Windows Codex Desktop: Chrome profile detection and AppX launch conflict with Chrome

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

26.616.71553

What subscription do you have?

pro 5x

What platform is your computer?

Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.22631.0 x64

What issue are you seeing?

On Windows, Codex Desktop sometimes launches or focuses Google Chrome instead of Codex.

When I click Settings in the Codex Chrome extension, Chrome opens instead of Codex. Also, if Chrome is already running and I launch Codex from the Windows Start Menu, a new Chrome window/tab opens instead of the Codex app.

My Chrome profile is stored in a non-default location: D:\Chrome\User Data. This may also affect the Codex Chrome plugin, which appears to check the default Chrome profile path.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

Feedback ID: 019ef4dd-a879-71b2-af52-c54c6fbc3f74

What is the expected behavior?

Expected behavior:

Issue 1:
When Codex uses the Chrome plugin, it should detect and use the active Chrome profile where the Codex Chrome Extension is installed, even if the Chrome user data directory is not in the default location. It should not open an unexpected new Chrome window unless the user explicitly asks it to.

Issue 2:
When launching Codex from the Windows Start Menu while Chrome is already running, Codex Desktop should open or focus the existing Codex window. It should not open or focus a Google Chrome window.

Additional information

Additional information:

Environment:

• Windows 11
• Codex Desktop package: OpenAI.Codex_26.616.9593.0_x64__2p2nqsd0c76g0
• Google Chrome executable:

C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe

• Chrome user data directory:

D:\Chrome\User Data

• Codex Chrome Extension ID:

hehggadaopoacecdllhhajmbjkdcmajg

Local investigation:

For Issue 1, the Codex Chrome plugin scripts appear to check the default Chrome profile path:

C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data

However, my actual Chrome profile is located at:

D:\Chrome\User Data

When I set these environment variables, the plugin can detect the correct profile:

CODEX_CHROME_USER_DATA_DIR=D:\Chrome\User Data
CODEX_CHROME_PREFERENCES_PATH=D:\Chrome\User Data\Default\Preferences

The plugin's own check-extension-installed script reports the extension as installed and enabled when using D:\Chrome\User Data, but not when using the default C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data path.

For Issue 2, launching Codex through the AppX/Start Menu entry:

shell:AppsFolder\OpenAI.Codex_2p2nqsd0c76g0!App

can open a new Chrome window when Chrome is already running.

However, directly launching Codex.exe with an explicit Codex user data directory does not open a Chrome window:

C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\OpenAI.Codex_26.616.9593.0_x64__2p2nqsd0c76g0\app\Codex.exe --user-data-dir=C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\Codex\web\Codex

This suggests the Start Menu/AppX activation path may be interacting incorrectly with Chrome/Chromium process singleton behavior.

Possibly related issues:

• #25221: Similar Start Menu / AppsFolder launch behavior where Codex unexpectedly opens Chrome, while direct Codex.exe launch works.
• #24379: Similar Chrome profile detection problem where the plugin checks the default Chrome user data path instead of the actual profile location.
• #21741: Related Windows Chrome extension/native host connection state inconsistency.
• #23831: Related Chrome plugin marketplace/cache issue.