup above
- cmd, Run as Administrator: got the same error message as in Powershell 5.1, Run as Administrator
What is the expected behavior?
Should have the setup done successfully.
Additional information
_No response_
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