Windows console window popups

“Codex CLI 0.157.1 on Windows repeatedly opens bursts of 3–5 blank CMD/Windows Terminal windows.”

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Paste this into your agent. It files your report, with your error and version.

I hit this bug: rapsheet.dev/sheets/codex/themes/128/file
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No install. No account. Public and anonymous. The link asks your agent for one report, nothing else. What it sends

Quiet. No reports and thumbs-up in the last two weeks, down from 287 a week at the late-September peak.

11 bugs in this theme

Console windows pop upHas a workaround308 people
Blank console windows openHas a workaround44 people
Console windows flash on WindowsNo workaround yet16 people
Terminal window flashes on commands15 people
Blank terminal windows pop upNo workaround yet12 people
Console windows flash on shell callsNo workaround yet10 people
PowerShell windows and paste failureHas a workaround8 people
Console windows flashHas a workaround6 people
Git console error windowsNo workaround yet4 people
Terminal windows keep spawning4 people

Show all 11Show only the largest 10

Agent tasks spawn terminal windowsNo workaround yet2 people

What's included

A console window opens for every shell command or tool call the agent runs, even read-only ones
Bursts of blank windows appear at startup, on each submitted prompt, or when opening or resuming a conversation
Windows show git probe error 0x800700e8 for rev-parse or status commands launched by the background app-server daemon
Window titles point to helper processes such as codex-windows-sandbox-setup.exe, codex-code-mode-host.exe, node.exe or node_repl.exe
Windows keep appearing after Codex exits because background codex.exe processes stay running; reported fixes include --no-daemon, Windows Console Host as default terminal, or downgrading to 0.155.0

Not included

Sandboxed commands failing to launch without any visible window
Console windows opened by user-configured MCP servers started outside Codex
Terminal rendering or layout problems inside the Codex TUI itself

Original reports44, newest first

Oct 19, 2026Multiple windows popping upOn GitHub#55211
Oct 10, 2026Unexpected command-line window appears when invoking skill-creator on WindowsOn GitHub#52870
Oct 4, 2026[Windows] Every shell command spawns a visible console windowOn GitHub#50892
Oct 2, 2026Windows: repeated blank terminal windows appear during normal Codex useOn GitHub#50193
Oct 1, 2026Every new ps command opens up a ps terminal tab.On GitHub#49934
Oct 1, 2026BUGOn GitHub#49899
Sep 30, 2026Codex CLI opens multiple Terminals in Windows 11On GitHub Discussions#49644
Sep 30, 2026Windows: managed app-server daemon spawns git status in visible console windows, and it keeps running after the host app closesOn GitHub#49481
Sep 29, 2026Multiple external command prompt windows pop up when running Codex CLI in PyCharm terminal on WindowsOn GitHub#49431
Sep 29, 2026Windows native CLI: visible CMD/PowerShell windows flash for every shell tool callOn GitHub#49371

Show all 44Show only the newest 10

Sep 29, 2026Windows 0.159.0 managed app-server opens transient terminal windows for Git metadata and command hooksOn GitHub#49356
Sep 29, 2026Windows: CLI flashes a Windows Terminal window for every spawned command (regression, app-server daemon)On GitHub#49264
Sep 29, 2026Windows: Codex CLI 0.158.0 opens dozens of Git terminal error windows on startup and every promptOn GitHub#49181
Sep 28, 2026Windows 0.158.0: transient console windows flash on every submitted promptOn GitHub#49122
Sep 28, 2026New Update new bug? Codex termnial is opening many terminals and closing them while agent workingOn the forum#1401580
Sep 28, 2026[Windows] 0.158.0: codex-windows-sandbox-setup.exe opens visible terminal windows on startup and during useOn GitHub#48945
Sep 28, 2026Windows: cmd/PowerShell windows stay visible for each shell command during a session (CLI 0.157.1)On GitHub#48876
Sep 28, 2026PowerShell windows keep appearing and disappearing when I run CodexOn GitHub#48869
Sep 27, 2026[Windows][CLI 0.157.1] Background CMD/PowerShell windows steal focus and interrupt typingOn GitHub#48859
Sep 27, 2026[Windows] Console windows flash during shell execution with hooks enabled; disabling hooks avoids the issueOn GitHub#48826
Sep 26, 2026Windows: Git probe error windows (0x800700E8) still recur when starting/resuming conversations on 0.159.0-alpha.7 after partial console fixesOn GitHub#48601
Sep 26, 2026Windows: terminal window briefly flashes on every agent shell command after updating to 0.157.1On GitHub#48540
Sep 26, 2026Windows: agent PowerShell commands flash console windows and steal focusOn GitHub#48498
Sep 26, 2026Windows: copy/paste fails and PowerShell windows spawn constantly after 0.157.xOn GitHub#48467
Sep 26, 2026Windows: repeated focus-stealing console popups with shared background server enabledOn GitHub#48440
Sep 26, 2026When using Codex CLI terminal and PS keeps openingOn GitHub#48435
Sep 26, 2026Windows: visible console windows flash for shell process children on every session/turnOn GitHub#48422
Sep 26, 2026A blank terminal window pops up when executing commands in Windows, suspected to be triggered by the sandbox initialization helper program.On GitHub#48406
Sep 26, 2026Windows CLI 0.157.1: Plain text messages trigger background Git queries and flashing terminal windows (--no-daemon avoids this)On GitHub#48356
Sep 25, 2026Codex on Windows opens multiple console windows when I send a messageOn GitHub#48325
Sep 25, 2026codex-cli spawns many sub-process without windowstyle hiddenOn GitHub#48310
Sep 25, 2026CLI: about 20 persistent terminal windows keep opening after an update, including while manually closing themOn GitHub#48277
Sep 25, 2026Codex CLI 0.157.0 spawns blank Windows Terminal windows during sandbox setup refreshOn GitHub#48120
Sep 25, 2026blank console windows open after launching codexOn GitHub#48114
Sep 25, 2026New version opening many windowsOn GitHub#48089
Sep 25, 2026blank windows terminal windowOn GitHub#48076
Sep 25, 2026Windows: terminal windows repeatedly flash during requests after installing the Codex daemonOn GitHub#48074
Sep 25, 2026Windows CLI regression in 0.156.x/0.157.0: startup and command execution open multiple terminal windowsOn GitHub#48070
Sep 25, 2026[Windows][Codex CLI 0.157.0] Terminal windows repeatedly pop up during normal useOn GitHub#48059
Sep 25, 2026External console windows appear when Codex starts or runs background tasks on WindowsOn GitHub#48039
Sep 25, 2026Windows 11: console windows flash during tool execution after updating to CLI 0.157.0On GitHub#48036
Sep 25, 2026Windows: background Git checks open Terminal windows at turn start (fix commit)On GitHub#48029
Sep 25, 2026Windows: codex app-server --managed-daemon 0.157.0 opens a visible console window for each stdio MCP server started via npx / .cmdOn GitHub#48023
Sep 21, 2026Windows remote-control daemon spawns visible console windows for tool and MCP child processesOn GitHub#46949