EricGT
April 22, 2026, 11:09am
2
Welcome to the forum!
You can discuss Codex-related issues here, but the official place to report them is the OpenAI Codex GitHub Issues .
I had ChatGPT do a quick search and while there was no direct match for your issue, there are many open issues that are similar or possibly the same, e.g.
opened 02:00AM - 27 Feb 26 UTC
bug
windows-os
app
### What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?
26… .226.1021.0
### What subscription do you have?
Plus
### What platform is your computer?
W11
### What issue are you seeing?
Launching the **Codex Windows (Microsoft Store/MSIX) app** results in **no visible window/UI**.
- Clicking **Codex** in the Start Menu does nothing visually.
- **Task Manager** shows **Codex** running as a **Background process** (CPU/RAM usage present), but no foreground window appears (not on the taskbar, not visible on the desktop).
- Launching via AppsFolder shows the same behavior:
```powershell
explorer.exe "shell:AppsFolder\OpenAI.Codex_2p2nqsd0c76g0!App"
```
The app appears to start, but UI never renders. Running the packaged executable directly from PowerShell produces Electron/Chromium disk cache errors (likely preventing UI initialization):
```powershell
$pkg = Get-AppxPackage OpenAI.Codex
$exe = Join-Path $pkg.InstallLocation "app\Codex.exe"
& $exe
```
Console output excerpt:
```text
[IpcRouterManager] Another router is active.
...
ERROR:net\disk_cache\cache_util_win.cc:25 Unable to move the cache: Access is denied. (0x5)
ERROR:net\disk_cache\disk_cache.cc:236 Unable to create cache
ERROR:gpu\ipc\host\gpu_disk_cache.cc:724 Gpu Cache Creation failed: -2
```
Other messages observed (may be optional tooling / not fatal, but included for completeness):
```text
[host-provider] ... errorCode=ENOENT ... "spawn applied ENOENT"
[host-provider] ... errorCode=ENOENT ... "spawn brix ENOENT"
```
Additional context:
- The MSIX is installed and registered successfully (no install errors).
- The manifest shows a valid app entry point:
- `Id: App`
- `Executable: app\Codex.exe`
- `EntryPoint: Windows.FullTrustApplication`
- Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime is installed:
- `Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime` version `145.0.3800.70`
### What steps can reproduce the bug?
1. Install Codex Windows app from the Microsoft Store listing (ProductId `9PLM9XGG6VKS`) — in my case installed via WinGet:
```powershell
winget install --id 9PLM9XGG6VKS -s msstore
```
2. Launch **Codex** from the Start Menu.
3. Observe:
- No UI/window appears.
- Task Manager shows Codex running as a **Background process**.
4. (Optional diagnostic) Launch via AppsFolder:
```powershell
explorer.exe "shell:AppsFolder\OpenAI.Codex_2p2nqsd0c76g0!App"
```
Result is the same (background process only, no UI).
5. (Optional diagnostic) Run the packaged EXE directly to capture console logs:
```powershell
$pkg = Get-AppxPackage OpenAI.Codex
$exe = Join-Path $pkg.InstallLocation "app\Codex.exe"
& $exe
```
Observe repeated Chromium/Electron cache errors:
- `Unable to move the cache: Access is denied. (0x5)`
- `Unable to create cache`
- `Gpu Cache Creation failed`
### What is the expected behavior?
_No response_
### Additional information
- Installed package identity:
- Name: `OpenAI.Codex`
- Version: `26.226.1021.0`
- PFN: `OpenAI.Codex_2p2nqsd0c76g0`
- Store ProductId: `9PLM9XGG6VKS`
- Hypothesis:
- Codex (Electron/Chromium) is failing early because it cannot create/move its disk/GPU cache due to **Access denied (0x5)**.
- This can also be exacerbated by multiple instances using the same cache/user-data directory; the log line `[IpcRouterManager] Another router is active.` suggests a prior/stuck instance or a single-instance lock.
- Suggested direction for a fix:
- Log the full cache path being used at startup (so users/admins can fix ACLs).
- Add a fallback cache location if the default cache path is not writable.
- Detect “another router is active” and either bring the existing window to the foreground or exit cleanly with a user-facing error instead of staying headless.
It’s worth searching existing issues and if you find one that matches give it a thumbs up; if nothing aligns, open a new report with clear reproduction details.
Also see:
Codex features are prioritized by votes in GitHub issues tab