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If Windows 11 says it cannot find codex, first check that you are running the command in the same environment where you installed the CLI. OpenAI documents a PowerShell installer, an npm package, and downloadable release binaries, but describes Windows support as experimental and says it may require WSL. The right next step depends on whether you are using PowerShell or WSL, how you installed Codex, and whether the error comes from a terminal or a desktop app.
First identify what cannot locate the CLI
“Unable to locate Codex CLI binary” can describe two different problems:
- The terminal cannot run
codex. This is a command-line issue. Confirm which shell you are using and how you installed Codex before changing settings. - A desktop app cannot find a CLI executable. That is an app-integration issue, not necessarily a failure to install the command-line tool. The official installation instructions below cover installing and launching the CLI; they do not establish a fix for every desktop-app integration error.
Note the exact command you entered, the full error text, your shell (PowerShell or a WSL shell), and your installation method. Those details help distinguish an installation problem from running the command in a different environment.
Choose an official Windows installation route
The OpenAI-maintained Codex repository documents three installation options for Windows. The documentation does not identify one route as best for every Windows 11 setup.
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| Route | Documented command or method | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Standalone PowerShell installer | powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -c "irm https://chatgpt.com/codex/install.ps1 | iex" |
The installer downloads from https://releases.openai.com/codex by default and falls back to GitHub Releases if metadata or an asset download is unavailable. |
| npm | npm install -g @openai/codex |
This is the repository’s documented global npm installation command. |
| Release download | Download a release binary from the repository’s release downloads. | Use the repository’s release page for the available assets; the documentation cited here does not specify a universal file location on your PC. |
After installation, the repository says to run codex. Run it in the shell and environment where you installed it.
Force the PowerShell installer to use GitHub Releases
If you are using the standalone installer and want to bypass its default OpenAI releases host, the repository documents this PowerShell command:
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$env:CODEX_INSTALLER_USE_RELEASES_OPENAI_COM='false'; irm https://chatgpt.com/codex/install.ps1 | iexThis changes the installer’s release source; it is not a general fix for every “command not found” error.
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Windows support is described as experimental in the OpenAI Help Center, which says Codex CLI may require WSL. OpenAI’s sandbox documentation distinguishes native PowerShell execution from the Linux sandbox in WSL2. PowerShell and WSL are separate environments, so an installation in one should not be assumed to make the command available in the other.
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- If you installed with the PowerShell script, try the documented
codexcommand in PowerShell. - If you are working in a WSL shell, establish whether Codex was installed in that environment rather than assuming a PowerShell installation is visible there.
The cited official guidance does not provide a complete, machine-specific decision tree for this exact error. It therefore does not establish a particular PATH edit or executable location as the answer for every Windows 11 computer.
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Use the error to choose the next diagnostic step
- Record the context. Write down whether the failure is in PowerShell, WSL, or a desktop app, plus the exact command and complete error output.
- Confirm how you installed Codex. Identify whether you used the PowerShell installer, npm, or a release download. If you are unsure, do not assume a different installation route has already succeeded.
- Run the documented launch command in the matching shell. The repository’s launch command is
codex. If it fails, keep the full output rather than guessing at a file path. - Share those details when seeking help. The shell, install method, exact command, and error text are the useful facts for diagnosing the next step; the title alone cannot reveal the cause.
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