Repository navigation
Windows local commands fail before starting: helper_unknown_error: setup refresh had errors #49017
Description
What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?
ChatGPT Windows desktop — Powered by Codex & OWL Version 26.924.22138 Released September 26, 2026
What subscription do you have?
ChatGPT Pro
What platform is your computer?
Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.26200.0 x64
What issue are you seeing?
Local command execution fails before PowerShell starts. Even the read-only command Get-Location returns:
exec_command failed: CreateProcess { message: "Rejected("Failed to create unified exec process: helper_unknown_error: setup refresh had errors")" }
This occurs in both the existing project conversation and a fresh local conversation. Fully ending ChatGPT through Task Manager and reopening it did not resolve the failure.
Normal PowerShell outside the app runs commands successfully. Local project work through the app remains blocked. The underlying cause has not been established.
What steps can reproduce the bug?
Feedback ID: 01a0e897-e113-7823-982c-d7f59a0b4b51
What is the expected behavior?
Get-Location should execute successfully and return the current working directory without a helper setup error.
Additional information
The reproduction-steps field keeps reverting to the prefilled feedback ID, so I am recording the steps here:
- Open the ChatGPT Windows desktop app.
- Open a local project conversation.
- Ask: “Run Get-Location once.”
- Execution fails before PowerShell starts with:
helper_unknown_error: setup refresh had errors
This also occurs in a fresh local conversation and after fully ending ChatGPT through Task Manager and reopening it. Normal PowerShell outside the app works.
Diagnostic feedback ID: 01a0e897-e113-7823-982c-d7f59a0b4b51
Activity
github-actions commentedon Sep 28, 2026
Potential duplicates detected. Please review them and close your issue if it is a duplicate.
Powered by Codex Action
Ian-opps commentedon Sep 29, 2026
Update: local troubleshooting restored command execution on my machine.
An inaccessible, obsolete Codex runtime was identified. Moving it into a recoverable backup directory restored normal PowerShell execution, Git operations, and local file reading. No project files were changed, and no restart was required afterward.
The backup was retained under:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\OpenAI\Codex\runtime-recovery-20260928\b35a688736d56912
This resolved my local symptoms. I have not established whether the same cause applies to other reports or whether this is a generally safe workaround. Could maintainers confirm whether this points to a runtime cleanup or permissions issue?
Original diagnostic feedback ID:
01a0e897-e113-7823-982c-d7f59a0b4b51