Windows desktop: unified exec fails at apply deny-read ACLs in every workspace

Open 💬 1 comment Opened Aug 22, 2026 by BTB80
💡 Likely answer: A maintainer (github-actions[bot], contributor) responded on this thread — see the highlighted reply below.

Description

Every local command fails before process creation in the Windows ChatGPT/Codex desktop app.

Exact error

Rejected("Failed to create unified exec process: helper_unknown_error: apply deny-read ACLs")

Reproduction

  1. Open an existing local project.
  2. Ask Codex to run a read-only command such as git status.
  3. The command fails before execution.
  4. Create and open a completely empty folder.
  5. Ask Codex to read the current directory.
  6. The same error occurs.

Troubleshooting already completed

  • Fully restarted the ChatGPT/Codex desktop app
  • Rebooted Windows
  • Installed the latest available app update
  • Retested in an empty folder
  • Did not modify ACLs or run the app as administrator
  • Did not attempt a sandbox bypass
  • In-app feedback submission was also attempted but failed

Impact

No local shell command can start in any workspace. File editing, testing, and Git operations are blocked.

View original on GitHub ↗

1 Comment

github-actions[bot] contributor · 6 days ago

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

  • #39453
  • #40044
  • #39841
  • #39697
  • #39933

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