Windows Desktop: first prompt succeeds, second message cannot be sent; reinstall only fixes it temporarily

Summary

I am seeing a recurring Codex Desktop issue on Windows where a conversation works for exactly one turn, but after the first response completes I can no longer send another message in the same conversation.

This has now happened to me multiple times. Reinstalling Codex Desktop fixed it temporarily once, but the same problem returned again on September 15, 2026.

Environment

• OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
• App: Codex Desktop for Windows
• Date reproduced again: September 15, 2026
• The issue affects existing conversations after the first successful turn

Steps to reproduce

1. Open Codex Desktop on Windows.
2. Open a project/conversation (or start a new one).
3. Send the first prompt.
4. Wait for Codex to finish responding normally.
5. Type a second message in the same conversation and try to send it.

Actual behavior

The first prompt and response work normally, but the second message cannot be sent / does not start a new turn. The conversation effectively becomes unusable after one successful exchange.

In my case, reinstalling the Windows desktop app previously restored normal behavior, but only temporarily. The bug has now returned, which makes it look more like a recurring Desktop client / renderer state issue than corrupted project or conversation data.

Expected behavior

After the first response completes, I should be able to continue sending follow-up messages in the same conversation normally.

What I have observed

• First turn: works normally.
• Second/follow-up message: cannot be sent.
• Reinstall: previously fixed the problem temporarily.
• The problem later returned without intentionally modifying my Codex conversation data.

Related reports

This appears very similar to several recent Windows Desktop reports, including:

• #40872
• #40968
• #43366
• #44102
• #44295
• #44342
• #45069
• #45315

I am opening another report to confirm that this is still reproducible on a separate Windows installation as of September 15, 2026.

I can provide additional logs or run specific diagnostics if that would help identify whether this is the same loading-local-config / renderer state problem described in some of the related issues.

Start by reproducing the one-turn failure on Windows and reviewing related issues #40872, #40968, #43366, #44102, #44295, #44342, #45069, and #45315. Investigate the reported loading-local-config and renderer state symptoms, using logs or requested diagnostics; done means follow-up messages send normally after the first response.