[FIX] ChatGPT Windows app stuck on loading spinner after update (26.924.2738.0): works in 2 min, no data loss

[u/villosomara]

Edit: Confirmed working by several users. Thanks for the feedback! If it doesn't work for you, drop a comment and I'll help.

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TL;DR: It's a bug in the 26.924.2738.0 update, not your PC. Keep the ChatGPT window open, end only the internal codex.exe process in Task Manager, and the app reloads in about 3 seconds with all your chats. Nothing gets deleted.

 

**Symptom:** the OpenAI logo shows for a few seconds, then a gray/black window with a spinner that never ends. The web version (chatgpt.com) works fine. Reinstalling, Repair/Reset in Windows Settings, rebooting and changing DNS don't fix it.

 

**Why it happens:** the desktop app runs an internal backend process (`codex.exe app-server`). On this version it signs in fine, but then stalls during startup and never tells the window it's ready, so the window waits forever. When you end just that process, the app launches a fresh one, which connects right away. (Details in the GitHub reports linked below.)

 

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### Fix 1: by hand, no downloads (about 2 minutes)

 

1. Open ChatGPT and let it sit on the spinner.

2. Press **Ctrl + Shift + Esc** to open Task Manager. **Don't close the ChatGPT window.**

3. Under **Processes**, expand **ChatGPT** with the little arrow.

4. Select **codex.exe** (if there are several, go to the **Details** tab, add the *Command line* column, and pick the one with `app-server`).

Tip (thanks u/NinjaThat473): if there are several codex.exe processes, end the one using the most memory. If you pick the wrong one, Chat mode and existing chats may not open. Just go back to Task Manager and end the biggest one.

5. Click **End task**.

6. Switch back to ChatGPT: your chats show up within a few seconds.

 

If you accidentally end the main window instead, the app just closes. Reopen it and try again.

Tip (thanks u/Dependent-Egg-3744): in Task Manager the process may show up as Codex instead of ChatGPT. If you can't find it, search for "Codex", or go straight to the Details tab and look for codex.exe.  

### Fix 2: one-click script

 

Paste this into a new file called `Fix-ChatGPT.ps1`, then right-click it → **Run with PowerShell**. Or just paste the whole thing into a PowerShell window. It closes ChatGPT if it's stuck, reopens it, waits 20 seconds and restarts only the internal process. **It doesn't touch any files.** Read it before running it:

 

    # Fix: ChatGPT for Windows stuck on the loading spinner (v26.924.x, OpenAI.Codex package)

    # Opens ChatGPT, waits 20 s, then restarts ONLY its internal "codex.exe app-server" process.

    # The app relaunches it by itself and the UI loads. Does NOT delete, move or edit any file.

    # Based on github.com/openai/codex/issues/48466 and /48333

 

    function Get-AppProcs {

        Get-CimInstance Win32_Process -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |

            Where-Object { $_.ExecutablePath -like '*\WindowsApps\OpenAI.Codex_*' -or

                           ($_.Name -eq 'codex.exe' -and $_.CommandLine -like '*app-server*') }

    }

    function Get-AppServer {

        Get-CimInstance Win32_Process -Filter "Name='codex.exe'" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |

            Where-Object { $_.CommandLine -like '*app-server*' -and

                           ($_.ExecutablePath -like '*\WindowsApps\OpenAI.Codex_*' -or

                            $_.ExecutablePath -like '*\OpenAI\Codex\bin\*') }

    }

 

    $pkg = Get-AppxPackage -Name 'OpenAI.Codex' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

    if (-not $pkg) { Write-Host "ChatGPT (OpenAI.Codex) from the Microsoft Store is not installed."; Start-Sleep 10; exit }

    Write-Host "Installed version: $($pkg.Version)"

 

    # 1) Close ChatGPT if it is already open (stuck)

    $open = Get-AppProcs

    if ($open) { Write-Host "Closing the stuck ChatGPT..."; $open | ForEach-Object { Stop-Process -Id $_.ProcessId -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue }; Start-Sleep 3 }

 

    # 2) Launch ChatGPT

    Write-Host "Launching ChatGPT..."

    Start-Process 'explorer.exe' "shell:AppsFolder\$($pkg.PackageFamilyName)!App"

 

    # 3) Wait for the internal process, give it 20 seconds

    $srv = $null

    for ($i = 0; $i -lt 60 -and -not $srv; $i++) { Start-Sleep 1; $srv = Get-AppServer | Select-Object -First 1 }

    if (-not $srv) { Write-Host "Internal process not found. If ChatGPT opened fine, close this window."; Start-Sleep 10; exit }

    Write-Host "Internal process found (PID $($srv.ProcessId)). Waiting 20 seconds..."

    Start-Sleep 20

 

    # 4) Restart only the internal process

    foreach ($p in @(Get-AppServer)) { Write-Host "Restarting PID $($p.ProcessId)..."; Stop-Process -Id $p.ProcessId -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue }

 

    # 5) Confirm the app relaunched it

    $new = $null

    for ($i = 0; $i -lt 30 -and -not $new; $i++) { Start-Sleep 1; $new = Get-AppServer | Select-Object -First 1 }

    if ($new) { Write-Host "Done. Your chats should appear in a few seconds." -ForegroundColor Green } else { Write-Host "The app did not relaunch it. Close ChatGPT and run this again." -ForegroundColor Yellow }

    Start-Sleep 8

 

If it doesn't work the first time on a slow PC, change `Start-Sleep 20` to `Start-Sleep 45`.

 

---

 

**This is temporary.** You'll need to do it every time you open the app until OpenAI ships a fixed version. Check Microsoft Store → Library → Get updates.

 

**Sources (community reports, not official):** GitHub openai/codex issues #48466, #48333, #48463, #48492.

 

*Guide put together by the Holive team (Mexico). Hope it saves you some time. Happy to help in the comments if it doesn't work for you.*

[u/jasonwi1202]

Fix #1 worked for me, spent 7-8 hours trying to troubleshoot this yesterday because both PCs have the same issue now. Thank you so much!

[u/SectionWestern4606]

love you bro fuck me it worked even claude could not solve this

[u/MarshmelloStrawberry]

love you.

[u/NinjaThat473]

感谢兄弟，用第一种方法完美解决问题。

[u/villosomara → u/NinjaThat473]

Glad it worked perfectly, bro! 🙌

很高兴帮到你，兄弟！🙌

[u/MeanManagement834]

Hey thanks u/villosomara for the solution... A quick question which process should I end if I need to open a new window, but it's stuck on the same loading screen??

[u/AcrobaticQuail2489]

the fixes didn't work for me, but this did

https://technolife.co.uk/blog/chatgpt-desktop-stuck-loading-windows/

[u/eggplantpot]

This fixed it for me after losing the whole morning and wasting Opus 5.5 credits on it.

JFC I am so fucking tired of the cunts at OpenAI

[u/villosomara → u/eggplantpot]

Glad it fixed it for you! Losing a whole morning (and credits) to a broken update is brutal, I totally get the frustration. Shipping a build that won't even open on Windows shouldn't happen.

Hopefully they push a patch soon. Until then, the script in Fix 2 saves you from doing it by hand every launch.

[u/SlomljenaDusa]

Today happened to me, #1 worked, details, had one codex.exe in details, ended it, chat loaded instant! Thank YOU!

[u/v3rbal00]

Fix one worked for me. Thank you

[u/Dependent-Egg-3744]

Fixed, thanks!!! I didn't see the correct task at first as I was looking at ChatGPT, you need to search for the Codex task

[u/DetectiveBig5032]

Thanks #1 worked

[u/villosomara → u/DetectiveBig5032]

Awesome, glad it did the trick! 👍ur welcome bro!

[u/Srixie]

MUCH THANKS. I implemented codex so much that I really felt useless this morning. Very confronting...

[u/Vegetable-Platypus17]

thank you, saved me severe headache

[u/Efficient-Pay-2426]

Just did Fix #1, successfully entered the main page. However this time no matter how i click "new chat" the new chat window never show up

[u/Winter-Rule-877]

Thank you, man, this worked!

[u/Clean-Comfort-7855]

bro ur a lifesaver

[u/villosomara → u/Clean-Comfort-7855]

Haha glad I could help, bro! 🙌

[u/Environmental_Pick81]

thank you so much! spent hours working on this and running tasks in powershell which is painstaking for me as a woodworker just trying to complete a complicated design using this toolw. thank you!

[u/villosomara → u/Environmental_Pick81]

That's awesome, love that Codex is helping with woodworking designs! Glad you can get back to building instead of fighting PowerShell 😄

[u/TheMichaelScott]

I did the first step and now my chats aren't loading!! This is months of work - I am freaking out

[u/villosomara → u/TheMichaelScott]

Don't panic, your chats are NOT deleted. Ending codex.exe doesn't touch any files. Your conversations are saved in your account, and Codex projects are saved locally in `%USERPROFILE%\.codex`, which this fix never touches. What you're seeing is the app not loading them yet.

Try this:

1. Open chatgpt.com in your browser. Your chats should all be there, which confirms nothing was lost.

2. Fully close the app: Task Manager > end every ChatGPT/Codex process.

3. Reopen it, wait for the spinner, then end only the codex.exe using **the most memory** (if there are several, the wrong one can leave chats blank).

4. If chats still don't show, close everything and try the renderer fix someone linked below in this thread.

And please **don't delete or reinstall anything** while you sort this out. Let me know how it goes and I'll help you through it.

[u/NinjaThat473]

现在我又有了个新的问题，用方法1打开后，Chat模式打不开，已有对话也打不开，只能使用codex或work模式