Summary
The ChatGPT Windows app has recently become almost unusable on a desktop where it previously worked normally. This is application-wide freezing, not simply slow answer generation or a long conversation loading slowly. I am using the browser version on the same computer because the Windows app barely responds.
System and environment
- Windows 11
- Intel Core i9-14900KF
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080
- Report date: October 1, 2026. Time zone: US Eastern (UTC-4).
- Exact ChatGPT app version, Windows build and NVIDIA driver version: not yet recorded.
This is not an older, low-spec computer. I understand that strong hardware does not rule out software faults; the important comparison is that this same system previously ran ChatGPT normally.
Symptoms and impact
Basic controls barely respond to clicks. Even selecting New chat is difficult. When the click finally registers, opening a new conversation can take approximately ten minutes. The application then remains stalled and does not become usable.
The problem therefore occurs before I can meaningfully use a new conversation. Advice to start a fresh chat does not resolve an interface that cannot reliably open one. The Windows app is effectively unusable for normal work; the browser is my current workaround.
Steps that demonstrate the problem on my installation
- Open the ChatGPT Windows application.
- Attempt to click New chat.
- Observe that the control barely responds, or that loading takes approximately ten minutes and the application remains stalled afterward.
Expected: Basic navigation and a new, empty conversation should respond promptly.
Actual: The whole application becomes severely sluggish or unresponsive, not just a response from the model.
What I have already tried or checked
I install updates whenever the application’s blue update arrow appears. Updates are offered frequently, and the application is restarted during that process. I am not intentionally holding it on an older version.
I manually cleared cache/local-cache contents under my Windows user profile’s AppData\Local\Packages location. This did not resolve the problem.
I closed unnecessary applications to reduce background workload. My VPN is not running when this happens. Neither measure resolved the issue.
I attempted fresh conversations, but the New chat control itself is affected. The browser version remains usable on the same computer.
Windows Repair was suggested, but I do not yet have a confirmed result to report. I am not claiming that Repair, Reset or reinstalling has already failed.
Timing and related report
The severe deterioration developed recently after the application had worked on this setup. I have not identified the exact update or onset timestamp, so an update-related regression is a possibility, not a confirmed diagnosis.
This report describes similar application-wide lag after updating to 26.924:
That topic is closed. I have not verified that my app is on the same version or that both problems have the same cause.
Assistance requested
Is a Windows-app regression involving this kind of application-wide freezing being investigated? Are there identified affected builds, a confirmed workaround, or a fixed release?
Please provide specific instructions for obtaining the installed app version and useful Windows-app logs or performance diagnostics when the interface itself barely responds. CPU/RAM measurements during a freeze, crash dumps and exact occurrence timestamps are not included in this report.
I am looking for investigation of the desktop application’s unresponsiveness, rather than another recommendation to shorten conversations or start a new chat.