[Windows Desktop] Adding a second project folder permanently locks Codex on “Oops, an error has occurred”

[diyuanbo]

What version of the Codex App are you using?

The Windows desktop build delivered by the in-app update on July 24, 2026. The exact version is unavailable because the failure can prevent entering Codex.

What subscription do you have?

Not provided.

What platform is your computer?

Windows desktop (exact Windows version not provided).

What issue are you seeing?

The newly exposed multi-folder project feature can make the entire Codex surface permanently fail to load.

A project works normally with one folder. As soon as a second folder is added—either while creating a project or by editing an existing project's configuration—Codex shows:

Oops, an error has occurred

The only visible actions are Update ChatGPT and Try again; neither recovers the app. Restarting does not help.

The failure persists because the multi-folder project state is stored under .codex. The only recovery found is to quit the app and move/clear the .codex directory. Codex then opens again, and single-folder projects work normally. Adding a second folder reproduces the lockout immediately.

This appears to be a Windows Desktop regression in the new multi-folder project functionality, not an updater or service failure.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

1. Update to the current Windows ChatGPT/Codex desktop app.
2. Enter Codex.
3. Create a project with one folder; verify that it works.
4. In the new-project flow, add a second folder. Alternatively, edit the working project and add a second folder.
5. Codex becomes unusable and displays Oops, an error has occurred.
6. Click Try again or Update ChatGPT; the same error remains.
7. Fully restart the app; the error persists.
8. Quit the app and move/clear .codex; Codex opens again.
9. Create another single-folder project; it works.
10. Add a second folder; the failure returns.

The reporter reproduced this both when creating a multi-folder project and when adding a folder to an existing project.

What is the expected behavior?

• A project should support multiple folders if the UI offers the feature.
• Saving a multi-folder project must not prevent the entire Codex surface from starting.
• Invalid or unsupported project configuration should be rejected with a clear message.
• On startup, Codex should isolate/skip a malformed project and provide a recovery path instead of requiring users to clear all local .codex state.

Impact

High. The feature creates a persistent startup failure. Affected users may assume the update is broken, repeatedly reinstall the application, or delete their entire .codex directory and lose local state just to regain access.

Workaround

Use exactly one folder per project. If already locked out, quit the app and move the .codex directory aside as a backup, then reopen Codex and recreate only single-folder projects.

Additional information

The UI screenshot shows a generic Oops, an error has occurred page with Update ChatGPT and Try again. The screenshot can be provided if maintainers need it.

[github-actions]

Potential duplicates detected. Please review them and close your issue if it is a duplicate.

• Windows Codex Desktop becomes unstartable after adding a second folder to an existing project #35057
• [Windows] Desktop renderer crashes when selecting a project with multiple nested roots #35061
• [Windows][26.715] Creating a chat in a multi-folder project causes a persistent whole-app “Oops” screen #35081
• [VS Code][Windows] Codex 26.721.30844 crashes in multi-root workspaces with "process is not defined" #35073

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[gddagdda89]

same here.

some info from log :
Desktop App Package Version: 26.721.3996.0 (x64)
App Server / CLI Version: 0.146.0-alpha.3.1
Primary Runtime Bundle Version: 26.715.12143
Embedded Node.js Runtime Version: v24.14.0

[MadMaxMangos]

Temp workaround fix for this: code --install-extension openai.chatgpt@26.715.61943

Disable auto update until they fix it.

[miccTronic]

Having the same issue here; occured exactly after adding some adding secondary folders to a project.
Not sure if it matters that the folders I added were already parts of other projects?
I tried reverting the change in "config.toml", but it looks unchanged and I don't see any entry with multiple folders in it.
I'm using the stand-alone app, so VS.Code extension does not apply to me.

/EDIT: It wasn't in config.toml, but in ".codex-global-state.json" where I had to remove the multi-rooted project from one of the "local-projects". After doing so, Codex started again.

[MadMaxMangos]

@tibo-openai looks like this could be more than a few isolated cases?

[loxdude]

This also happened when I tried to add a folder from another existing project to a new project. Nuked immediately upon creation of the new project.