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Codex fails to apply edits - file system refresh error - editor bridge needs to recover - 01a03e08-918b-7251-a358-7e8353fead32 #40889
Description
What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?
26.820.60940
What subscription do you have?
ChatGPT Plus
What platform is your computer?
Windows 11 Home
What issue are you seeing?
Feedback ID: 01a03e08-918b-7251-a358-7e8353fead32
Getting numerous response messages that include 1 or 2 of the following:
- The site audit is complete, but I couldn’t safely apply the redesign because the Codex workspace editor is failing with a filesystem refresh error. No files were changed.
- Please retry this request after refreshing or reopening the Codex workspace; the editor bridge needs to recover before I can implement and visually verify it.
- I couldn’t apply the code change because the workspace write helper repeatedly failed. No files or data were modified.
- I couldn’t approve the records because the in-app browser control runtime failed to start due to a Windows sandbox error. Please restart Codex, reopen the page, and send the request again.
- I couldn’t approve the records because the in-app browser control service failed to start due to a Windows sandbox setup error. No records were changed.
- It appears to be a local Codex/Windows sandbox initialization issue, not a permission problem with the webpage or approval action.
- The browser-control process failed before it could inspect the page, reporting: “Windows sandbox failed: setup refresh had errors.” Therefore, no approval attempt reached the application. Restarting the Codex app—or reopening the task—will likely reset the browser-control service.
What steps can reproduce the bug?
Simply using the ChatGPT UI. Nothing special that I know. In one conversation I am trying to control the in-app browser. In another I am simply asking Codex to make a style change.
What is the expected behavior?
I expect the in-app browser to be controlled all the time. It did it completely in 1 conversation, but has not been able to do it since that conversation.
I also expect Codex to be able to write changes to the filesystem without issue. I have done nothing to modify permissions, so why would it work on one conversation and fail on the very next conversation?
Additional information
I have 3 sibling folders set in the Project. I'm not sure why Codex has trouble finding code when the folders I want it to use are set in the Project settings. The folders were added with the Add folder button on the Project create/edit panel.
Activity
github-actions commentedon Aug 26, 2026
Potential duplicates detected. Please review them and close your issue if it is a duplicate.
helper_unknown_error: setup refresh had errors#40596Powered by Codex Action
roydeanjr commentedon Aug 26, 2026
This is the Bug report created by ChatGPT Codex when I asked it to create one and submit it. The submission failed because of these failures
Title: Codex Desktop on Windows cannot start sandbox helper; exec_command, apply_patch, and browser control fail
Environment:
Description:
Codex cannot start its Windows sandbox helper. Normal terminal operations and required apply_patch edits fail. Read-only terminal commands work only when explicitly escalated outside the sandbox. Browser control fails from the same underlying error.
Reproduction steps:
Observed result:
windows sandbox failed: helper_unknown_error:
setup refresh had errors
Related process error:
CreateProcess failed:
Rejected("Failed to create unified exec process:
helper_unknown_error: setup refresh had errors")
Browser-control failure:
node_repl kernel exited unexpectedly
kernel_status: exited(code=1)
kernel_stderr_tail:
windows sandbox failed: helper_unknown_error:
setup refresh had errors
Expected result:
Impact:
The agent can diagnose the project through escalated read-only commands but cannot implement requested changes because its required editing mechanism is unavailable. It also cannot submit the bug through the support website because browser automation crashes.
Data safety:
No project files or customer data were modified. No secrets or project contents need to be attached.