If the OpenAI Codex app cannot see project files or run tests, first confirm you are in ChatGPT Desktop’s Codex view and have opened the correct local project folder. Then check whether your workspace allows Codex Local and whether the active permissions profile permits the action. On Windows, also verify the agent environment, shell error, and project toolchain. These symptoms have different causes, so a broad reset is rarely the best first step.
Start with the symptom
Identify what is failing before changing settings. A file that is outside the selected project, a command blocked by permissions, a missing test runtime, and an app that will not start need different fixes.
| Symptom | First check | Next branch |
|---|---|---|
| Files are invisible | Codex view and selected local folder | Workspace permission, selected path, and local versus cloud execution |
| A test or shell command is blocked | Active permissions profile and approval prompt | Whether the profile permits routine commands in the workspace |
| A command runs but fails on Windows | Exact error message and required project runtime | PowerShell policy, Windows-native versus WSL agent, and installed tools |
| Codex does not start | App or CLI version and configuration | Retired approval_policy = "untrusted" setting on affected versions |
Confirm Codex is looking at the right local project
- In ChatGPT Desktop, select Codex from the top-left menu.
- Start or open the project chat and choose the local folder or repository that contains the file.
- Check that the missing file is actually inside that selected folder. A file elsewhere on your computer is not necessarily part of the open project.
- Confirm whether the task is local or cloud-based. Codex Cloud runs on OpenAI-managed computers, so its filesystem is not the same as your local disk. See OpenAI’s Codex plan and workflow guidance and ChatGPT Work and Codex.
Check workspace access and the active permissions profile
Ask an admin about Codex Local access
For a managed workspace, an owner or administrator may need to allow Codex Local for your role. Codex Local and Codex Cloud access are controlled separately; permission to use one does not establish permission to use the other. Ask the workspace admin to check the relevant role setting if the local workflow is unavailable or denied. OpenAI documents these controls in its workspace and Codex guidance.
Match the profile to the action
Use the permissions control beneath the composer to inspect the selected profile. A read-only profile can inspect files but blocks edits and ordinary commands unless approval is granted. Workspace-write allows file access and routine local commands within the workspace boundary; it does not grant unrestricted access to every directory or to the internet. Choose a profile authorized for the task, or approve a specific command when the profile offers that flow. Do not switch to a broader access setting simply to bypass an unexplained failure. OpenAI describes the profile behavior and boundaries in its sandbox guide.
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On Windows, check the agent environment and project location
The Windows app uses a Windows-native agent by default. If your project involves WSL, distinguish the agent environment from the integrated terminal shell: they are configured independently.
- If the project is stored on the Windows filesystem and accessed from WSL, OpenAI says it is more reliable to use the Windows-native agent than to open the project directly from the WSL filesystem.
- A Windows-native agent can access a project opened from
\wsl$. - To run the agent inside WSL2 instead, change the agent environment in Settings and restart the app.
Use OpenAI’s Windows desktop app guide for the current agent and filesystem details. Do not assume that changing the integrated terminal’s shell also changes where the agent runs.
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Diagnose Windows test-command failures
Read the complete error before changing policy
If PowerShell reports npm.ps1 cannot be loaded because running scripts is disabled on this system, the issue is PowerShell’s execution policy, not necessarily Codex or the test itself. OpenAI describes RemoteSigned as a common adjustment, but changing execution policy affects script execution. Review Microsoft’s Set-ExecutionPolicy documentation and follow your organization’s policy before making a change.
Verify the project’s actual toolchain
A command can be allowed and still fail because its runtime or tool is missing. Check the project’s instructions and configuration to determine its required runtime and test runner. OpenAI lists Git, Node.js, Python, the .NET SDK, and GitHub CLI as useful development tools, but a project does not necessarily require all of them. Native Git is required for some app Git features. The Windows desktop app guide covers the app’s tool and shell considerations.
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If Codex itself will not start, check for a retired setting
This is a version-specific check, not a general fix for file access or test failures. OpenAI says the retired approval_policy = "untrusted" value can prevent startup on Codex CLI 0.149.0 and later, the desktop app 26.818.31338 and later on macOS, Windows, and Linux, and the VS Code extension 26.818.31338 and later.
- Check the version of the CLI, desktop app, or extension you are using.
- In the applicable configuration, active profiles, and any organization-managed settings, look for
approval_policy = "untrusted". - Remove that retired approval-policy value, then restart Codex.
Do not confuse it with project-level trust_level = "untrusted", which OpenAI says remains supported. See OpenAI’s Codex plan guidance for the version-scoped note.
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Know what platform guidance does—and does not—cover
OpenAI’s reviewed desktop documentation gives specific Windows guidance for WSL, execution policy, and tools. Its Linux desktop app is described as a preview for supported Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, and Arch desktop distributions; the Windows WSL instructions do not apply to Linux. The reviewed documentation does not set out a comparable Linux file-access repair or a specific macOS file-permission procedure. If the folder, workspace, and permissions checks do not resolve the problem, use OpenAI’s platform troubleshooting guide or contact Support. The Linux scope is described in the Linux desktop app guide.
What to include when you contact Support
Provide enough detail to make the failure reproducible:
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- Your operating system and Codex app, CLI, or extension version.
- Whether the task runs locally or in Codex Cloud, and the agent environment if you are on Windows.
- The active permissions profile and whether an approval prompt appeared.
- The project folder and affected file path, or the exact command you tried.
- The complete error text, not just a summary.
Use the OpenAI troubleshooting guide or contact OpenAI Support if the checks above do not identify the cause.
Quick Recap
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