Windows: memory usage spikes and Codex freezes after repeated context compactions #24095

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1. github-actions

   added

   bugSomething isn't workingSomething isn't working

   appIssues related to the Codex desktop appIssues related to the Codex desktop app

   windows-osIssues related to Codex on Windows systemsIssues related to Codex on Windows systems

   contextIssues related to context management (including compaction)Issues related to context management (including compaction)

   performance

   on May 22, 2026
2. github-actions commented on May 22, 2026

   

   github-actionsBot

   on May 22, 2026 – with GitHub Actions

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   Potential duplicates detected. Please review them and close your issue if it is a duplicate.

   • Desktop compaction repeatedly embeds full image base64 in compacted checkpoints #23257
   • Codex app can freeze with very large rollout/history JSONL files #22991

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3. Herrtian commented on May 22, 2026

   

   Herrtian

   on May 22, 2026

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   I reviewed the duplicate suggestions and related reports.

   • Codex app can freeze with very large rollout/history JSONL files #22991 is still open and seems focused on large rollout/history JSONL files making long sessions freeze, especially when continuing a session or sending a new prompt.
   • Desktop compaction repeatedly embeds full image base64 in compacted checkpoints #23257 is still open and is more specific to compaction retaining inline image base64 inside compacted checkpoints / replacement_history.
   • # Codex desktop main-process crash: RangeError: Invalid string length when loading sessions whose rollout JSONL exceeds V8's max string length #22004 and macOS Desktop: image-heavy thread takes minutes to open because rollout JSONL embeds generated image payloads inline #22603 overlap through oversized image-heavy rollouts and full-history hydration.
   • Long conversations cannot be opened at all after updating the OpenAI Windows desktop app, urgent fix needed! #22956 and Codex Desktop session can become unusable after large Git output #22961 look like the May 16 Windows renderer/directive regression; those had a hotfix, so I do not think this issue should be closed as that same case yet.

   The remaining useful distinction seems to be the exact lag/freeze shape:

   1. opening/selecting an existing large thread freezes,
   2. sending a new prompt in an already-open thread freezes,
   3. memory spikes right after or during context compaction,
   4. Electron main process crashes with RangeError: Invalid string length,
   5. renderer crashes on Markdown/directive parsing.

   This report is meant to track case 3 on Windows: repeated compactions in one long-running session, followed by rapid memory growth and UI freeze. I will leave it open for now and try to capture the app version plus whether the spike starts before or after the compacted checkpoint is written.