Codex Desktop can enter a permanent startup crash loop after creating a project, hiding local history

The report names no source files, tests, or entry points. Start by reproducing the Windows startup loop after creating a local project and inspect the persisted project-state records under %USERPROFILE%.codex; done means invalid startup state no longer blocks launch while existing task history and configuration remain available.

Summary

Codex Desktop for Windows entered a persistent startup crash loop immediately after creating a new local project. Reinstalling did not fix the problem. Moving %USERPROFILE%\.codex aside allowed the app to start with a fresh profile, but made all previous tasks, conversation history, context, skills, plugins, MCP configuration, and other settings appear lost.

Environment

• Product: Codex Desktop for Windows
• Version observed: 26.721.4979.0
• OS: Windows 11
• Severity: Startup blocker with apparent loss of all local history and configuration

Steps to reproduce

1. Open Codex Desktop.
2. Create a new local project.
3. Codex crashes during or immediately after project creation.
4. Relaunch Codex.
5. Codex fails again on every launch.
6. Reinstall Codex; the startup failure remains.
7. Move %USERPROFILE%\.codex aside.
8. Codex starts with a fresh profile, but previous local history and configuration no longer appear.

Recovery finding

Database integrity checks passed, indicating that the durable task data was not corrupt. The startup failure appeared to be caused by invalid persisted project/startup state. Removing only the suspect project-state records while retaining the databases, sessions, and configuration restored normal startup and the previous history.

Actual behavior

A bad project/startup-state record can prevent the entire application from launching. Reinstallation does not repair or isolate that state, so users may reasonably believe all tasks and context are permanently lost.

Expected behavior

• Skip or quarantine invalid project records.
• Start in a safe mode when project-state loading fails.
• Keep volatile project-selection/UI state isolated from durable task and session data.
• Snapshot and roll back state before project creation or migration.
• Provide built-in Repair, Reindex, and Restore Backup actions.
• Preserve and detect existing local task data during reinstallation.
• Show actionable recovery information after a startup crash.

Privacy

This report is intentionally anonymized. It contains no account identity, personal filesystem paths, project names, conversation content, source code, tokens, files, or raw logs.