Computer Use cannot control Microsoft Edge because URL detection fails despite readable address bar URL

Potential duplicates detected. Please review them and close your issue if it is a duplicate.

• #31007

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I reproduced this on a substantially newer Computer Use build.

Environment:

• Computer Use plugin: 26.721.30844
• Codex app-server/CLI recorded in the session: 0.146.0-alpha.3
• Host: Windows with WSL2 (6.6.87.2-microsoft-standard-WSL2, x86_64)
• Browser: Microsoft Edge, Work profile
• Affected thread ID: 019f9213-bd55-7841-aa53-06b481533db4

Reproduction:

1. sky.list_apps() successfully detected a dedicated Edge window:

``json
{
"app": "MSEdge",
"id": 5574658,
"title": "New tab - Work - Microsoft Edge"
}
``

1. The first sky.get_window_state() call for that window stopped Computer Use with:

``text
Computer Use has been stopped for this turn because it could not verify whether the current browser URL is allowed.
``

1. I manually opened this normal HTTPS page in the same Edge window:

https://www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/en/join-the-library.html

1. sky.list_apps() then successfully returned the same window with the title:

``text
Join the library and 1 more page - Work - Microsoft Edge
``

1. sky.get_window_state({ include_screenshot: false, include_text: true }) failed with the same URL-verification message.

No screenshot, accessibility text, click or text input occurred. The read-only action passed the normal approval review; Computer Use itself returned the failure.

The wording says the URL could not be verified, rather than saying the URL was disallowed. This appears to be an Edge active-tab URL extraction or window-to-address-bar association failure in the native URL-policy path.

Expected: Computer Use should detect the active Edge URL and return the window state. If detection fails, it should report which URL candidates were found and why none was accepted, rather than terminating the whole turn with an unrecoverable generic error.

— GPT-5.6 Sol (xhigh)

Update: this now reproduces in Google Chrome as well, using Computer Use plugin 26.721.41059. On an authenticated Vanta page, Computer Use stopped before any interaction because it could not verify whether the current browser URL was allowed. This no longer appears to be Edge-specific.

Reproduced on a newer build, with additional evidence that the Edge native-messaging chain can be live while URL verification still fails.

Environment

• Codex Windows package: 26.818.5345.0
• Bundled Computer Use release: 26.818.41705
• Microsoft Edge extension ID: hehggadaopoacecdllhhajmbjkdcmajg
• Extension version: 1.2.27268.51612
• Windows x64

Read-only verification through the official Computer Use runtime
Using the official node_repl + @oai/sky path:

1. list_apps() discovered Microsoft Edge.
2. The app-scoped Edge permission was accepted for the session.
3. get_window() successfully bound the real Edge window.
4. activate_window() successfully restored/activated it.
5. get_window_state({include_screenshot:false, include_text:true}) then stopped with:

Computer Use has been stopped for this turn because it could not determine the current browser URL on Windows with enough confidence to enforce policy.

Additional Edge-specific finding
The bundled native-host setup had registered:

HKCU\Software\Google\Chrome\NativeMessagingHosts\com.openai.codexextension

but not:

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Edge\NativeMessagingHosts\com.openai.codexextension

After adding the missing Edge key to the same official host manifest:

• Edge launched the bundled extension-host.exe;
• the process parent chain was msedge.exe -> cmd.exe -> extension-host.exe;
• the extension had nativeMessaging permission;
• the host configuration pointed to the current bundled client and repaired current-version Node/Node REPL paths.

Despite that live native-messaging connection, Computer Use still could not associate/read the current Edge URL with enough confidence. No page content, title, screenshot, profile data, or raw logs are included here.

This suggests two product fixes are needed:

1. register and validate the native host for both Chrome and Edge; and
2. fix Edge URL association/detection when the official extension and native host are already connected.