First establish whether recovery is possible
- The backup must have been created before the session was deleted
- The selected backup scope must include the relevant session category
- The backup must still be readable and pass its integrity checks
- The recovered session must be inspected outside live state before use
Recovery steps
- 01
Write down the approximate deletion time
Use the last time you remember seeing the session to narrow the recovery window.
- 02
Choose the closest earlier recovery point
A backup made after deletion will usually preserve the deleted state, not the missing session.
- 03
Check available recovery categories
If targeted session recovery is available, select the specific item. Otherwise use broader safe-folder recovery and inspect the reconstructed output.
- 04
Recover into a separate folder
Do not replace the active Codex home just to inspect one missing session.
- 05
Compare before reintroducing anything
Confirm you have the intended session and that restoring it will not remove newer current state.
What not to promise
No recovery product can guarantee a deleted session if no earlier backup captured it. Retention also matters: an old recovery point may have been removed before the deletion was noticed. Automatic backups reduce the gap, but they do not travel back in time.
What Calmbu currently claims
Calmbu can recover a deleted Codex session only when an earlier retained and verified recovery point contains it. Standard recovery returns it separately for inspection without immediately changing active Codex state.
See the recovery model How Calmbu verifies its claimsCommon questions
Can I recover a session deleted before installing Calmbu?
Not from Calmbu unless another imported or compatible backup already contains it. Calmbu cannot reconstruct local state it never captured.
Why is the deleted-session option missing?
The selected backup may be from after the deletion, may not include the session category, or the earlier recovery point may no longer be retained.
Should I restore the whole Codex home?
Not as the first step. Recover the smallest useful scope to a separate folder and inspect it before considering changes to live state.
Official references used for Codex facts
OpenAI documentation establishes Codex behaviour. Calmbu-specific statements describe the current product contract and are not presented as OpenAI guidance.