[Windows App 26.810.6296.0] Idle ChatGPT.exe loop causes system-wide cursor stutter after Aug 15 update

What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?

26.810.6296.0

What subscription do you have?

ChatGPT Pro ($200/month)

What platform is your computer?

Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.26200.0 x64Windows 11 Home Single LanguageAMD Ryzen 9 8940HX — 16 cores / 32 logical processors15.1 GB RAMNVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Laptop GPUAMD Radeon 610MDisplays: 3440x1440 + 3440x1440 + 1920x1200, all at 60 Hz

What issue are you seeing?

This is a severe Windows performance regression that began immediately after a recent Codex App update.

Before the update, Codex worked normally on this computer. I could keep Codex open alongside multiple Chrome tabs and continue using Windows without mouse or touchpad stuttering.

Running several active Codex sessions could understandably slow the computer somewhat because it has 16 GB of RAM, but it did not previously cause the pointer to stop, jump, or freeze repeatedly.

The regression began after the update from 26.803.10989.0 to 26.810.4967.0 at approximately 07:10 on August 15, 2026 (Asia/Manila). It remains present after another update to 26.810.6296.0 at approximately 08:59.

The stutter now occurs under a very light workload:

• No Codex task or session is actively generating anything.
• Only one browser is open.
• Moving the pointer feels like it repeatedly stops for milliseconds or longer, similar to driving over frequent speed bumps.
• The same behavior occurs with both an external wireless mouse and the built-in ELAN touchpad.
• The stutter affects Windows generally, not only the Codex window.
• Hiding the app with Win+D does not stop the main ChatGPT.exe CPU loop.
• Restarting the computer reduced memory usage temporarily but did not eliminate the CPU loop or input stutter.

Performance measurements taken while moving the pointer:

• Main ChatGPT.exe process averaged approximately 151% of one logical CPU core and peaked at approximately 209%.
• Windows System process used approximately 95.5% of one logical core.
• Desktop Window Manager used approximately 16.7% of one logical core.
• Total system CPU was approximately 12.2%.
• Desktop Window Manager GPU usage averaged approximately 9.9% and peaked at approximately 16.1%.

Measurements with the application hidden using Win+D:

• Main ChatGPT.exe remained at approximately 153.8% of one logical CPU core.
• System decreased to approximately 10.8% of one logical core.
• Desktop Window Manager decreased to approximately 3.7%.
• Total system CPU decreased to approximately 7.2%.
• Desktop Window Manager GPU usage decreased to approximately 0.6%.

This indicates that hiding the application reduces the additional Windows composition workload, but the primary ChatGPT.exe background loop remains active.

Task Manager grouped the application as “ChatGPT (12).” The group contained ten ChatGPT.exe shell/renderer processes, codex.exe app-server, and the code-mode host. The separate Node.js runtimes were not included in that Task Manager group.

This behavior did not occur before the 26.810.x updates, even during substantially heavier normal use.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

1. Install or update the Windows Codex App to 26.810.4967.0 or 26.810.6296.0.
2. Launch the application.
3. Leave all Codex tasks idle, with no task actively generating.
4. Use Windows normally with only one browser open.
5. Move the pointer continuously across the desktop using a wireless mouse.
6. Observe repeated pointer and UI stutters.
7. Repeat using the built-in touchpad and observe the same stutter.
8. Open Task Manager or Windows performance counters.
9. Observe the main ChatGPT.exe process continuously consuming approximately 1.5–2 logical CPU cores while apparently idle.
10. Hide the application using Win+D.
11. Observe that Desktop Window Manager and System load decrease, but the main ChatGPT.exe process remains CPU-bound and the system-wide stutter can continue.
12. Restart Windows, reopen the application, and observe that the problem returns despite the reduced post-reboot memory usage.

No mouse-specific reproduction steps, active task, prompt, or session are required.

What is the expected behavior?

An idle Codex App should use minimal CPU and must not cause system-wide pointer, keyboard, rendering, or UI stalls.

The computer should remain usable with Codex open alongside ordinary applications and multiple browser tabs, as it did before the 26.810.x updates.

Any local-history migration, indexing, SQLite maintenance, Git scanning, scheduled-task reconciliation, renderer polling, or background synchronization should be lazy, rate-limited, cancellable, and suspended or substantially reduced while the application is idle or hidden.

Large histories or workspaces should not result in an unbounded CPU loop. The application should offer safe handling, progress reporting, or a recovery mode when local state requires maintenance.

Additional information

Input and hardware checks:

• Both the external wireless mouse and built-in ELAN touchpad are present and report status OK.
• No HID, touchpad, mouse, USB, GPU, or storage device errors were detected.
• DPC and interrupt activity remained low during testing.
• Disk queue activity was modest.
• The identical behavior across two independent pointing devices indicates this is system/UI frame pacing rather than a defective mouse.

Process and reboot comparison:

Before reboot:

• 10 ChatGPT.exe processes
• 1 codex.exe process
• 16 Node runtime processes
• Approximately 3.2 GB aggregate private memory
• Approximately 2.3 GB free system RAM

After reboot:

• 10 ChatGPT.exe processes
• 1 codex.exe process
• 10 Node runtime processes
• ChatGPT application group used approximately 2.5 GB
• Memory availability improved, but the idle CPU loop and cursor stutter remained

Task Manager screenshot measurement:

• ChatGPT (12): 6.8% of total system CPU
• Memory: 2,513.8 MB
• Disk: 1.9 MB/s
• Network: 0.3 Mbps
• Overall system: 9% CPU and 64% memory

Local-state measurements, with paths and contents redacted:

• 889 session JSONL files totaling approximately 27.15 GB
• 158 session files larger than 50 MB
• 8 session files larger than 500 MB
• Local logs SQLite database approximately 1.45 GB
• Local application-state SQLite database approximately 68.56 MB
• Current Git workspace contains approximately 13,642 untracked files
• 12 schedules active and 2 paused
• Seven scheduled/background sessions ran between approximately 06:10 and 08:00 on August 15, but all had completed

These local-state measurements are included because they could expose or amplify an unbounded history migration, SQLite maintenance operation, Git scan, background polling loop, or renderer/main-process communication problem.

They are not being presented as proof of the root cause. Much of this local state predates the regression, and earlier Codex releases remained usable with substantially heavier foreground workloads.

Closely related Codex issue reports:

• https://github.com/openai/codex/issues/27848
  Windows freeze and unreliable mouse/keyboard with approximately 26.54 GB of session history and large logs. This is extremely close to the 27.15 GB history and 1.45 GB logs measured here.

• https://github.com/openai/codex/issues/30021
  Open Windows report where an idle visible app consumes approximately one CPU core. The reporter measured peaks near 144% of one logical core, close to the approximately 151–209% measured here.

• https://github.com/openai/codex/issues/32154
  Windows report concerning per-thread history or MCP replay behavior.

• https://github.com/openai/codex/issues/30612
  Large untracked workspaces causing heavy GUI Git snapshot or hashing activity.

• https://github.com/openai/codex/issues/29911
  Empty or broad Git workspaces causing repeated scanner activity and Windows Defender interaction.

• https://github.com/openai/codex/issues/35776
  Recent report involving a runaway Git-related loop.

Same-period Windows community reports:

• https://www.reddit.com/r/codex/comments/1vo6itn/last_windows_update_make_my_cursor_super_laggy/
  August 14 report describing approximately 5 Hz cursor movement and half-second stutters on multiple Windows systems.

• https://www.reddit.com/r/codex/comments/1vo5986/chatgpt_desktop_suddenly_uses_1540_cpu_while_idle/
  August 14 report describing ChatGPT.exe using 15–40% CPU while idle, cursor skipping, and restart providing only temporary relief.

• https://www.reddit.com/r/codex/comments/1v1b27o/codex_aka_new_chat_gpt_app_causing_stuttering/
  Additional Windows stuttering report with August 14–15 confirmations following the latest update.

These community reports do not independently prove that every user has the same underlying cause. However, their timing and closely matching symptoms strongly indicate a regression in the recent Windows application updates rather than an isolated pointing-device problem.

Please investigate changes introduced in the 26.810.x Windows releases involving:

• Main-process polling or event loops
• Renderer/main-process communication
• Local-history migration or replay
• SQLite maintenance and log retention
• Git repository scanning and automatic snapshots
• Scheduled-task reconciliation
• Background work that continues while no task is active
• Work that continues while the application is hidden

No source files, tests, or code entry points are named. Start by reproducing the idle CPU loop on Windows 26.810.x and compare ChatGPT.exe, codex.exe, renderer, SQLite, Git, and scheduled-task activity against an earlier release; done means identifying the regression and restoring minimal idle CPU use without system-wide input stutter.