ChatGPT/Codex Desktop fails to start in Windows Safe Mode and incorrectly suggests checking for updates

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

Latest available Windows version as of September 6, 2026. This was a fresh download/install.

What subscription do you have?

ChatGPT Pro

What platform is your computer?

Windows 11 x64 Windows was booted in Safe Mode when the failure occurred.

What issue are you seeing?

When Windows is booted in Safe Mode, the current ChatGPT/Codex desktop app fails to start.

The app displays a message stating that ChatGPT failed to start and directs the user to check for updates.

Selecting "Check for Updates" reports that the application is already up to date.

This makes the problem appear to be an application update or installation failure, but the same installed application starts successfully immediately after Windows is restarted normally.

No reinstall, repair, reset, cache clearing, or application-data deletion was required. The only change needed was exiting Windows Safe Mode and booting Windows normally.

The startup error should ideally identify that required Windows components or services are unavailable in Safe Mode rather than directing the user to check for an update that is already installed.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

1. Boot Windows into Safe Mode.
2. Download/install or launch the latest ChatGPT/Codex Windows desktop application.
3. Attempt to start the application.
4. ChatGPT reports that it failed to start and suggests checking for updates.
5. Select "Check for Updates."
6. The updater reports that the application is already up to date.
7. Restart Windows normally with Safe Mode disabled.
8. Launch the exact same ChatGPT/Codex installation.
9. The application starts normally.

In my case, this occurred with a fresh installation.

No application files, settings, caches, or user data were changed between the failed Safe Mode launch and the successful normal Windows launch.

What is the expected behavior?

Ideally, the desktop application should detect that Windows is running in Safe Mode, or otherwise detect that required Windows services/components are unavailable, and provide an accurate error message.

For example:

"ChatGPT cannot start while Windows is running in Safe Mode. Restart Windows normally and try again."

At minimum, the error should not suggest checking for updates when the installed application is already current and the failure is caused by the Windows boot environment.

Additional information

This appears to be a Windows Safe Mode compatibility/detection issue rather than a corrupt installation or outdated application.

A fresh installation produced the startup failure while Windows was running in Safe Mode.

The built-in update checker still worked and reported that the application was already up to date.

After restarting Windows normally, the exact same installation launched successfully without reinstalling, repairing, resetting the app, clearing caches, deleting .codex, or making any other application changes.

Because the current error directs users toward checking for updates, this condition could lead users to unnecessarily reinstall or reset the application, delete local data, or troubleshoot an otherwise healthy installation when the actual solution is simply to restart Windows outside Safe Mode.

Start by reproducing the launch failure in Windows Safe Mode, then compare it with a normal boot using the same installation. Trace the startup error and update-check path to determine why the Safe Mode condition is reported as an update problem. Done means the app provides an accurate Safe Mode or unavailable-components message instead of directing users to check for updates.