ChatGPT Desktop with Codex on Windows: Store, Winget, and WSL
The Problem
The Windows Codex install path changed in 2026. Codex is now included in the unified ChatGPT desktop app rather than presented as a separate stable app.
Older links and package names still say Codex or Codex (Beta). They are useful historical clues, but they are not the wording I would use for a new install guide.
For most people, the answer is simple: install the ChatGPT desktop app from Microsoft Store, sign in, and open Codex from inside the app.
If you are looking for the macOS build instead, use this companion post:
How to Find the Current ChatGPT and Codex App Build on macOS
For Linux, the desktop app path is currently unofficial:
How to Install ChatGPT Desktop with Codex on Linux
What to Install
Use OpenAI's current Windows installer:
The Microsoft Store product ID remains 9PLM9XGG6VKS. The product is now documented as the ChatGPT desktop app, with ChatGPT and Codex in one interface.
You may still find the old beta listing:
Codex (Beta) on Microsoft Store
Its product ID is 9N8CJ4W95TBZ, but it is no longer the normal installation path. Use it only when you deliberately need that legacy beta channel.
Install With Winget
OpenAI's current Windows docs use the Store product ID:
winget install --id 9PLM9XGG6VKS -s msstoreAfter installation, open ChatGPT from Start, sign in with your ChatGPT account, and choose Codex.
Updating
Updates come through Microsoft Store:
- Open Microsoft Store.
- Go to Downloads.
- Select Check for updates.
- Let the Store install the latest ChatGPT package.
For managed Windows environments, the same docs note that administrators can deploy the app through Microsoft Store app distribution.
Windows Or WSL
The Windows-specific part is how Codex runs commands.
Codex can run natively on Windows with PowerShell and the Windows sandbox. It can also work through WSL2 if your development setup is Linux-oriented.
That choice matters more than the Store metadata. If your projects live in WSL, use the WSL path. If your projects are normal Windows folders, the native PowerShell path is the simpler starting point.
How to Verify the Listing
Check that the current listing says ChatGPT and uses product ID 9PLM9XGG6VKS. If a guide tells you to install Codex (Beta) or uses 9N8CJ4W95TBZ, it is pointing at the older beta channel.
Bottom Line
Use the unified ChatGPT Store listing unless you have a specific reason to test the legacy beta.
For most Windows users, this is the whole install path:
winget install --id 9PLM9XGG6VKS -s msstoreThen open ChatGPT, choose Codex, and decide whether you want the Windows-native path or WSL2 based on where your code actually lives.