Windows desktop: task cannot resume after "Potentially unintended activity" safety block

Problem

An existing Codex desktop task on Windows stopped with:

This request was blocked by our safety systems. Reason: Potentially unintended activity.

A later request to continue from the saved state failed with the same error after about four seconds. The UI and task error metadata do not identify the operation that triggered the block or provide an actionable recovery path.

Context

The user was working on a recipe web application. The requested task was to audit recipe provenance, preserve existing records and calendar data, mark unverified recipes for human review instead of deleting them, and prepare import templates. The user explicitly cancelled an earlier direction to generate new recipes and asked not to fabricate missing source information.

Observed sequence

1. The task performed some work and saved local audit reports, backups, templates, and code changes.
2. The run ended with the safety error above.
3. The task was found in the archive and was successfully unarchived. The cause of the archival is unknown; we cannot establish that it was caused by the safety block.
4. One follow-up requested checking the saved state, avoiding duplicate operations, preserving user data, and respecting safeguards. This failed with the same error before any new assistant response or tool marker was reported.
5. The saved local files remain readable.

Expected behavior

If an operation is blocked, provide enough actionable information to identify what requires user action or review, and a supported way to recover the task while respecting safeguards. Please investigate whether this is a false positive or a task-state recovery issue. This report is not a request to disable or bypass safeguards.

Environment

• Codex desktop on Windows
• Occurred September 3, 2026, approximately 21:28–21:36, UTC+08:00
• App build and model version: not verified

Private source code, database contents, screenshots with unrelated personal information, and session transcripts are omitted from this public report. Submitted with the affected user's authorization.

Start with the Windows desktop task-resume path and the handling of the “Potentially unintended activity” safety error, then reproduce continuation from a saved task state. Check whether the task error metadata identifies the blocked operation and whether the archived task can recover without repeating work. Done means the cause or recovery issue is established and the user receives actionable, safeguard-respecting guidance.