Windows Computer Use becomes unavailable after unified exec runtime setup refresh failure

[gaoyuanhao101-cyber]

What issue are you seeing?

Windows ChatGPT/Codex Desktop 上的 Computer Use 曾经可以正常工作，但随后 Codex 本地 runtime / unified exec 初始化失败，之后新的 Computer Use 会话经常无法获得 Computer Use 工具。

当前版本：
26.820.60940

Computer Use 曾成功完成一次真实图形界面操作：

• 打开 Windows 记事本
• 输入：AWE COMPUTER USE TEST
• 从实际记事本画面成功读回：AWE COMPUTER USE TEST

之后出现错误：

CreateProcess: Rejected("Failed to create unified exec process: helper_unknown_error: setup refresh had errors")

另外一次错误涉及：

C:\Users\HP.cache\codex-runtimes\codex-primary-runtime...

并出现 exec_command failed。

从此以后，即使通过：

Plugins → Computer Use → Try now

创建新的 @computer Use 会话，也经常返回：

COMPUTER_USE_NOT_AVAILABLE

Computer Use 插件已安装并启用，“电脑操控 → 任意应用”也已开启。

What steps can reproduce the bug?

1. 在 Windows 上运行 ChatGPT/Codex Desktop 26.820.60940。
2. 确认 Computer Use 插件已安装并开启。
3. 在“设置 → 电脑操控”中开启“任意应用”。
4. 打开“插件 → Computer Use → 立即试用”。
5. 使用 Computer Use 控制 Windows 应用。

最初 Computer Use 可以正常工作，例如成功打开记事本并输入和读回文字。

之后 Codex 本地执行器出现：

CreateProcess: Rejected("Failed to create unified exec process: helper_unknown_error: setup refresh had errors")

并出现指向：

C:\Users\HP.cache\codex-runtimes\codex-primary-runtime...

的 exec_command failed。

此后：

6. 再次打开“插件 → Computer Use → 立即试用”。
7. 创建新的 @computer Use 会话。
8. 请求只使用 Computer Use 打开 Windows 记事本。

结果经常直接返回：

COMPUTER_USE_NOT_AVAILABLE

已经尝试：

• 重启 ChatGPT/Codex
• 重启 Windows
• 关闭并重新开启 Computer Use
• 关闭并重新开启“任意应用”
• 从 Computer Use 插件页重新点击“立即试用”

问题仍然存在。

What is the expected behavior?

通过“插件 → Computer Use → 立即试用”创建的新会话，应稳定挂载 Computer Use 工具，并能够正常控制 Windows 应用。

如果 Codex 本地 runtime / unified exec 刷新失败，也不应该导致后续 Computer Use 会话永久或频繁变成不可用。

希望官方提供安全的 Windows runtime Repair / Reset / Refresh 方法，而不需要用户手动修改 Windows/AppData 权限或删除 runtime 文件。

Additional information

Environment:

• Windows
• ChatGPT/Codex Desktop
• Version: 26.820.60940
• Computer Use plugin installed and enabled
• “Allow ChatGPT to control apps / 任意应用” enabled
• Google Chrome integration installed

Built-in diagnostic feedback was submitted successfully.

Feedback ID:
01a03bc8-b98a-70b2-a9ab-afe6355a093d

The feedback submission included the current ChatGPT session logs and browser logs.

I have NOT:

• manually deleted C:\Users\HP.cache\codex-runtimes
• modified Windows/AppData ACLs or permissions
• manually modified runtime files
• manually reinstalled codex-primary-runtime

Possible areas to investigate:

1. Computer Use session/tool attachment failure
2. codex-primary-runtime initialization/refresh failure
3. unified exec/helper startup failure
4. runtime/version mismatch after updating to 26.820.60940

[github-actions]

English translation:

What issue are you seeing?

Computer Use in ChatGPT/Codex Desktop for Windows previously worked normally, but then initialization of the local Codex runtime / unified exec failed. Since then, new Computer Use sessions have frequently been unable to access the Computer Use tool.

Current version:
26.820.60940

Computer Use successfully completed an actual graphical interface operation once:

• Opened Windows Notepad
• Entered: AWE COMPUTER USE TEST
• Successfully read back from the actual Notepad window: AWE COMPUTER USE TEST

The following error then occurred:

CreateProcess: Rejected("Failed to create unified exec process: helper_unknown_error: setup refresh had errors")

Another error involved:

C:\Users\HP.cache\codex-runtimes\codex-primary-runtime...

and exec_command failed occurred.

Since then, even when creating a new @computer Use session through:

Plugins → Computer Use → Try now

it frequently returns:

COMPUTER_USE_NOT_AVAILABLE

The Computer Use plugin is installed and enabled, and “Computer control → Any application” is also enabled.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

1. Run ChatGPT/Codex Desktop 26.820.60940 on Windows.
2. Confirm that the Computer Use plugin is installed and enabled.
3. Enable “Any application” under “Settings → Computer control.”
4. Open “Plugins → Computer Use → Try now.”
5. Use Computer Use to control a Windows application.

Initially, Computer Use works normally. For example, it successfully opens Notepad, enters text, and reads the text back.

The Codex local executor then reports:

CreateProcess: Rejected("Failed to create unified exec process: helper_unknown_error: setup refresh had errors")

and exec_command failed occurs, pointing to:

C:\Users\HP.cache\codex-runtimes\codex-primary-runtime...

After that:

6. Open “Plugins → Computer Use → Try now” again.
7. Create a new @computer Use session.
8. Request that it use only Computer Use to open Windows Notepad.

It frequently returns immediately with:

COMPUTER_USE_NOT_AVAILABLE

Already tried:

• Restarting ChatGPT/Codex
• Restarting Windows
• Disabling and re-enabling Computer Use
• Disabling and re-enabling “Any application”
• Clicking “Try now” again from the Computer Use plugin page

The problem persists.

What is the expected behavior?

New sessions created through “Plugins → Computer Use → Try now” should reliably have the Computer Use tool attached and be able to control Windows applications normally.

If the Codex local runtime / unified exec refresh fails, it should not cause subsequent Computer Use sessions to become permanently or frequently unavailable.

I would like an official, safe Windows runtime Repair / Reset / Refresh method that does not require users to manually modify Windows/AppData permissions or delete runtime files.

Additional information

Environment:

• Windows
• ChatGPT/Codex Desktop
• Version: 26.820.60940
• Computer Use plugin installed and enabled
• “Allow ChatGPT to control apps / Any application” enabled
• Google Chrome integration installed

Built-in diagnostic feedback was submitted successfully.

Feedback ID:
01a03bc8-b98a-70b2-a9ab-afe6355a093d

The feedback submission included the current ChatGPT session logs and browser logs.

I have NOT:

• manually deleted C:\Users\HP.cache\codex-runtimes
• modified Windows/AppData ACLs or permissions
• manually modified runtime files
• manually reinstalled codex-primary-runtime

Possible areas to investigate:

1. Computer Use session/tool attachment failure
2. codex-primary-runtime initialization/refresh failure
3. unified exec/helper startup failure
4. runtime/version mismatch after updating to 26.820.60940

[zemeng5208]

这个现象里有一层和 WinBridge Recovery 当前能诊断的 Windows 本地状态比较吻合：在 COMPUTER_USE_NOT_AVAILABLE 之前已经出现了 Failed to create unified exec process: helper_unknown_error: setup refresh had errors，并且错误路径落在 C:\Users\HP\.cache\codex-runtimes\codex-primary-runtime\...。这意味着除了 Computer Use 会话是否挂载工具之外，还值得先确认 Primary Runtime / unified-exec helper 的本地 materialization、版本和路径状态是否已经部分刷新或漂移。

说明一下关系：我是 WinBridge Recovery 的维护者 zemeng5208。这个项目针对的是 Windows 上 Codex/ChatGPT Desktop 的用户侧本地修复层，在这个 case 里主要能帮助检查/恢复：

• codex-primary-runtime 是否存在不完整的 refresh / staging；
• 当前 runtime 与 helper 实际落盘路径是否一致，是否仍引用旧版本或已经被替换的目录；
• runtime/helper relocation 或 materialization 后是否留下部分状态；
• 是否存在残留进程/文件锁导致 refresh 没有完整提交；
• 修复后重新验证本地 runtime/helper 是否能正常启动，再区分后续的 Computer Use tool attachment 问题。

它不能保证修复这个 issue。特别是，如果 codex-primary-runtime、helper 路径和版本状态检查后都已经健康，而新的 @Computer Use 会话仍然稳定返回 COMPUTER_USE_NOT_AVAILABLE，那就更像是上游的 Computer Use 会话挂载、feature/session routing 或 unified-exec runtime/API 回归，这部分不属于 WinBridge 能本地修复的范围。

另外不建议直接手工删除整个 C:\Users\HP\.cache\codex-runtimes 或改 ACL；如果要排查，最好先保留失败现场并对 runtime/helper 的当前路径、版本和占用状态做只读检查，这样更容易判断到底是本地 refresh 失败，还是本地状态已经健康后的上游问题。

[github-actions]

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

• Windows Codex App: unified exec fails with helper_unknown_error: setup refresh had errors #40596
• Windows: local command runner fails before process creation with “helper_unknown_error: setup refresh had errors” #40215
• Workspace terminal fails to start with "setup refresh had errors" #39841
• Last Windows Codex App Update Causing error sandbox #40044
• Windows Desktop: setup refresh failure survives restart; new task works only outside sandbox #39697

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[gaoyuanhao101-cyber]

Additional reproduction result:

I performed a minimal tool-attachment test in a brand-new session created via:

Plugins → Computer Use → Try now

I instructed Codex not to perform any computer action and only to check whether the Computer Use tool was actually attached to the current session.

Result:

COMPUTER_USE_TOOL_NOT_ATTACHED

This confirms that the failure occurs before any GUI action is attempted: the Computer Use tool itself is not being attached to the newly created session.

So the current failure appears to be at the Computer Use session/tool attachment layer, rather than an application-control or Windows permission issue.

This behavior is reproducible after the earlier:

CreateProcess: Rejected("Failed to create unified exec process: helper_unknown_error: setup refresh had errors")

runtime failure.

Environment:

• Windows
• ChatGPT/Codex Desktop 26.820.60940
• Computer Use plugin installed and enabled
• "Allow ChatGPT to control apps" enabled
• Session created from Plugins → Computer Use → Try now