How can I 100% REMOVE Windows Copilot??

[PowerPCFan]

How do I remove Windows Copilot in windows 11? I'm trying to customize my Windows installation as much as I can but don't want to switch to Linux because of Windows-only apps and games that are ESSENTIAL. 

 

I don't need AI in my operating system... I can just go to chat.openai.com or gemini.google.com if I need AI assistance. 

 

I know how to remove the copilot button from the taskbar but that doesn't DELETE it... is there a way to completely remove it? 

 

Also, how do I pause Windows feature updates but continue security updates? I'm pretty happy with the current state of Windows 11 and I don't want a dumb feature update adding or removing things that I use. 

 

The Chris Titus Tech Windows utility has the option to pause feature updates for 1-2 years and continue security updates... but can I stop them forever? 

Link to CTT WinUtil: https://christitus.com/windows-tool/

[GuiltySpark_]

5 minutes ago, PowerPCFan said:

is there a way to completely remove it? 

Probably not cleanly. You can totally disable all its functions with reg edit, however. (Found in a 3 second google search)

 

Copy this into a new .reg file and run it.

 

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsCopilot]
"TurnOffWindowsCopilot"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsCopilot]
"TurnOffWindowsCopilot"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge]
"HubsSidebarEnabled"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer]
"DisableSearchBoxSuggestions"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer]
"DisableSearchBoxSuggestions"=dword:00000001

 

To revert, do the same with this.

 

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsCopilot]
"TurnOffWindowsCopilot"=-

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsCopilot]
"TurnOffWindowsCopilot"=-

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge]
"HubsSidebarEnabled"=-

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer]
"DisableSearchBoxSuggestions"=-

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer]
"DisableSearchBoxSuggestions"=-

 

I just leave it all alone as it doesn't bother me in the least and I have a modern system. I spend too much time fixing others PC's that muck with stuff like this and then can't Google how to fix it themselves.

 

[emosun]

no they'll just reinstall it on the next update , any method you come up with , gets patched in the next update.

that's whats great about windows , you pay for the privilege of them legally doing anything they want to your computer. not only can they decide to reinstall copilot , but they can also just copy all your files , hand them over to the nsa , then give you a big middle finger and laugh knowing you agreed to their terms and can't afford to sue them. welcome to the future.

[Electronics Wizardy]

7 minutes ago, PowerPCFan said:

 

Also, how do I pause Windows feature updates but continue security updates? I'm pretty happy with the current state of Windows 11 and I don't want a dumb feature update adding or removing things that I use. 

 

The Chris Titus Tech Windows utility has the option to pause feature updates for 1-2 years and continue security updates... but can I stop them forever? 

Link to CTT WinUtil: https://christitus.com/windows-tool/

WSUS can do this if you want to setup a little server box. You can manually approve what updates you want. 

 

But the feature updates only get about 2 years of support so your forced to basically do every feature update if you want to have a supported os. The first version of windows 11 has already gone EOL. You can go with a long term support branch, but that can have its own problems with lack of software support in some programs.

 

 

[PowerPCFan]

17 minutes ago, emosun said:

no they'll just reinstall it on the next update , any method you come up with , gets patched in the next update.

that's whats great about windows , you pay for the privilege of them legally doing anything they want to your computer. not only can they decide to reinstall copilot , but they can also just copy all your files , hand them over to the nsa , then give you a big middle finger and laugh knowing you agreed to their terms and can't afford to sue them. welcome to the future.

so there's another reason to pause updates! 

[PowerPCFan]

57 minutes ago, GuiltySpark_ said:

Probably not cleanly. You can totally disable all its functions with reg edit, however. (Found in a 3 second google search)

 

Copy this into a new .reg file and run it.

 

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsCopilot]
"TurnOffWindowsCopilot"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsCopilot]
"TurnOffWindowsCopilot"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge]
"HubsSidebarEnabled"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer]
"DisableSearchBoxSuggestions"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer]
"DisableSearchBoxSuggestions"=dword:00000001

 

To revert, do the same with this.

 

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsCopilot]
"TurnOffWindowsCopilot"=-

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsCopilot]
"TurnOffWindowsCopilot"=-

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge]
"HubsSidebarEnabled"=-

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer]
"DisableSearchBoxSuggestions"=-

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer]
"DisableSearchBoxSuggestions"=-

 

I just leave it all alone as it doesn't bother me in the least and I have a modern system. I spend too much time fixing others PC's that muck with stuff like this and then can't Google how to fix it themselves.

 

Thanks... I actually already did the DisableSearchBoxSuggestions a while ago to remove Bing search from the start menu, but I'll try those other ones. 

 

I have TONS of registry tweaks (at this point, i basically have a custom registry lol) and my PC is fine so a few more won't hurt it, right?  

 

Edit: didn't try those because the solution below worked. thanks for the suggestions though!! 

[Guest]

From Microsoft themselves:

The easiest way to disable Copilot is to hide it from the taskbar. To do this, right-click on the Copilot icon in the taskbar and uncheck the option ‘Show Copilot button’. This will remove the Copilot button from the taskbar, but you can still access Copilot by pressing the Windows + C shortcut key.

 

If you want to completely remove Copilot from your system, you will need to use either the Group Policy Editor or the Registry Editor. These methods are more advanced and require caution, as they can affect your system settings and performance. Before you proceed, make sure you back up your registry or create a restore point in case something goes wrong.

 

To remove Copilot using the Group Policy Editor, you will need to have Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education editions. The Group Policy Editor is a tool that allows you to configure various policies and settings for your computer and user accounts. To access the Group Policy Editor, type gpedit.msc in the Start menu or the Run command and hit Enter. Then, navigate to the following folder using the left panel: User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Copilot. On the right-side pane, double-click on the policy ‘Turn off Windows Copilot’ and select ‘Enabled’. Then, click ‘Apply’ and ‘OK’. This will disable Copilot entirely and remove it from the Settings app as well.

 

To remove Copilot using the Registry Editor, you can use any edition of Windows 11. The Registry Editor is a tool that allows you to view and modify the registry, which is a database that stores information about your system and applications. To access the Registry Editor, type regedit in the Start menu or the Run command and hit Enter. Then, navigate to the following key using the left panel: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced. On the right-side pane, right-click on an empty space and select ‘New > DWORD (32-bit) Value’. Name it ‘ShowCopilotButton’ and set its value data to 0. Then, click ‘OK’. This will hide the Copilot button from the taskbar and disable its functionality.

 

[BoomerDutch]

Wait for update on Chris titus tech winutil.

 

He'll probably gonna add that in maybe in future.

[PowerPCFan]

15 minutes ago, Thomas4 said:

From Microsoft themselves:

The easiest way to disable Copilot is to hide it from the taskbar. To do this, right-click on the Copilot icon in the taskbar and uncheck the option ‘Show Copilot button’. This will remove the Copilot button from the taskbar, but you can still access Copilot by pressing the Windows + C shortcut key.

 

If you want to completely remove Copilot from your system, you will need to use either the Group Policy Editor or the Registry Editor. These methods are more advanced and require caution, as they can affect your system settings and performance. Before you proceed, make sure you back up your registry or create a restore point in case something goes wrong.

 

To remove Copilot using the Group Policy Editor, you will need to have Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education editions. The Group Policy Editor is a tool that allows you to configure various policies and settings for your computer and user accounts. To access the Group Policy Editor, type gpedit.msc in the Start menu or the Run command and hit Enter. Then, navigate to the following folder using the left panel: User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Copilot. On the right-side pane, double-click on the policy ‘Turn off Windows Copilot’ and select ‘Enabled’. Then, click ‘Apply’ and ‘OK’. This will disable Copilot entirely and remove it from the Settings app as well.

 

To remove Copilot using the Registry Editor, you can use any edition of Windows 11. The Registry Editor is a tool that allows you to view and modify the registry, which is a database that stores information about your system and applications. To access the Registry Editor, type regedit in the Start menu or the Run command and hit Enter. Then, navigate to the following key using the left panel: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced. On the right-side pane, right-click on an empty space and select ‘New > DWORD (32-bit) Value’. Name it ‘ShowCopilotButton’ and set its value data to 0. Then, click ‘OK’. This will hide the Copilot button from the taskbar and disable its functionality.

 

THANK YOU, I recently upgraded to Windows 11 Pro and realized I now have access to Group Policy Editor so this is gonna be easy if this works! Trying it now

 

Edit: it worked, thank you!!

[goatedpenguin]

35 minutes ago, BoomerDutch said:

Wait for update on Chris titus tech winutil.

 

He'll probably gonna add that in maybe in future.

Hes tha goat, I don't even have copilot since I have delayed my feature updates for windows 11 by 2yrs and only install the essential security updates from the winutil tweaks setting I think. 

[PowerPCFan]

Just now, goatedpenguin said:

Hes tha goat, I don't even have copilot since I have delayed my feature updates for windows 11 by 2yrs and only install the essential security updates by winutil. 

nice! just did the same

[GuiltySpark_]

Completely untouched Windows 11 Home, I dont see Copilot anywhere and I've not adjusted anything. I just let it be. 

 

[goatedpenguin]

42 minutes ago, GuiltySpark_ said:

Completely untouched Windows 11 Home, I dont see Copilot anywhere and I've not adjusted anything. I just let it be. 

 

nice wallpaper

[pchelp]

Aren't they pushing the disabled/removed copilot back with updates?

[PowerPCFan]

6 hours ago, pchelp said:

Aren't they pushing the disabled/removed copilot back with updates?

I think so, but I paused feature updates with the CTT winutil so I'm good

[Heavyoak]

I was going to ask something similar, like where are in install files for it? disabling it via group policy and tools like Winaero Tweaker  or Shutup 10 is fine and dandy but its still on the system.

 

ive disabled windows update, and removed its files, its not going to run, so the next step after everything else is to fully remove the files that allow copilot to run.

[PowerPCFan]

13 hours ago, Heavyoak said:

I was going to ask something similar, like where are in install files for it? disabling it via group policy and tools like Winaero Tweaker  or Shutup 10 is fine and dandy but its still on the system.

 

ive disabled windows update, and removed its files, its not going to run, so the next step after everything else is to fully remove the files that allow copilot to run.

Using WizFile to search for directories with "Copilot" in the path or name, i got this... could this be helpful? 

(This is on my laptop, which still has Copilot enabled, I only turned it off with group policy on my desktop PC)

 

[Guest]

Copilot may still be reside in the system, I haven't looked, but by adding it to Group Policy, even Microsoft is unable to update any application it contains

[Guest]

On 6/3/2024 at 4:29 PM, PowerPCFan said:

Using WizFile to search for directories with "Copilot" in the path or name, i got this... could this be helpful? 

(This is on my laptop, which still has Copilot enabled, I only turned it off with group policy on my desktop PC)

 

Thanks for taking the time to find them, its of great help.

What I recommend is that you append the extension .old to all of the directories the files are listed in. However, if the files are in a directory with any other files, you need to rename each one separately as a precaution to causing a problem elsewhere.

I use .old because I know that this is an unused extension and it makes it easier to find if you either need to rename them to fix a problem or to remove them from your system.

 

I recommend leaving the files/directories on the computer until running the monthly update as a precautionary step, I've never seen anyone have one, but you never know. Then if you don't have one either then they can safely be deleted from the computer.