Windows Computer Use cannot connect to native pipe on Windows 10.0.26200.8655

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

26.616.41845

What subscription do you have?

Plus

What platform is your computer?

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.26200.8655], x64

What issue are you seeing?

Computer Use on Windows cannot connect to the Windows control channel / native pipe.

Codex App is installed on Windows and the Computer Use plugin is enabled. “Any application” permission is enabled, and calc.exe is allowed. The Codex app can run shell commands and can launch Calculator through Start-Process, but it cannot actually connect to Windows Computer Use to click/type/read the UI.

When I ask:

@Computer open Calculator and press 2 + 2 =

Codex reports that it cannot connect to Windows control / service channel and only computes the result itself instead of controlling Calculator.

The codex-computer-use.exe file exists and is not missing:

C:\Users\nikit\AppData\Local\OpenAI\Codex\runtimes\cua_node\a89897d3d9baa117\bin\node_modules@oai\sky\bin\windows\codex-computer-use.exe

The executable also starts, but --help returns:

Error: unknown argument: --help

My config includes:

sandbox_mode = "danger-full-access"
approval_policy = "never"

[windows]
sandbox = "unelevated"
sandbox_private_desktop = false

[plugins."computer-use@openai-bundled"]
enabled = true

[computer_use.windows.always_allowed_app_ids]
"calc.exe" = true

I also tried:

• resetting the computer-use plugin cache
• restarting Codex
• running Codex as administrator
• running Codex normally
• switching from elevated to unelevated Windows sandbox
• increasing NODE_REPL_NATIVE_PIPE_CONNECT_TIMEOUT_MS
• allowing calc.exe permanently

The issue still happens.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

Feedback ID: 019ee544-ad2b-7e20-9889-65890ccb1db1

What is the expected behavior?

Codex should successfully connect to the Windows Computer Use channel and control Calculator through the UI.

Expected result:

• Calculator opens.
• Codex clicks or types 2 + 2 = inside Calculator.
• Codex reads the Calculator result from the actual app.
• No Windows control / native pipe connection error appears.

Additional information

Environment and troubleshooting already tried:

• Windows: Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.26200.8655], x64
• Codex App version: 26.616.41845
• Subscription: Plus
• codex-computer-use.exe exists at:

C:\Users\nikit\AppData\Local\OpenAI\Codex\runtimes\cua_node\a89897d3d9baa117\bin\node_modules@oai\sky\bin\windows\codex-computer-use.exe

• The executable exists and is not missing. Running it with --help returns: Error: unknown argument: --help
• Computer Use plugin is enabled.
• calc.exe is permanently allowed.
• Tried running Codex normally and as administrator.
• Tried resetting the computer-use plugin cache.
• Tried sandbox = "elevated" and sandbox = "unelevated".
• Tried sandbox_private_desktop = false.
• Tried increasing NODE_REPL_NATIVE_PIPE_CONNECT_TIMEOUT_MS.
• The issue still persists.

Relevant config:

sandbox_mode = "danger-full-access"
approval_policy = "never"

[windows]
sandbox = "unelevated"
sandbox_private_desktop = false

[plugins."computer-use@openai-bundled"]
enabled = true

[computer_use.windows.always_allowed_app_ids]
"calc.exe" = true