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Codex Issues / #35680

Error creating Work tasks within a ChatGPT project

Open 💬 3 comments Opened Jul 27, 2026 by elpidioportela-afk
💡 Likely answer: A maintainer (github-actions[bot], contributor) responded on this thread — see the highlighted reply below.

What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?

Version 26.721.41059

What subscription do you have?

Plan Plus

What platform is your computer?

Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.26200.0 x64

What issue are you seeing?

Hola:
Estoy experimentando un problema persistente al intentar crear nuevas tareas en modo Work dentro de uno de mis proyectos de ChatGPT.
Datos del proyecto
Nombre del proyecto:
FLOTASNET: ENVÍO DE PROPUESTAS A OPORTUNIDADES
Tipo de cuenta:
ChatGPT Plus
Sistema operativo:
Windows 10
Entorno utilizado:
Nueva aplicación de escritorio de ChatGPT para Windows.
Descripción del problema
El proyecto contiene una configuración de trabajo importante, varias conversaciones anteriores, documentación y referencias comerciales que necesito conservar.
Al crear una nueva tarea dentro del proyecto y seleccionar expresamente el modo Work, la aplicación muestra los siguientes errores:
Error al crear la tarea
Could not sync ChatGPT project context
No se pudo usar este proyecto para una tarea local
El error aparece incluso siguiendo este procedimiento:
Abrir el proyecto.
Crear una nueva tarea.
Seleccionar el modo Work antes de enviar el mensaje.
Confirmar que el proyecto aparece seleccionado en la parte inferior.
Enviar la petición.
La aplicación parece intentar crear la nueva tarea como una tarea local, aunque el proyecto está almacenado en ChatGPT y necesito que la tarea se ejecute en la nube utilizando el contexto del proyecto.
Comportamiento observado
Anteriormente conseguí crear correctamente una tarea denominada “Prueba de funcionamiento” dentro del mismo proyecto.
Esa tarea:
se creó como una tarea de Work en la nube;
se sincronizó correctamente con el contexto del proyecto;
reconoció las instrucciones, documentación y conversaciones anteriores;
mostró el aviso de que la conversación se había iniciado en la nube.
Sin embargo, al intentar crear nuevas tareas posteriormente dentro del mismo proyecto, la aplicación vuelve a intentar utilizarlas como tareas locales y aparece el error de sincronización.
También he intentado convertir una conversación creada inicialmente en modo Chat mediante la opción “Continue in work mode”, pero aparece igualmente el mensaje:
No se pudo usar este proyecto para una tarea local
Resultado esperado
Necesito poder crear nuevas tareas de Work en la nube dentro del proyecto y que dichas tareas utilicen correctamente:
las instrucciones del proyecto;
los archivos incorporados;
las conversaciones anteriores;
y el resto del contexto configurado.
Resultado actual
No puedo crear nuevas tareas de Work vinculadas al proyecto porque la aplicación intenta tratarlas como tareas locales y no consigue sincronizar el contexto del proyecto.
Impacto
Este proyecto es esencial para mi actividad profesional. Llevo tiempo trabajando en su configuración y contiene información comercial, documentación y propuestas anteriores necesarias para preparar nuevas oportunidades de negocio.
No deseo eliminar, duplicar ni reconstruir el proyecto, ya que una tarea cloud creada anteriormente demuestra que el proyecto y su contexto funcionan correctamente.
Solicito que revisen si existe:
un problema de sincronización entre proyectos y Work;
una configuración incorrecta de ejecución local/cloud asociada a mi cuenta;
un error en la aplicación de escritorio de Windows;
o una incidencia en el enrutamiento de nuevas tareas Work.
Adjunto capturas donde se observa:
El proyecto y sus conversaciones.
La tarea cloud creada correctamente.
El reconocimiento correcto del contexto del proyecto.
La selección de Work antes de crear una nueva tarea.
Los mensajes de error exactos.
El error al utilizar “Continue in work mode”.
Muchas gracias.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

Uploaded performance trace: no-active-thread-019fa5af-d9da-7e02-8321-dc52ee94dc26

What is the expected behavior?

_No response_

Additional information

<img width="830" height="795" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/637d7405-4c69-448f-a661-c32a6a27d267" />
<img width="2898" height="821" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/f45b25f1-2142-4b94-92d6-4c3dc0d32a4f" />
<img width="3082" height="916" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/2cd75cfc-f781-4e28-9a8b-eb978053f380" />
<img width="720" height="219" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/d1c05f2b-c806-4e36-afc6-b26fab020c34" />
<img width="1654" height="1274" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/eb37fd5a-acd9-4504-b9a7-a8fae0536939" />
<img width="2251" height="1864" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/c5826c26-6d59-484f-a08e-2a70bafca59e" />
<img width="1446" height="422" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/fc6803f2-f679-463b-aa99-d65f648f68b5" />
<img width="1824" height="1327" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/9633c6f8-31cb-47ee-a993-f503bd307b19" />
<img width="1693" height="1435" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/266c414d-c618-4140-b044-6efb7ddd1913" />
<img width="877" height="189" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/e14e3277-3430-430c-9e60-872c18f449a6" />
<img width="1528" height="1297" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/ffcf9b36-af59-4a06-a344-49f7aca2e589" />

View original on GitHub ↗

3 Comments

github-actions[bot] contributor · 1 month ago

English translation:

What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?

Version 26.721.41059

What subscription do you have?

Plan Plus

What platform is your computer?

Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.26200.0 x64

What issue are you seeing?

Hello:
I am experiencing a persistent problem when trying to create new tasks in Work mode within one of my ChatGPT projects.
Project details
Project name:
FLOTASNET: ENVÍO DE PROPUESTAS A OPORTUNIDADES
Account type:
ChatGPT Plus
Operating system:
Windows 10
Environment used:
New ChatGPT desktop application for Windows.
Problem description
The project contains an important work configuration, several previous conversations, documentation, and business references that I need to preserve.
When creating a new task within the project and explicitly selecting Work mode, the application displays the following errors:
Error creating task
Could not sync ChatGPT project context
This project could not be used for a local task
The error appears even when following this procedure:
Open the project.
Create a new task.
Select Work mode before sending the message.
Confirm that the project appears selected at the bottom.
Send the request.
The application appears to be trying to create the new task as a local task, even though the project is stored in ChatGPT and I need the task to run in the cloud using the project context.
Observed behavior
Previously, I was able to successfully create a task called “Functionality test” within the same project.
That task:
was created as a Work task in the cloud;
synced correctly with the project context;
recognized the instructions, documentation, and previous conversations;
displayed the notice that the conversation had been started in the cloud.
However, when subsequently trying to create new tasks within the same project, the application again attempts to use them as local tasks, and the synchronization error appears.
I have also tried to convert a conversation initially created in Chat mode using the “Continue in work mode” option, but the following message also appears:
This project could not be used for a local task
Expected result
I need to be able to create new Work tasks in the cloud within the project and have those tasks correctly use:
the project instructions;
the included files;
the previous conversations;
and the rest of the configured context.
Current result
I cannot create new Work tasks linked to the project because the application attempts to treat them as local tasks and is unable to synchronize the project context.
Impact
This project is essential to my professional activity. I have spent a considerable amount of time configuring it, and it contains business information, documentation, and previous proposals needed to prepare new business opportunities.
I do not want to delete, duplicate, or rebuild the project, since a cloud task created previously demonstrates that the project and its context work correctly.
I ask that you investigate whether there is:
a synchronization problem between projects and Work;
an incorrect local/cloud execution configuration associated with my account;
an error in the Windows desktop application;
or an issue with the routing of new Work tasks.
I have attached screenshots showing:
The project and its conversations.
The cloud task that was created successfully.
The correct recognition of the project context.
The selection of Work before creating a new task.
The exact error messages.
The error when using “Continue in work mode.”
Thank you very much.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

Uploaded performance trace: no-active-thread-019fa5af-d9da-7e02-8321-dc52ee94dc26

What is the expected behavior?

_No response_

Additional information

<img width="830" height="795" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/637d7405-4c69-448f-a661-c32a6a27d267" />
<img width="2898" height="821" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/f45b25f1-2142-4b94-92d6-4c3dc0d32a4f" />
<img width="3082" height="916" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/2cd75cfc-f781-4e28-9a8b-eb978053f380" />
<img width="720" height="219" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/d1c05f2b-c806-4e36-afc6-b26fab020c34" />
<img width="1654" height="1274" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/eb37fd5a-acd9-4504-b9a7-a8fae0536939" />
<img width="2251" height="1864" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/c5826c26-6d59-484f-a08e-2a70bafca59e" />
<img width="1446" height="422" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/fc6803f2-f679-463b-aa99-d65f648f68b5" />
<img width="1824" height="1327" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/9633c6f8-31cb-47ee-a993-f503bd307b19" />
<img width="1693" height="1435" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/266c414d-c618-4140-b044-6efb7ddd1913" />
<img width="877" height="189" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/e14e3277-3430-430c-9e60-872c18f449a6" />
<img width="1528" height="1297" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/ffcf9b36-af59-4a06-a344-49f7aca2e589" />

<!-- codex-issue-translator -->

github-actions[bot] contributor · 1 month ago

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

  • #35127
  • #34499
  • #34589

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eleconomics-hub · 2 days ago

I reproduced this on the current Windows app and found process-level evidence for a Work teardown leak / root-cause candidate.

Environment

  • Codex desktop app: 26.820.7780.0
  • Windows x64
  • Official local app-server (codex.exe launched by the packaged desktop app)
  • No custom/shared app-server route was active (CODEX_APP_SERVER_WS_URL unset; custom listener absent)

Reproduction

  1. Fully quit and relaunch the desktop app.
  2. Select an existing ChatGPT Project and start/continue it in Work.
  3. The first project-backed Work task succeeds and receives the project context.
  4. Archive/close the Work task.
  5. Attempt to create a second Work task in the same ChatGPT Project.
  6. The second creation fails during project-context synchronization and no new usable task is created.
  7. Fully relaunching the app allows one Work task to succeed again; after closing that task, the failure recurs.

Confirmed process evidence

After the successful Work task was archived and no longer loaded in the UI:

  • A task-scoped node_repl.exe remained running.
  • An MCP-related node.exe remained running.
  • Both were direct children of the official local app-server process.
  • Both started at the same timestamp as the Work task.
  • Reading the Windows process current-directory state showed that both still held:

%USERPROFILE%\.codex\.chatgpt-projects\<project-id>\

  • Processes belonging to an unrelated projectless Codex task had different working directories and were not implicated.

In a prior bounded A/B cleanup test, terminating only the exact task-owned leftover node_repl / MCP processes released the project mirror and allowed the next project-backed Work creation to succeed. Unrelated task processes were left running and remained usable. A full desktop-app restart produces the same temporary recovery because it tears down the local app-server process tree. The leak returns after the next Work task is closed.

Interpretation

Confirmed:

  • Closing/archiving the Work task does not reap all of its task-scoped node_repl / MCP child processes.
  • Those processes retain the ChatGPT Project mirror as their current working directory.
  • The failure happens before the second task is successfully created.

Strongly indicated, but still an inference:

  • On Windows, the retained current-directory handle conflicts with the next project-context mirror replacement/rename, causing Could not sync ChatGPT project context.

The exact internal ownership mechanism (lease, subscription, client lock, etc.) has not been identified.

Suggested regression test

Run two sequential project-backed Work tasks in the same ChatGPT Project without restarting the app:

  1. Create Work A.
  2. Close/archive Work A.
  3. Assert that its node_repl and MCP descendants have exited and no process retains the project mirror as cwd.
  4. Create Work B and assert that project-context synchronization succeeds.

Potential implementation points to inspect are Work teardown descendant reaping, Windows Job Object/process-group lifetime, cwd release before mirror staging/rename, and logging the retaining PID when mirror replacement fails.

Related reports: #35127, #34698, #34499.