[Windows] First launch shows no window for about 15 minutes while extracting bundled cua_node runtime

What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?

26.820.9563.0

What subscription do you have?

plus

What platform is your computer?

Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.26200.0 x64

What issue are you seeing?

On Windows, the Codex desktop app appears not to launch on the first run.

The app process starts and remains running, but no window is shown for approximately 15 minutes. Windows Event Viewer records Application Hang / MoAppHang events for ChatGPT.exe.

The package is installed and registered successfully:

• Package: OpenAI.Codex_26.820.9563.0_x64__2p2nqsd0c76g0
• Package status: Ok
• Entry point: app/ChatGPT.exe
• ChatGPT.exe exists and has a valid OpenAI signature
• The OS version satisfies the package minimum version

The application log initially contains only:

Launching app ...
Appshot hotkey inactive ...

During this period, the app creates:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\OpenAI\Codex\runtimes\cua_node.staging-

The bundled cua_node runtime contains approximately 334 MB and 4,680 files. The staging directory is populated very slowly while the main ChatGPT.exe process consumes CPU. No startup progress or status is shown to the user.

After the runtime extraction completed, the log reported:

• app-server connection established
• Codex CLI initialized
• [startup][renderer] app routes mounted
• rendererWindowVisible=true

The application window then appeared and the app became usable.

I also tested launching ChatGPT.exe with --no-sandbox. This did not make the window appear sooner.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

1. Install or update the Windows Codex desktop app.
2. Launch it for the first time from the Start menu.
3. Observe that ChatGPT.exe processes start, but no application window appears.
4. Check the Codex desktop log and the runtime directory under:
   %LOCALAPPDATA%\OpenAI\Codex\runtimes\cua_node
5. Observe that the bundled cua_node runtime is extracted slowly into a staging directory.
6. Wait approximately 15 minutes.
7. After extraction finishes, the application window appears.

The issue is most visible on the first launch after installation or update.

What is the expected behavior?

The application should display its window promptly, or show a clear first-run initialization/progress state while the bundled cua_node runtime is being prepared.

A first launch should not appear hung or generate Application Hang / MoAppHang events while the runtime is being extracted.

Additional information

The package and application files are installed through Microsoft Store/AppX. The WindowsApps directory and the package user-data directory are redirected through junctions to the D: drive.

The issue was eventually resolved in the same session after the runtime extraction completed. I have not yet measured a clean second launch after the runtime was fully installed.

No account credentials, API keys, tokens, or personal prompts are included in this report.

Reproduce the first-launch path from ChatGPT.exe and inspect the Codex desktop log alongside %LOCALAPPDATA%\OpenAI\Codex\runtimes\cua_node and its staging directory. Determine why extraction blocks visible startup, then verify that the window appears promptly or exposes a clear initialization state without an extended apparent hang.