Quick answer
If the error appeared in Codex Desktop while using WSL mode, open the same project in native Windows mode. In VS Code, run Developer: Reload Window and start a fresh chat. Both are workarounds, not a confirmed permanent fix.
The exact error
Invalid request: AbsolutePathBuf deserialized without a base pathDo not use this guide for a merely similar message. The workaround is scoped to this signature and the environments below.
Match your environment
- Windows 10 or 11
- Codex Desktop WSL mode or VS Code
- New chat/task creation
What to do
- 01
Identify which path mode failed
Check whether the folder is open through WSL or as a native Windows folder such as C:/work/project. Do not change both the product version and path mode at once.
- 02
For Desktop WSL mode, retry natively
Close the affected conversation, open the repository from its native Windows path, and create a new chat. A Windows 10 reporter confirmed that moving from WSL mode to native mode avoided the failure.
- 03
For VS Code, reload the window
Open the Command Palette, run Developer: Reload Window, then create a fresh Codex chat. A Windows 11 report found this restored operation temporarily.
- 04
Preserve evidence if it returns
Record the Codex version, Windows build, folder path style, and whether the chat was new or resumed. Add those details upstream instead of repeatedly reinstalling without a controlled comparison.
What likely happened
The error says an absolute-path value reached task creation without the base path needed to interpret it. The reports show that changing workspace context can avoid the failure, but they do not establish one universal root cause.
First-hand sources
Source links support the environment and workaround claims above. An issue being closed does not by itself mean a fix shipped.