Windows desktop: external-agent import becomes unstable and imported skills cannot be deleted
Open 💬 0 comments Opened Aug 21, 2026 by TatianaStartseva
Summary
After importing setup and recent work from Claude Code and Claude Cowork into the ChatGPT/Codex Windows desktop app, the app became unstable and imported personal skills could not be removed.
Observed behavior
- The desktop app hangs or closes after sending a message and may return to the authorization screen.
- Resetting and reinstalling the app does not resolve the behavior after signing back in.
- Automatic import synchronization is disabled.
- All imported personal skills are disabled.
- Deleting an imported skill through Settings → Plugins → Skills → Delete returns "Failed to delete skill".
- Sending feedback from the desktop app also returns "Failed to send feedback. Please try again later."
- The imported skills are not present under
%USERPROFILE%\.codex\skills; only the system skill directory is present. - Windows Reliability Monitor records the desktop app as hanging / not responding rather than identifying a crashing module.
Expected behavior
- Imported skills should be removable.
- External-agent import should provide a complete undo action covering imported skills, sessions, settings, plugins, memories, and the import registry.
- Disabling automatic synchronization should prevent removed imported items from being recreated.
- Imported state should not destabilize the Windows app or invalidate its session.
Environment
- Windows desktop app installed from Microsoft Store
- Version shown in Windows reliability information:
151.0.7922.170 - Import sources: Claude Code and Claude Cowork
Troubleshooting attempted
- Reset the Windows app
- Uninstall/reinstall from Microsoft Store
- Sign out/sign back in
- Disable automatic import synchronization
- Disable all imported personal skills
- Restart the app
- Inspect
%USERPROFILE%\.codex\skills - Attempt deletion through the UI
Related reports
- #20662 — Windows settings crash while rendering external-agent import
- #21376 — imported external-agent sessions pollute/reindex desktop history
- #19372 — Claude plugin marketplaces are auto-discovered and can affect Codex
A supported account-level cleanup or complete undo-import action is needed because the imported skills cannot be removed locally or through the UI.