[Windows Desktop] Long pasted prompt becomes writing-block.md, leaves “My request” empty, and returns BLOCKED

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

Codex Desktop 26.825.6671.0

What subscription do you have?

Plus

What platform is your computer?

Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.26200.0 x64

What issue are you seeing?

When a long, multi-section task is pasted into the My request field, Codex Desktop automatically converts the pasted text into a writing-block.md item.

After this conversion:

• My request is effectively empty.
• writing-block.md is treated as an attachment or context item rather than as the executable user instruction.
• Codex responds with BLOCKED instead of executing the pasted task.
• The UI may also remain stuck on Adding pasted text....

This is more than a paste-performance problem: even when conversion completes, the task’s executable intent can be lost because no instruction remains in My request.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

1. Open a Codex Desktop task on Windows.
2. Paste a long, structured prompt into My request. The prompt should contain multiple sections, headings, lists, and detailed execution instructions.
3. Wait for Codex Desktop to process the pasted content.
4. Observe that the content is converted into writing-block.md.
5. Observe that My request is now empty.
6. Submit or continue the task.
7. Observe that writing-block.md is treated as context rather than as the instruction to execute.
8. Codex responds with BLOCKED.

In some reproductions, the UI may remain stuck on Adding pasted text... before submission completes.

Observed session ID: 01a05186-7fec-7420-a6a8-9f7b36ff88f8

What is the expected behavior?

A long pasted prompt should retain its instruction semantics.

Either:

• the text should remain in My request, or
• if it is converted into an attachment, Codex Desktop should preserve an explicit request such as “Execute the instructions in the attached file.”

The conversion must not leave My request empty or cause the task to be treated as having no executable instruction.

The paste-processing UI should also complete or display an actionable error instead of remaining stuck.

Additional information

Workaround:

1. Keep a short executable instruction in My request.
2. Save the long task as a TXT file.
3. Attach the TXT file and explicitly instruct Codex to execute it.

Related issues:

• #41455 reports a long pasted-text attachment remaining stuck.
• #41472 reports non-image attachment failures and composer freezes.

Those reports cover paste processing and freezing. This report covers the additional semantic-loss failure: writing-block.md is created, My request becomes empty, and Codex returns BLOCKED.

A redacted transcript exists with SHA256:

2B64DE5BF3963BB08EAAF6923A733453F88932F831D9FB986F915CE54F1FC745

Validated secret-pattern results:

• OPENAI_STYLE_KEY_COUNT=0
• GITHUB_CLASSIC_PAT_COUNT=0
• GITHUB_FINE_GRAINED_PAT_COUNT=0
• BEARER_TOKEN_COUNT=0
• JSONL_VALIDATION=PASS

The transcript is not attached to this public report.

Start by reproducing the Windows Desktop flow with a long structured prompt, then trace the handling of the “My request” field, the “Adding pasted text...” state, and conversion to writing-block.md. Verify that paste processing completes, an executable instruction remains, and submission does not return BLOCKED; related issues #41455 and #41472 provide adjacent behavior to compare.