ChatGPT Desktop Work on Windows 11 fails to launch codex app-server: program not found #56203

What issue are you seeing?

ChatGPT Desktop Work mode fails to initialize the Codex app-server when attempting to access an open Adobe Premiere Pro window.

The following error is consistently returned:

failed to launch codex app-server: program not found

The error occurs before the application can inspect or interact with the Premiere window. No changes are made to Premiere.

The issue persists after restarting ChatGPT Desktop and verifying that the external Codex CLI works correctly.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

1. Launch ChatGPT Desktop on Windows 11.
2. Select Work mode.
3. Open Adobe Premiere Pro.
4. Ask ChatGPT to identify the open Premiere window without clicking or modifying anything.
5. Wait for the computer access operation.

Actual result:

failed to launch codex app-server: program not found

The same error occurs repeatedly.

What is the expected behavior?

ChatGPT Desktop Work should successfully launch its Codex app-server and initialize computer access.

It should then attempt to identify the open Adobe Premiere Pro window without making any changes to the application, files, or timeline.

Additional information

Environment

• Windows 11
• ChatGPT Desktop version: 26.1016.61520
• Installation source: Microsoft Store
• Feature: ChatGPT Work
• Agent environment: Windows native
• Integrated shell: PowerShell
• External Codex CLI version: 0.163.0-alpha.11.1

Troubleshooting completed

• Verified the external Codex executable exists.
• Confirmed codex --version works.
• Confirmed codex app-server --help works.
• Added the external Codex directory to the user PATH and restarted ChatGPT Desktop.
• Confirmed Windows native is selected rather than WSL.
• The integrated terminal option is disabled.
• The default %USERPROFILE%\.codex\sessions directory does not exist.
• No CODEX_HOME environment variable is configured at the User or Process level.
• The error persists.

The external CLI works, but ChatGPT Desktop may be using a different bundled version or execution environment.

Please investigate the Codex app-server launch mechanism used by ChatGPT Desktop Work on Windows.