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
- Open an existing local project.
- Ask Codex to run a read-only command such as
git status. - The command fails before execution.
- Create and open a completely empty folder.
- Ask Codex to read the current directory.
- 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.
1 Comment
Potential duplicates detected. Please review them and close your issue if it is a duplicate.
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