Codex App regression after Aug 21 update Shell Helper, PowerShell and Git commands no longer execute
What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?
Version 26.818.41509
What subscription do you have?
ChatGPT Plus
What platform is your computer?
Windows
What issue are you seeing?
Codex was working normally on this same Windows PC and with the same local project until approximately the afternoon of August 21, 2026.Later on August 21, a Codex App update became available. I installed that update, and immediately after the update Codex began failing to execute its normal local shell/helper operations.The current diagnostic state repeatedly reports:Shell Helper Status: FAILPowerShell Status: FAILEcho Result: NOT EXECUTEDGit Version Result: NOT EXECUTEDHelper_Unknown_Error Still Present: YESThe important detail is that Windows PowerShell itself is working outside Codex. I can manually execute PowerShell commands on this computer.Codex previously had normal access to my existing development project on the D: drive, including repository and Git operations. After the August 21 update, Codex can no longer reliably execute the shell, PowerShell, Git, or local workspace operations required to work on that project.A second Codex update was offered on the morning of August 22, 2026. I installed that update as well, but the problem remains unchanged.This is currently blocking my production development project because Codex cannot reliably operate on the local workspace.The behavior strongly appears to be a regression that began after the Codex App update on August 21.
What steps can reproduce the bug?
Feedback ID: no-active-thread-01a0283b-4fb8-79a1-ba66-13894572e8dc
What is the expected behavior?
Use Codex App on Windows with an existing local development project.Open a project located on a local drive such as D:\[project-folder].Ask Codex to perform a basic local shell or repository operation.Attempt simple environment checks such as shell execution, PowerShell execution, an echo command, or git --version.Codex fails to execute the operations and reports states such as:Shell Helper Status: FAILPowerShell Status: FAILEcho Result: NOT EXECUTEDGit Version Result: NOT EXECUTEDHelper_Unknown_Error Still Present: YESRun PowerShell manually outside Codex on the same Windows machine.PowerShell operates normally outside Codex.Restart Codex and install the latest available update.The Codex execution failure remains.This behavior began only after installing the Codex App update on August 21, 2026. Before that update, the same PC, repository, D: drive project, PowerShell environment, and Codex workflow were working normally. Codex should be able to access an authorized local project and execute normal shell, PowerShell, and Git operations as it did before the August 21 update.Basic commands should execute successfully, the shell helper should initialize normally, and Codex should be able to continue working with the existing project on the D: drive without reporting Helper_Unknown_Error.An application update should not break previously working local shell and workspace access.
Additional information
This problem has already caused significant disruption to an active development project.The system was working normally until the afternoon of August 21, 2026. The failure started after installing the Codex App update that became available later that day.Another Codex update was installed on the morning of August 22, 2026, but it did not resolve the problem.During the same troubleshooting period, I also experienced ChatGPT conversation-history/synchronization problems where several hours of recent troubleshooting conversation were no longer visible on my desktop. I do not know whether this is related to the Codex regression, but I am mentioning it in case there is a wider account/session synchronization issue.The primary issue in this report, however, is the Codex local execution regression:Shell/helper execution failurePowerShell execution failure inside CodexGit command execution failureLocal D: drive project workflow blockedHelper_Unknown_Error persistsI can provide additional screenshots, Codex diagnostic output, app version information, and logs if required.Please investigate whether this is a known regression introduced by the August 21 Codex App update.
5 Comments
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Saw the same thing right after the Aug 21 update on Windows, the diagnostics (Shell Helper FAIL, PowerShell FAIL, Echo NOT EXECUTED) are really saying the helper process can't spawn, not that PowerShell itself is broken, since yours works fine outside Codex. The duplicate threads point at the sandbox failing to apply deny-read ACLs before process creation, so check the workspace folder permissions, and try a plain folder on C: if D: is on something exotic. Rolling back to a pre-Aug 21 build (26.818.31338-era) is the reliable unblock meanwhile. Oh, btw, in case it might help that, I built a portable Hermes OTG repo, check it, imo it may be able to help you diagnose and figure out the fix in no time. https://github.com/MilkyWay008/Hermes-OTG
Additional reproduction details:
Platform: Windows
Codex Desktop: issue started immediately after the August 21 update.
Reproduction:
Observed behavior:
Important:
PowerShell, CMD, Git, and the D: drive all work normally outside Codex Desktop on the same PC.
The same Codex Desktop workflow was working correctly before the August 21 update.
WSL2: Not tested.
Codex CLI: Not tested.
I have already spent several hours troubleshooting Windows permissions, PowerShell, filesystem access, and Codex settings without resolving the issue.
I can provide additional logs or diagnostic output if required.
I cannot share my production repository because it contains proprietary source code, but I can reproduce the same execution failure using a non-sensitive test folder if needed.
<img width="3200" height="2000" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/c8867ccb-de66-4bdc-be92-ec9671b60571" />
<img width="3200" height="2000" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/85239659-b80e-437c-8594-8e7e132b3b91" />
<img width="3200" height="2000" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/7293e9cb-887b-400b-a19a-4e849cc91704" />
<img width="3184" height="1994" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/45fa0545-9777-4e59-854b-b724688ba232" />
<img width="3198" height="2000" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/30afc093-edcc-418b-bd5c-31a029a44067" />
<img width="3200" height="2000" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/31b8538d-7f23-450a-9dce-e50c4d6f66e9" />
Additional update August 25, 2026:
A new Codex Windows app update became available this morning. I installed the update and tested the same local execution workflow again, but unfortunately the issue is still unchanged.
The same failures continue:
This issue has now been blocking my development workflow for several days.
I have an active ChatGPT Plus subscription, and Codex is an important part of my paid development workflow. However, while this Windows regression remains unresolved, I am unable to use Codex for the local coding and repository work that I need it for.
The subscription billing period continues while this core use case remains unavailable. If this continues for a significant part of the billing cycle, then a substantial part of the value of my paid Plus subscription is effectively lost despite the subscription remaining active.
I have already spent several hours troubleshooting this problem and have confirmed that PowerShell, CMD, Git, and the local drives work normally outside Codex on the same Windows machine.
At this point, I do not believe further user-side troubleshooting is reasonable unless OpenAI provides a specific diagnostic procedure or confirmed workaround.
Please provide an update on:
I am happy to provide additional non-sensitive diagnostics if an OpenAI maintainer requests something specific.
This is currently a production blocking issue for me, and I would appreciate an official status update.
<img width="2980" height="1938" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/bad694e9-3792-4388-98a2-c05ebd31773c" />