Windows Desktop: Browser Use / node_repl fails because bundled WindowsApps node.exe returns Access is denied

[nikegaya]

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

26.429.8261.0

What subscription do you have?

Plus

What platform is your computer?

Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.26200.0 x64

What issue are you seeing?

Browser Use cannot start because the node_repl backend fails to launch Node.

failed to execute Node: Access is denied. (os error 5)

failed to execute Node: Access is denied. (os error 5)
This blocks Browser Use before any browser navigation happens.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

1. Start Codex Desktop on Windows.
2. Try to use Browser Use / in-app browser.
3. Browser Use attempts to use node_repl.
4. node_repl fails before running any JavaScript.

Running the Codex-bundled Node directly from the integrated PowerShell also fails:

& 'C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\OpenAI.Codex_26.429.8261.0_x64__2p2nqsd0c76g0\app\resources\node.exe' --version

Result:

Program 'node.exe' failed to run:
An error occurred trying to start process
'C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\OpenAI.Codex_26.429.8261.0_x64__2p2nqsd0c76g0\app\resources\node.exe'
with working directory 'C:\dev\pc-selection-advisor'.
Access is denied.

What is the expected behavior?

Browser Use should be able to start node_repl, or Codex should use a Node executable path that is launchable from the tool/plugin process context.

Additional information

Get-Command node resolves to:

C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\OpenAI.Codex_26.429.8261.0_x64__2p2nqsd0c76g0\app\resources\node.exe
Version: 24.14.0.0

The Codex MSIX package appears healthy:

Name            : OpenAI.Codex
PackageFullName : OpenAI.Codex_26.429.8261.0_x64__2p2nqsd0c76g0
Version         : 26.429.8261.0
InstallLocation : C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\OpenAI.Codex_26.429.8261.0_x64__2p2nqsd0c76g0
Status          : Ok

The Codex Settings UI shows the workspace dependency bundle as:

Current version: 26.430.10722

A separate Codex runtime Node outside WindowsApps works:

C:\Users\<USER>\.cache\codex-runtimes\codex-primary-runtime\dependencies\node\bin\node.exe
v24.14.0

So this does not appear to be a general Node failure.

The ACL for the WindowsApps bundled node.exe includes app identity-conditioned entries such as:

WIN://SYSAPPID Contains "OpenAI.Codex_2p2nqsd0c76g0"

This suggests the file can be read, but may not be launchable from the terminal/tool process context unless that process has the expected packaged app identity.

Security / policy checks

• No EDR is installed.
• ESET has no detection history for this issue.
• Effective AppLocker policy is empty:

<AppLockerPolicy Version="1" />

• AppLocker logs are enabled, but no OpenAI.Codex / node.exe related events were found.
• CodeIntegrity logs are enabled, but no OpenAI.Codex / node.exe / WindowsApps related block event was found.
• systeminfo reports:

Virtualization-based security: Running
Hypervisor enforced Code Integrity: Running
App Control for Business policy: Enforced
App Control for Business user mode policy: Off

[github-actions]

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

• Windows Browser Use fails before opening: Node Access Denied / os error 5 #20747
• Windows: node_repl MCP fails with “Access is denied” when launched by Codex Desktop #21066

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[nikegaya]

Thanks for pointing these out.

I reviewed #20747 and #21066, and this appears to be a duplicate of the same Windows Desktop / WindowsApps bundled executable access issue. My report was specifically about node.exe, node_repl, and Browser Use, but the underlying cause seems to be covered there.

Closing this as duplicate.