windows.md +230 −25
1# Windows1# Windows
2 2
33The easiest way to use Codex on Windows is to [set up the IDE extension](https://developers.openai.com/codex/ide) or [install the CLI](https://developers.openai.com/codex/cli) and run it from PowerShell.Use Codex on Windows with the native [Codex app](https://developers.openai.com/codex/app/windows), the
4[CLI](https://developers.openai.com/codex/cli), or the [IDE extension](https://developers.openai.com/codex/ide).
4 5
56When you run Codex natively on Windows, the agent mode uses an experimental Windows sandbox to block filesystem writes outside the working folder and prevent network access without your explicit approval. [Learn more below](#windows-experimental-sandbox).The Codex app on Windows supports core workflows such as parallel agent threads,
7worktrees, automations, Git functionality, the in-app browser, artifact previews,
8plugins, and skills.
6 9
710Instead, you can use [Windows Subsystem for Linux](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install) (WSL2). WSL2 gives you a Linux shell, Unix-style semantics, and tooling that match many tasks that models see in training.<div class="mb-8">
11 <CodexCallout
12 href="/codex/app/windows"
13 title="Use the Codex app on Windows"
14 description="Work across projects, run parallel agent threads, and review results in one place with the native Windows app."
15 iconSrc="/images/codex/codex-banner-icon.webp"
16 />
17</div>
18
19Depending on the surface and your setup, Codex can run on Windows in three
20practical ways:
21
22- natively on Windows with the stronger `elevated` sandbox,
23- natively on Windows with the fallback `unelevated` sandbox,
24- or inside [Windows Subsystem for Linux 2](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install) (WSL2), which uses the Linux sandbox implementation.
25
26## Windows sandbox
27
28When you run Codex natively on Windows, agent mode uses a Windows sandbox to
29block filesystem writes outside the working folder and prevent network access
30without your explicit approval.
31
32Native Windows sandbox support includes two modes that you can configure in
33`config.toml`:
34
35```toml
36[windows]
37sandbox = "elevated" # or "unelevated"
38```
39
40`elevated` is the preferred native Windows sandbox. It uses dedicated
41lower-privilege sandbox users, filesystem permission boundaries, firewall
42rules, and local policy changes needed for commands that run in the sandbox.
43
44`unelevated` is the fallback native Windows sandbox. It runs commands with a
45restricted Windows token derived from your current user, applies ACL-based
46filesystem boundaries, and uses environment-level offline controls instead of
47the dedicated offline-user firewall rule. It's weaker than `elevated`, but it
48is still useful when administrator-approved setup is blocked by local or
49enterprise policy.
50
51If both modes are available, use `elevated`. If the default native sandbox
52doesn't work in your environment, use `unelevated` as a fallback while you
53troubleshoot the setup.
54
55By default, both sandbox modes also use a private desktop for stronger UI
56isolation. Set `windows.sandbox_private_desktop = false` only if you need the
57older `Winsta0\\Default` behavior for compatibility.
58
59### Sandbox permissions
60
61Running Codex in full access mode means Codex is not limited to your project
62 directory and might perform unintentional destructive actions that can lead to
63 data loss. For safer automation, keep sandbox boundaries in place and use
64 [rules](https://developers.openai.com/codex/rules) for specific exceptions, or set your [approval policy to
65 never](https://developers.openai.com/codex/agent-approvals-security#run-without-approval-prompts) to have
66 Codex attempt to solve problems without asking for escalated permissions,
67 based on your [approval and security setup](https://developers.openai.com/codex/agent-approvals-security).
68
69### Windows version matrix
70
71| Windows version | Support level | Notes |
72| -------------------------------- | --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
73| Windows 11 | Recommended | Best baseline for Codex on Windows. Use this if you are standardizing an enterprise deployment. |
74| Recent, fully updated Windows 10 | Best effort | Can work, but is less reliable than Windows 11. For Windows 10, Codex depends on modern console support, including ConPTY. In practice, Windows 10 version 1809 or newer is required. |
75| Older Windows 10 builds | Not recommended | More likely to miss required console components such as ConPTY and more likely to fail in enterprise setups. |
76
77Additional environment assumptions:
78
79- `winget` should be available. If it's missing, update Windows or install
80 the Windows Package Manager before setting up Codex.
81- The recommended native sandbox depends on administrator-approved setup.
82- Some enterprise-managed devices block the required setup steps even when the
83 OS version itself is acceptable.
84
85### Grant sandbox read access
86
87When a command fails because the Windows sandbox can't read a directory, use:
88
89```text
90/sandbox-add-read-dir C:\absolute\directory\path
91```
92
93The path must be an existing absolute directory. After the command succeeds, later commands that run in the sandbox can read that directory during the current session.
94
95Use the native Windows sandbox by default. The native Windows sandbox offers the best performance and highest speeds while keeping the same security. Choose WSL2 when you
96need a Linux-native environment on Windows, when your workflow already lives in
97WSL2, or when neither native Windows sandbox mode meets your needs.
8 98
9## Windows Subsystem for Linux99## Windows Subsystem for Linux
10 100
101If you choose WSL2, Codex runs inside the Linux environment instead of using the
102native Windows sandbox. This is useful if you need Linux-native tooling on
103Windows, if your repositories and developer workflow already live in WSL2, or
104if neither native Windows sandbox mode works for your environment.
105
106WSL1 was supported through Codex `0.114`. Starting in Codex `0.115`, the Linux
107sandbox moved to `bubblewrap`, so WSL1 is no longer supported.
108
11### Launch VS Code from inside WSL109### Launch VS Code from inside WSL
12 110
13For step-by-step instructions, see the [official VS Code WSL tutorial](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/remote/wsl-tutorial).111For step-by-step instructions, see the [official VS Code WSL tutorial](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/remote/wsl-tutorial).
39 137
40 This prints your distribution name.138 This prints your distribution name.
41 139
42140If you don’t see “WSL: …” in the status bar, press `Ctrl+Shift+P`, pickIf you don't see "WSL: ..." in the status bar, press `Ctrl+Shift+P`, pick
43 `WSL: Reopen Folder in WSL`, and keep your repository under `/home/...` (not141 `WSL: Reopen Folder in WSL`, and keep your repository under `/home/...` (not
44 `C:\`) for best performance.142 `C:\`) for best performance.
45 143
144If the Windows app or project picker does not show your WSL repository, type
145 <code>\\wsl$</code> into the file picker or Explorer, then navigate to your
146 distro's home directory.
147
46### Use Codex CLI with WSL148### Use Codex CLI with WSL
47 149
48Run these commands from an elevated PowerShell or Windows Terminal:150Run these commands from an elevated PowerShell or Windows Terminal:
72 174
73### Working on code inside WSL175### Working on code inside WSL
74 176
75177- Working in Windows-mounted paths like `/mnt/c/…` can be slower than working in Windows-native paths. Keep your repositories under your Linux home directory (like `~/code/my-app`) for faster I/O and fewer symlink and permission issues:- Working in Windows-mounted paths like <code>/mnt/c/...</code> can be slower than working in Windows-native paths. Keep your repositories under your Linux home directory (like <code>~/code/my-app</code>) for faster I/O and fewer symlink and permission issues:
76
77 ```bash178 ```bash
78 mkdir -p ~/code && cd ~/code179 mkdir -p ~/code && cd ~/code
79 git clone https://github.com/your/repo.git180 git clone https://github.com/your/repo.git
80 cd repo181 cd repo
81 ```182 ```
82183- If you need Windows access to files, they’re under `\wsl$\Ubuntu\home<user>` in Explorer.- If you need Windows access to files, they're under <code>\\wsl$\Ubuntu\home\<user></code> in Explorer.
83 184
84185## Windows experimental sandbox## Troubleshooting and FAQ
85 186
86187The Windows sandbox support is experimental. How it works:If you are troubleshooting a managed Windows machine, start with the native
188sandbox mode, Windows version, and any policy error shown by Codex. Most native
189Windows support issues come from sandbox setup, logon rights, or filesystem
190permissions rather than from the editor itself.
87 191
88192- Launches commands inside a restricted token derived from an AppContainer profile.My native sandbox setup failed
89- Grants only specifically requested filesystem capabilities by attaching capability security identifiers to that profile.
90- Disables outbound network access by overriding proxy-related environment variables and inserting stub executables for common network tools.
91 193
92194Its primary limitation is that it can’t prevent file writes, deletions, or creations in any directory where the Everyone SID already has write permissions (for example, world-writable folders). When using the Windows sandbox, Codex scans for folders where Everyone has write access and recommends that you remove that access.If Codex cannot complete the `elevated` sandbox setup, the most common causes
195are:
93 196
94197### Grant sandbox read access- the Windows UAC or administrator prompt was declined,
198- the machine does not allow local user or group creation,
199- the machine does not allow firewall rule changes,
200- the machine blocks the logon rights needed by the sandbox users,
201- or another enterprise policy blocks part of the setup flow.
95 202
96203When a command fails because the Windows sandbox can't read a directory, use:What to try:
97 204
98205```text1. Try the `elevated` sandbox setup again and approve the administrator prompt
99206/sandbox-add-read-dir C:\absolute\directory\path if your environment allows it.
100207```2. If your company laptop blocks this, ask your IT team whether the machine
208 allows administrator-approved setup for local user/group creation, firewall
209 configuration, and the required sandbox-user logon rights.
2103. If the default setup still fails, use the `unelevated` sandbox so you can
211 continue working while the issue is investigated.
101 212
102213The path must be an existing absolute directory. After the command succeeds, later commands that run in the sandbox can read that directory during the current session.Codex switched me to the unelevated sandbox
214
215This means Codex could not finish the stronger `elevated` sandbox setup on your
216machine.
217
218- Codex can still run in a sandboxed mode.
219- It still applies ACL-based filesystem boundaries, but it does not use the
220 separate sandbox-user boundary from `elevated` and has weaker network
221 isolation.
222- This is a useful fallback, but not the preferred long-term enterprise
223 configuration.
224
225If you are on a managed enterprise laptop, the best long-term fix is usually to
226get the `elevated` sandbox working with help from your IT team.
227
228I see Windows error 1385
229
230If sandboxed commands fail with error `1385`, Windows is denying the logon type
231the sandbox user needs in order to start the command.
232
233In practice, this usually means Codex created the sandbox users successfully,
234but Windows policy is still preventing those users from launching sandboxed
235commands.
236
237What to do:
238
2391. Ask your IT team whether the device policy grants the required logon rights
240 to the Codex-created sandbox users.
2412. Compare group policy or OU differences if the issue affects only some
242 machines or teams.
2433. If you need to keep working immediately, use the `unelevated` sandbox while
244 the policy issue is investigated.
2454. Send `CODEX_HOME/.sandbox/sandbox.log` along with your Windows version and a
246 short description of the failure.
247
248Codex warns that some folders are writable by Everyone
249
250Codex may warn that some folders are writable by `Everyone`.
251
252If you see this warning, Windows permissions on those folders are too broad for
253the sandbox to fully protect them.
254
255What to do:
256
2571. Review the folders Codex lists in the warning.
2582. Remove `Everyone` write access from those folders if that is appropriate in
259 your environment.
2603. Restart Codex or re-run the sandbox setup after those permissions are
261 corrected.
103 262
104263### Troubleshooting and FAQIf you are not sure how to change those permissions, ask your IT team for help.
105 264
106265#### Installed extension, but it’s unresponsiveSandboxed commands cannot reach the network
266
267Some Codex tasks are intentionally run without outbound network access,
268depending on the permissions mode in use.
269
270If a task fails because it cannot reach the network:
271
2721. Check whether the task was supposed to run with network disabled.
2732. If you expected network access, restart Codex and try again.
2743. If the issue keeps happening, collect the sandbox log so the team can check
275 whether the machine is in a partial or broken sandbox state.
276
277Sandboxing worked before and then stopped
278
279This can happen after:
280
281- moving a repo or workspace,
282- changing machine permissions,
283- changing Windows policies,
284- or other system configuration changes.
285
286What to try:
287
2881. Restart Codex.
2892. Try the `elevated` sandbox setup again.
2903. If that does not fix it, use the `unelevated` sandbox as a temporary
291 fallback.
2924. Collect the sandbox log for review.
293
294I need to send diagnostics to OpenAI
295
296If you still have problems, send:
297
298- `CODEX_HOME/.sandbox/sandbox.log`
299
300It is also helpful to include:
301
302- a short description of what you were trying to do,
303- whether the `elevated` sandbox failed or the `unelevated` sandbox was used,
304- any error message shown in the app,
305- whether you saw `1385` or another Windows or PowerShell error,
306- and whether you are on Windows 11 or Windows 10.
307
308Do not send:
309
310- the contents of `CODEX_HOME/.sandbox-secrets/`
311
312The IDE extension is installed but unresponsive
107 313
108Your system may be missing C++ development tools, which some native dependencies require:314Your system may be missing C++ development tools, which some native dependencies require:
109 315
113 319
114Then fully restart VS Code after installation.320Then fully restart VS Code after installation.
115 321
116322#### If it feels slow on large repositoriesLarge repositories feel slow in WSL
117 323
118324- Make sure you’re not working under `/mnt/c`. Move the repository to WSL (for example, `~/code/…`).- Make sure you're not working under <code>/mnt/c</code>. Move the repository to WSL (for example, <code>~/code/...</code>).
119- Increase memory and CPU for WSL if needed; update WSL to the latest version:325- Increase memory and CPU for WSL if needed; update WSL to the latest version:
120
121 ```powershell326 ```powershell
122 wsl --update327 wsl --update
123 wsl --shutdown328 wsl --shutdown
124 ```329 ```
125 330
126331#### VS Code in WSL can’t find `codex`VS Code in WSL cannot find codex
127 332
128Verify the binary exists and is on PATH inside WSL:333Verify the binary exists and is on PATH inside WSL:
129 334