[Windows app] Codex consumes Google Chrome UserDataDir policy and opens Chrome profile picker

Start by locating the Windows packaging and Chromium startup entry points; the issue does not name specific files or tests. Reproduce with Google Chrome's HKLM UserDataDir policy, then inspect package branding and whether an app-specific user-data path is initialized before Chromium policy and singleton startup. Done means Codex remains its own process and does not open Chrome's profile picker or use Chrome's profile directory.

What version of Codex is running?

26.715.4045.0

What subscription do you have?

Paid individual ChatGPT plan

What platform is your computer?

Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.26200.0 x64

What issue are you seeing?

On Windows systems where Google Chrome's enterprise UserDataDir policy is configured, launching the Codex desktop app opens Google Chrome's "Who's using Chrome?" profile picker instead of Codex. Codex does not remain running as its own desktop process.

The packaged executable has OpenAI/Codex product metadata but reports chrome.exe as its original filename. The observed behavior suggests that the packaged Chromium runtime is consuming Google Chrome's policy namespace and then colliding with, or delegating to, an existing Chrome instance that owns the configured profile store.

This appears to be a Windows packaging/runtime-isolation issue. A non-Chrome desktop application should not consume Google Chrome's policy namespace or share Chrome's browser profile directory.

Steps to reproduce

1. On Windows, install Google Chrome and the Codex desktop app.
2. Configure Chrome's documented machine policy HKLM\Software\Policies\Google\Chrome\UserDataDir to a valid Chrome profile directory.
3. Start Chrome with that managed profile.
4. Launch Codex from the Windows Start menu.
5. Observe that Google Chrome's profile picker opens instead of Codex, and Codex does not remain active.

What did you expect to happen?

Codex should use an application-specific user-data directory and policy namespace. Google Chrome's policies should apply only to Chrome and should not redirect Codex into Chrome's profile store.

Additional information

Chromium distinguishes the Google Chrome and Chromium policy namespaces based on build branding. Please verify the Windows package branding and ensure that Codex initializes an app-specific user-data path before Chromium policy and singleton startup.

No raw logs or screenshots are attached because they can contain local profile information. Focused, redacted diagnostics can be provided if needed.