Windows desktop chat-agent local helper fails with "setup refresh had errors"

Summary

On Windows, the Codex desktop chat-agent cannot execute any local command because the local execution helper fails during initialization.

Exact error:

CreateProcess failed: helper_unknown_error: setup refresh had errors

Environment
OS: Windows
ChatGPT Desktop version: 26.825.41651
Release date shown in About: 2026-08-29
Project type: Local
Repository path: C:\dev\exam-bench-1
Git branch: master
What works

The integrated terminal inside the same Codex desktop app works normally:

git status --short

succeeds with a clean worktree.

git rev-parse --short HEAD

returns:

a8526a8

So Git, the repository, project path, branch, and integrated terminal are working.

What fails

Any local command requested through the Codex chat-agent fails before execution.

Example:

Please run: git status --short

Result:

CreateProcess failed: helper_unknown_error: setup refresh had errors
Troubleshooting already performed
Recreated the local Codex project
Confirmed the correct local folder is attached
Restarted the desktop app
Started a new chat/session
Confirmed the desktop app is fully up to date
Confirmed OpenAI / ChatGPT / Codex system status is operational
Confirmed the integrated terminal works in the same project
Reproduced the error during a performance trace and uploaded the trace
Feedback ID
01a05092-1090-7cd1-9599-8468978a05ff

The issue appears isolated to the Codex chat-agent local execution helper / setup refresh layer.

The issue names no source file or test. Start by reproducing the failure on Windows and reviewing the uploaded performance trace around the local execution helper's setup refresh; compare it with the integrated terminal, which works. Done means the chat-agent can execute local commands such as git status --short without the helper error.