The solution for encountering the Error "Error creating local task: Error: Timeout" when using "startup_timeout_ms" under windows

Resolved 💬 7 comments Opened Sep 9, 2025 by sfz009900 Closed Sep 9, 2025

What version of the VS Code extension are you using?

v0.5.6

Which IDE are you using?

VS Code

What platform is your computer?

Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.19045.0 x64

What steps can reproduce the bug?

This is the situation where an error was reported before:
https://github.com/openai/codex/issues/3348

Now I have tried it myself and obtained a solution that can currently run MCP successfully:

[mcp_servers.context7]
command = "F:\\software\\nodejsold\\npx.cmd"
args = ["-y", "@upstash/context7-mcp", "--api-key", "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"]
startup_timeout_ms = 20_000
env = { APPDATA="C:\\Users\\testuser000\\AppData\\Roaming", LOCALAPPDATA="C:\\Users\\testuser000\\AppData\\Local", HOME="C:\\Users\\testuser000", SystemRoot="C:\\Windows", ComSpec="C:\\Windows\\System32\\cmd.exe", NPM_CONFIG_REGISTRY="https://registry.npmmirror.com" }

it's ok :)

What is the expected behavior?

_No response_

What do you see instead?

_No response_

Additional information

_No response_

View original on GitHub ↗

6 Comments

mizuikki · 10 months ago

Also working with

command = "cmd"
args = [
    "/c",
    "npx",
    "-y",
    "@upstash/context7-mcp",
    "--api-key",
    "xxx",
]
env = { APPDATA="C:\\Users\\testuser000\\AppData\\Roaming", LOCALAPPDATA="C:\\Users\\testuser000\\AppData\\Local", HOME="C:\\Users\\testuser000", SystemRoot="C:\\Windows", ComSpec="C:\\Windows\\System32\\cmd.exe", NPM_CONFIG_REGISTRY="https://registry.npmmirror.com" }

micahdlamb · 10 months ago

Narrowed it down to just adding this:
env = { SystemRoot="C:\\Windows" }
fixes it for me.

deangabbai · 10 months ago

Great work man, thanks alot.

wbdb · 10 months ago

For those looking for a complete example of config.toml working with Windows 11 Pro 24H2:

[mcp_servers.context7]
command = "cmd"
args = [
    "/c",
    "npx",
    "-y",
    "@upstash/context7-mcp",
    "--api-key",
    "your-key",
]
env = { SystemRoot="C:\\Windows" }
startup_timeout_ms = 20_000

Thanks @micahdlamb @mizuikk

kimhee0129 · 9 months ago

Narrowed it down to just adding this: env = { SystemRoot="C:\\Windows" } fixes it for me.

Thanks a lot.... I struggled for 3 Hours, and you helped me!

SiNaPsEr0x · 9 months ago

my solution on windows with codex on vscode is:

model = "gpt-5-codex"
model_reasoning_effort = "high"

[mcp_servers.brave-search]
command = "C:\\Program Files\\nodejs\\node.exe"
args = ["C:\\Users\\Rocco\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\node_modules\\@modelcontextprotocol\\server-brave-search\\dist\\index.js"]
timeoutMs = 90000

[mcp_servers.brave-search.env]
BRAVE_API_KEY = "APIKEY"
APPDATA = "C:\\Users\\Rocco\\AppData\\Roaming"
LOCALAPPDATA = "C:\\Users\\Rocco\\AppData\\Local"
HOME = "C:\\Users\\Rocco"
SystemRoot = "C:\\Windows"
ComSpec = "C:\\Windows\\System32\\cmd.exe"
NPM_CONFIG_REGISTRY = "https://registry.npmmirror.com"

[mcp_servers.sequential-thinking]
command = "C:\\Program Files\\nodejs\\node.exe"
args = ["C:\\Users\\Rocco\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\node_modules\\@modelcontextprotocol\\server-sequential-thinking\\dist\\index.js"]
timeoutMs = 90000

[mcp_servers.sequential-thinking.env]
APPDATA = "C:\\Users\\Rocco\\AppData\\Roaming"
LOCALAPPDATA = "C:\\Users\\Rocco\\AppData\\Local"
HOME = "C:\\Users\\Rocco"
SystemRoot = "C:\\Windows"
ComSpec = "C:\\Windows\\System32\\cmd.exe"
NPM_CONFIG_REGISTRY = "https://registry.npmmirror.com"

[mcp_servers.context7]
command = "C:\\Program Files\\nodejs\\node.exe"
args = ["C:\\Users\\Rocco\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\node_modules\\@upstash\\context7-mcp\\dist\\index.js"]
timeoutMs = 90000

[mcp_servers.context7.env]
APPDATA = "C:\\Users\\Rocco\\AppData\\Roaming"
LOCALAPPDATA = "C:\\Users\\Rocco\\AppData\\Local"
HOME = "C:\\Users\\Rocco"
SystemRoot = "C:\\Windows"
ComSpec = "C:\\Windows\\System32\\cmd.exe"
NPM_CONFIG_REGISTRY = "https://registry.npmmirror.com"

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