When Windows Grok Bot opens with no window

On some Windows installs, launching Grok Bot starts Electron processes in Task Manager but never shows a window (MainWindowHandle = 0). Restarting Windows may recover one open, then closing and reopening can fail again. Forum report 172502 (francotgs on 0.57.1, often with 150% display scaling) isolates two related pieces: a bad window-state.json, and launches that die with exit_code=21 when Windows refuses the sandboxed window process.

Staff (Colin) says a minimized geometry written into window-state.json is real and flagged, but on its own the app usually falls back to a default size. The launches that produce no window are the exit_code=21 / sandbox-token failures. Colin later tied that class to Windows security updates that affect Chromium sandbox tokens across Cursor and Grok Bot (see KB notes below).

First: clear a corrupt window-state file

1. Fully quit every Grok Bot.exe process (Task Manager → End task if needed).
2. In File Explorer, open %APPDATA%\Grok Bot\.
3. Rename window-state.json to window-state.json.bak (or move it aside).
4. Launch Grok Bot again from Start or the installed shortcut.

OP verified that moving only this file restored a visible window. Bots, chats, credentials, and Agent Computer data stayed intact. Do not wipe the whole user-data folder for this symptom.

A bad file can look like zero width/height and large negative coordinates with isMaximized: true. Fixing the file alone may not cure every exit_code=21 launch; use the launcher workaround next when the Start-menu icon still fails.

Reliable launch via PowerShell

When the original icon keeps failing in the same Windows session, start the same signed executable through a hidden, non-elevated PowerShell parent. OP’s A/B on 172502:

• Explorer.exe → Grok Bot.exe fails
• Explorer.exe → powershell.exe → Grok Bot.exe succeeds every open/close cycle

Example (adjust the path if your install differs):

Start-Process -FilePath "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Programs\Grok Bot\Grok Bot.exe" -WindowStyle Normal

Pin a shortcut to that PowerShell one-liner (or a tiny .ps1 / .cmd wrapper) while the Start-menu path stays broken. Keep the launcher non-elevated.

Windows update / Chromium sandbox note

Staff pointed at Chromium sandbox-token issues after certain Windows updates (discussion on 171690). Affected machines have reported KB5124008 (and later related KBs). Uninstalling a specific KB may help on unmanaged devices and is hard or blocked on managed ones. Prefer the PowerShell launcher first; only change Windows updates with your own admin policy in mind.

How this differs from instant launch crash

If processes flash for about a second and vanish with no window, start with Fix Windows Grok Bot crashing instantly on launch (GPU sandbox / install-folder ACLs). This how-to covers the case where the process tree stays up (or briefly starts) but the UI never appears, including exit_code=21 and corrupt window-state.json.

Pitfalls

• Deleting the entire %APPDATA%\Grok Bot folder — rename only window-state.json first.
• Assuming a Windows reboot permanently fixed it — one successful open after reboot can still fail on the next close/reopen.
• Running Grok Bot elevated “to force the window” — use a normal non-elevated PowerShell parent instead.
• Mixing this with “Can’t reach your computer” after a healthy window — that is a different path (Fix Grok Bot “Can’t reach your computer”).