codex - 💡(How to fix) Fix automation_update unavailable in one Windows chat despite working in another

Summary

Codex Desktop on Windows appears to expose automation-management tools inconsistently across chats. One chat was able to create a recurring automation successfully, while another chat in the same app/session could not discover or call automation_update at all.

Observed Behavior

In one chat, Codex created a weekly automation successfully:

• Name: Energy Complex Weekly
• Automation ID: energy-complex-weekly
• Schedule: Saturdays at 8:00 AM local time
• Recipient: configured Gmail recipient
• Subject format: Energy Complex Weekly - YYYY-MM-DD

In a different chat, when asked to inspect/update/create automation behavior:

• The assistant searched for automation_update directly via tool discovery.
• Tool discovery returned 0 matching tools.
• The assistant could not use the app-level automation-management tool.
• The automation did exist locally under the user's Codex automations directory.
• The assistant could inspect/edit the local automation definition through filesystem access, but not through the intended automation tool.

Expected Behavior

When the user asks to create, inspect, or update automations, automation_update should be consistently exposed, or Codex Desktop should clearly explain why that tool is unavailable in the current chat context.

At minimum, tool exposure should not differ silently between two chats where both are being used for automation-related work.

Why This Matters

The inconsistency makes automation management confusing. In one chat, the user can create an automation normally. In another, the assistant says the automation tool is unavailable, even though an automation exists and can be modified indirectly through local files.

This is especially noticeable on Windows, where the local automation files are visible but the app-level tool discovery does not appear deterministic across chats/surfaces.

Environment

• Product: Codex Desktop
• OS: Windows
• Automation ID involved: energy-complex-weekly
• Date observed: 2026-05-17

Reproduction Sketch

1. In one Codex Desktop chat, ask Codex to create a recurring automation.
2. Confirm the automation is created successfully.
3. In another Codex Desktop chat, ask Codex to create/update/check an automation.
4. Have the assistant search for automation_update.
5. Observe that tool discovery returns 0 results, even though another chat was able to use automation functionality.

Notes

The same session still had other plugin tools available, including GitHub, Gmail, Slack, Calendar, Linear, and local filesystem tools. The issue appears specific to the app-level automation-management tool exposure rather than all tool discovery.