codex - 💡(How to fix) Fix Codex Desktop for Windows 26.519.2081.0 turns blank white after ChatGPT login

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

Codex Desktop 26.519.2081.0

What subscription do you have?

Pro

What platform is your computer?

Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.26200.0 x64

What issue are you seeing?

Environment

• OS: Windows
• Codex Desktop version: 26.519.2081.0
• Package: OpenAI.Codex_26.519.2081.0_x64__2p2nqsd0c76g0
• Subscription: Pro
• Sign-in method: ChatGPT account
• Codex Cloud/Web works with the same account and the same project.

Issue

After updating Codex Desktop for Windows, the app becomes a blank white window after ChatGPT login.

The app can show the login screen if I rename/disable auth.json, but after signing in with ChatGPT, it returns to a blank white window.

Steps to reproduce

1. Launch Codex Desktop for Windows.
2. The app opens to a blank white screen.
3. Kill all Codex.exe processes and restart Codex.
4. The blank white screen remains.
5. Rename/disable C:\Users\<user>\.codex\auth.json.
6. Launch Codex again.
7. The login screen appears.
8. Click "Continue with ChatGPT" and complete sign-in.
9. After login, the app returns to a blank white screen.

Expected behavior

After ChatGPT login, Codex Desktop should show the project/task list and existing chats.

Actual behavior

After ChatGPT login, Codex Desktop shows only a blank white window.

What I tried

• Killed all Codex.exe processes and restarted the app.
• Checked the installed package version with PowerShell.
• Renamed/disabled auth.json.
• Confirmed that the login screen appears after disabling auth.json.
• Logged in again with ChatGPT.
• The app became blank white again after login.
• Ran Windows app "Repair".
• The issue did not change.
• I did not delete the entire .codex directory.
• I did not delete .codex\sessions.
• I did not reset the app data.

Important observations

• Codex Cloud/Web works with the same account and the same project.
• The same project can run tasks normally in the browser.
• This does not look like project or repository corruption.
• This looks related to the Desktop app post-login UI/profile/workspace/feature-flag state.

Previous related behavior before the white-screen issue

Before this update, Codex Desktop partially worked with Default permissions, but:

• Full Access could not send messages.
• Auto-review could not send messages.
• The "Set up agent sandbox" button looped back immediately.
• Pressing the sandbox setup button did not update C:\Users\<user>\.codex\.sandbox\sandbox.log.
• Older sandbox.log entries showed codex-windows-sandbox-setup.exe completed with errors=[] and command-runner executions succeeded.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

1. Launch Codex Desktop for Windows.
2. The app opens to a blank white screen.
3. Kill all Codex.exe processes and restart Codex.
4. The blank white screen remains.
5. Rename/disable C:\Users\<user>\.codex\auth.json.
6. Launch Codex again.
7. The login screen appears.
8. Click "Continue with ChatGPT" and complete sign-in.
9. After login, the app returns to a blank white screen.

Additional context:

• Codex Cloud/Web works with the same account and the same project.
• The same project can run tasks normally in the browser.
• I did not delete the entire .codex directory.
• I did not delete .codex\sessions.
• I did not reset the app data.

What is the expected behavior?

After ChatGPT login, Codex Desktop shows only a blank white window.

The app itself launches, and the login screen appears if auth.json is renamed/disabled. However, after completing ChatGPT login, the Desktop app returns to a blank white screen.

Killing all Codex.exe processes and restarting does not fix it. Windows app "Repair" also did not fix it.

Additional information

• OS: Windows x64
• Codex Desktop version: 26.519.2081.0
• Package: OpenAI.Codex_26.519.2081.0_x64__2p2nqsd0c76g0
• Subscription: Pro
• Sign-in method: ChatGPT account
• Codex Cloud/Web works with the same account and the same project.

Before this white-screen issue, Codex Desktop partially worked with Default permissions, but:

• Full Access could not send messages.
• Auto-review could not send messages.
• The "Set up agent sandbox" button looped back immediately.
• Pressing the sandbox setup button did not update C:\Users\<user>\.codex\.sandbox\sandbox.log.
• Older sandbox.log entries showed codex-windows-sandbox-setup.exe completed with errors=[] and command-runner executions succeeded.