microsoft / microsoft/playwright

[Bug]: Microsoft Edge (ARM64) closes immediately in Playwright headless mode when Azure DevOps agent runs as a Windows service

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#41,339 2 comments 1 reaction 0 assignees View on GitHub

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Description

### Version

1.60.0

### Steps to reproduce

1. Set up a Windows 11 ARM64 machine with a self‑hosted Azure DevOps agent.
2. Install Microsoft Edge ARM64 and Playwright.
3. Configure the Azure DevOps agent to run as a Windows service.
4. Run any Playwright test using `msedge` in headless mode.
5. Observe that Edge launches and then immediately exits with no error.
6. Stop the service and run the Azure DevOps agent interactively in a user session.
7. Run the same test again — it now works normally.

### Expected behavior

Playwright should be able to launch Microsoft Edge (ARM64) in headless mode consistently, regardless of whether the Azure DevOps agent is running interactively or as a Windows service (Session 0). The browser should remain running long enough for tests to execute.

### Actual behavior

When the Azure DevOps agent runs as a Windows service:

- Edge ARM64 starts
- Immediately exits
- Playwright reports that the browser closed unexpectedly
- No tests run
- No meaningful error message is produced

When the agent runs interactively, everything works correctly.

### Additional context

- This is a brand‑new ARM64 laptop, so it has never run the old Chromium/Edge headless mode.
- The failure occurs in headless mode, not headful.
- The only difference between working and failing is interactive session vs Windows service.
- This suggests a possible interaction between:
- Edge ARM64
- Playwright’s newer “real browser” headless mode
- Windows Session 0 restrictions
- There are similar issues for x64 Chromium/Edge in CI, but none that match:
- ARM64
- Edge ARM64
- Azure DevOps agent as a service
- Headless mode
- Browser exiting immediately

### Environment

```shell
- Playwright version: (1.60.0)
- Browser: Microsoft Edge ARM64
- OS: Windows 11 ARM64
- Azure DevOps agent: Self‑hosted, running as a Windows service
- Execution mode: Headless
- Hardware: New ARM64 laptop
```

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Reproduce the failure on Windows 11 ARM64 with Microsoft Edge ARM64 and Playwright 1.60.0, comparing an Azure DevOps agent running as a Windows service with an interactive session. Investigate the headless launch behavior in Session 0 and capture a meaningful failure signal. Done means Edge remains running and Playwright tests execute successfully in the service configuration.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
azure, playwright
Domain
devops, operating-systems, testing-qa
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
48/100

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