#Why VSCode cant open Codex

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wispy niche
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Im stuck in this screen

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vast krakenBOT
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Hi @wispy niche. I'm kapa.ai, your friendly support bot. I will try to answer your question by searching through the knowledge base. :wave:

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The knowledge sources don’t include a description or screenshot of the exact “stuck screen” you’re seeing, so I can’t diagnose it precisely. But they do cover several common Codex/VS Code issues and fixes.

Here are the most relevant things to check:

  1. Extension installed but unresponsive (nothing opens / no reaction)
    On Windows, Codex can appear “dead” if required C++ tools are missing. The fix is to install:

    • Visual Studio Build Tools (C++ workload)
    • Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable (x64)
      You can install Build Tools with:
    winget install --id Microsoft.VisualStudio.2022.BuildTools -e

    Then fully restart VS Code. [Windows FAQ]

  2. Codex threads or terminal appear stuck
    If Codex shows “working” but nothing progresses:

    • Check if Codex is waiting for an approval in the UI.
    • Open the integrated terminal and run a simple command like git status or pwd.
    • Start a new, smaller thread or restart the Codex app/VS Code. [Stuck states; Terminal issues]

  3. Temporary OpenAI-side issues
    There have been short-lived incidents where Codex could not be used at all; these were resolved on OpenAI’s side. If this is the case, it usually shows up on the status page and then recovers without local changes. [Codex cannot be used]

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  1. VS Code Dev Container / remote setup issues
    If you’re using Dev Containers or remote setups, Codex can get “stuck” on the host side and not see your repo. One known cause is a remote.extensionKind setting in .vscode/settings.json that pins the AI agent to the host. Removing or adjusting that setting fixed the issue for another user. [Dev container issue]

  2. Extension version bugs
    Some versions of the openai.chatgpt extension had bugs (e.g., file links not opening) that were fixed by updating to a newer version. Make sure you’re on the latest extension version and reload VS Code. [VSCode file links bug]

Because I can’t see your screen, I’m not sure which of these applies. If none of this helps, the next best step is:

  • Confirm your OS (Windows/macOS/Linux),
  • Confirm whether you’re using WSL or Dev Containers,
  • Confirm the openai.chatgpt extension version,

and then either:

Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: