Summary
Codex Desktop appears to choose a hard-coded or internally computed default root for projectless/new-chat workspaces. On Windows, new projectless chats are being created under:
C:\Users\<user>\Documents\Codex\YYYY-MM-DD\new-chat...
Please add a user-facing setting, or a documented config key, that lets users choose the base directory for these projectless workspaces.
Why this matters
Some users keep active development/workspace files on another drive, for example D:\Codex, due to disk capacity, backup policy, path organization, or performance. Today, the practical workaround is to move Documents\Codex and create a Windows junction/symlink back to the expected path, but that is not discoverable and feels fragile for normal users.
Observed behavior
On a Windows Codex Desktop install, a new default/projectless chat starts with a workspace path like:
C:\Users\smc\Documents\Codex\2026-05-28\new-chat-2
Local investigation found:
D:\.codex\config.toml contains model/plugin/project trust settings, but no obvious setting for the projectless workspace base path.D:\.codex\.codex-global-state.json contains thread-workspace-root-hints entries pointing existing projectless threads at C:\Users\smc\Documents\Codex.- The value looks like persisted thread state or a hint, not a documented user setting for future new-chat workspace creation.
Expected behavior
Users should be able to set the default base directory for projectless/new-chat workspaces, for example:
[desktop]
projectless_workspace_root = 'D:\Codex'
or through a Desktop settings UI such as:
Settings -> Workspaces -> Default workspace location
After setting it, new projectless chats would create workspaces under the chosen base path, for example:
D:\Codex\2026-05-28\new-chat
Environment
- Codex Desktop on Windows
- Observed app release from local process metadata:
26.519.81530
- Windows Store package path observed locally:
OpenAI.Codex_26.519.11010.0_x64__2p2nqsd0c76g0
- OS: Windows 10, locale
ko-KR, timezone Asia/Seoul
Workaround
A Windows junction can redirect the current default path:
Move-Item "C:\Users\<user>\Documents\Codex" "D:\Codex"
New-Item -ItemType Junction -Path "C:\Users\<user>\Documents\Codex" -Target "D:\Codex"
This works around the issue, but a first-class setting would be safer and more transparent.
Summary
Codex Desktop appears to choose a hard-coded or internally computed default root for projectless/new-chat workspaces. On Windows, new projectless chats are being created under:
Please add a user-facing setting, or a documented config key, that lets users choose the base directory for these projectless workspaces.
Why this matters
Some users keep active development/workspace files on another drive, for example
D:\Codex, due to disk capacity, backup policy, path organization, or performance. Today, the practical workaround is to moveDocuments\Codexand create a Windows junction/symlink back to the expected path, but that is not discoverable and feels fragile for normal users.Observed behavior
On a Windows Codex Desktop install, a new default/projectless chat starts with a workspace path like:
Local investigation found:
D:\.codex\config.tomlcontains model/plugin/project trust settings, but no obvious setting for the projectless workspace base path.D:\.codex\.codex-global-state.jsoncontainsthread-workspace-root-hintsentries pointing existing projectless threads atC:\Users\smc\Documents\Codex.Expected behavior
Users should be able to set the default base directory for projectless/new-chat workspaces, for example:
or through a Desktop settings UI such as:
After setting it, new projectless chats would create workspaces under the chosen base path, for example:
Environment
26.519.81530OpenAI.Codex_26.519.11010.0_x64__2p2nqsd0c76g0ko-KR, timezoneAsia/SeoulWorkaround
A Windows junction can redirect the current default path:
This works around the issue, but a first-class setting would be safer and more transparent.