Is the native Codex/Work Windows sandbox supported when Windows 11 is running inside VirtualBox?
What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?
26.818.5229.0
What subscription do you have?
Plus
What platform is your computer?
Guest OS: Windows 11 Pro 25H2, build 26200.9168, running inside Oracle VirtualBox. Host OS: Windows 11 Home.
What issue are you seeing?
I would like to confirm whether the native Codex/Work Windows sandbox is officially supported when Windows 11 itself is running as a guest VM inside Oracle VirtualBox.
My environment:
- ChatGPT/Codex app version: 26.818.5229.0
- Guest OS: Windows 11 Pro 25H2, build 26200.9168
- Guest OS is running inside Oracle VirtualBox
- Host OS: Windows 11 Home
The Codex/Work setup repeatedly fails with:
"Windows setup didn't finish"
/
"Unable to verify Windows setup"
Clicking "Try again" starts the Windows setup process, but it eventually returns to the same error.
I have already tried:
- Restarting the guest Windows VM
- Updating ChatGPT through Microsoft Store
- Repairing the ChatGPT app
- Resetting the ChatGPT app
- Re-running the Windows setup multiple times
The sandbox setup appears to partially complete successfully:
- CodexSandboxOffline exists and is enabled
- CodexSandboxOnline exists and is enabled
- BFE and mpssvc services are Running / Automatic
- .codex\.sandbox\setup_marker.json exists and is valid
- deny_read_acl_state.json is not corrupted
- setup logs report "errors=[]" and "setup binary completed"
However, the logs repeatedly contain:
hide users: failed to hide current user profile dir (C:\Users\Default): SetFileAttributesW failed for C:\Users\Default: 5 (Access is denied.)
I have not modified the ACLs or permissions of C:\Users\Default because it is a Windows system directory.
My main question is:
Is the native Codex/Work Windows sandbox officially supported when Windows 11 is running inside VirtualBox?
If VirtualBox guests are supported, is the C:\Users\Default "Access is denied" message a known issue, and is there a recommended safe workaround?
If VirtualBox guests are not currently supported, please confirm this so I know whether the setup failure is expected in this environment.
I can provide the full sandbox logs and screenshots if needed.
What steps can reproduce the bug?
Feedback ID: no-active-thread-01a032f0-9e80-7eb1-b1b0-ecc295ebda61
What is the expected behavior?
_No response_
Additional information
_No response_
1 Comment
Potential duplicates detected. Please review them and close your issue if it is a duplicate.
Powered by Codex Action