Windows desktop keeps already-deleted ChatGPT conversations in Recents after full restart

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

26.818.2872.0 (Windows package OpenAI.Codex_26.818.2872.0_x64__2p2nqsd0c76g0; app-server client 26.818.22352)

What subscription do you have?

ChatGPT subscription (exact tier not exposed in the diagnostic surface)

What platform is your computer?

Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.26200.0 x64

What issue are you seeing?

Two already-deleted ChatGPT cloud conversations remain indefinitely in the Windows desktop Recents sidebar. They do not appear in ChatGPT on the web. Selecting either row shows Could not load this ChatGPT conversation.

For privacy, the exact conversation IDs were sent in a private OpenAI Support report. Redacted forms:

• 6a87488f-...-b8ea
• 6a874896-...-31ee

For both, GET /backend-api/conversation/{id} and the delete action return HTTP 404 with code: conversation_deleted and can_retry: false.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

1. Have a ChatGPT cloud conversation deleted on the server while its row remains in the Windows desktop Recents sidebar.
2. Confirm the conversation is absent from ChatGPT on the web.
3. Select the stale Windows sidebar row.
4. Observe Could not load this ChatGPT conversation.
5. Sign out and back in, reload the renderer, then fully end every ChatGPT process and relaunch.
6. Observe that the ghost row still remains.

Troubleshooting and diagnostics already performed:

• Backed up and quarantined only the Chromium HTTP cache, then allowed it to rebuild.
• Verified all relaunched processes had new start times.
• The decoded 100-item /backend-api/conversations response contains neither target ID nor the title.
• The desktop unified task inventory contains neither target ID.
• Local Storage LevelDB, Session Storage, WebStorage, other cache partitions, and local Codex databases contain no target ID or title.
• No conversations, cookies, login state, local storage, app settings, or unrelated configuration were deleted or reset.

What is the expected behavior?

When the server reports conversation_deleted and the conversation is absent from the authoritative conversation list, Windows desktop sidebar reconciliation should remove the row and keep it removed after restart.

Additional information

This appears distinct from #39161: that issue covers local Codex thread/archive teardown, while these are already-deleted ChatGPT cloud conversations with no matching local Codex task.

It is closer to #25541's Windows frontend/sidebar reconciliation family, but affects deleted ChatGPT cloud conversations rather than archived local Codex tasks.

A full private diagnostic report with exact IDs was sent through OpenAI Support. No screenshot is attached here because it contains unrelated private sidebar titles.

Start with the Windows desktop Recents sidebar reconciliation and renderer path for the conversation list and GET /backend-api/conversation/{id}. Reproduce a deleted cloud conversation returning conversation_deleted while absent from /backend-api/conversations, then trace why the row survives reload and restart. Done means the stale row is removed and stays removed without affecting other local data.