[Bug] Windows Codex stops listing microphones after switching Thunderbolt 4 docks while app remains open

What version of the Codex App are you using?

26.721.4979.0 (Microsoft Store package OpenAI.Codex_26.721.4979.0_x64__2p2nqsd0c76g0)

What platform is your computer?

Windows 25H2, x64, build 26200.8875.

What issue are you seeing?

Codex stops listing available microphones after the laptop is disconnected from one Thunderbolt 4 docking station and connected to a different Thunderbolt 4 docking station at another seat, while Codex remains open.

In Settings → Voice → Microphone, the previous specific selection becomes the generic label Selected microphone. Opening the dropdown shows System default followed by No microphones found, even though Windows has active recording endpoints and Codex microphone access is allowed.

This happens on each move between seats/different TB4 docks when Codex stays open. It interrupts voice chat and dictation workflows and makes restarting or changing back to System default necessary.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

1. Connect a Windows laptop to Thunderbolt 4 docking station A.
2. Open Codex and select an available microphone.
3. Leave Codex running.
4. Disconnect the laptop from docking station A.
5. Move to another seat and connect the laptop to a different Thunderbolt 4 docking station B, with a different set of USB/audio endpoints.
6. Open Settings → Voice → Microphone.
7. Observe that Codex no longer lists named microphones and displays No microphones found.
8. Repeat the transition between docks; the problem recurs while Codex remains open.

What is the expected behavior?

Codex should react to the Windows audio-device change and refresh the microphone list after a dock disconnect/reconnect, when the app regains focus, or when the microphone dropdown is opened. A previously selected device that is no longer available should not prevent currently active microphones from appearing.

Local diagnostic evidence

Immediately while Codex showed No microphones found:

• Windows reported four present, healthy (Status=OK) capture endpoints, including Shure MV7+, BlackShark V3 Pro, SoundWire microphone array, and Shure virtual audio.
• The Windows microphone privacy setting was Allow globally and for OpenAI.Codex_2p2nqsd0c76g0.
• Windows recorded Codex requesting microphone access at the same time as the failed dropdown refresh (2026-07-30 12:48:06–12:48:09 UTC).
• The current Codex desktop logs did not contain a microphone-enumeration error for that interval.

Workaround

Selecting System default clears the stale specific-device selection and lets Codex use the current Windows default microphone. Fully reopening Codex after connecting to the new dock is also disruptive but avoids keeping the stale device state.

No raw session logs, account identifiers, or task history are attached.