Is Microsoft Adding the Copilot App to My PC Automatically, and How Can I Stop It?

How Do I Prevent the New Copilot App From Installing on My Windows Computer?

Microsoft is planning to add its Copilot application to many Windows computers automatically. This process will happen in the background starting this fall. For most people with Microsoft 365 programs, this new AI assistant will simply appear on their devices without any action needed. Understanding how this works, who it affects, and how to manage it gives you control over your computer.

Who Will Get the Copilot App Automatically?

The main requirement for this automatic installation is having Microsoft 365 desktop apps on your Windows device. If you use programs like Word, Excel, or PowerPoint from a Microsoft 365 subscription, your system is set to receive the Copilot app. The installation is designed to be silent and not interrupt your work. It happens behind the scenes, and one day the app will just be there.

However, there is a significant exception to this plan. Users located in the European Economic Area (EEA) will not have the Copilot app installed automatically. This difference is likely due to regional data privacy and market regulations that give users more direct control over the software installed on their systems. If you are outside the EEA, you should assume you are part of the automatic rollout unless you take steps to prevent it.

How Administrators Can Block the Installation

For those who manage multiple computers in an organization, like IT administrators, Microsoft provides a way to prevent this automatic installation across all managed devices. This is done through a central control panel for Microsoft 365 apps. Taking this step ensures that the organization can decide when and if it wants to deploy Copilot, rather than having it pushed to users automatically.

To block the installation as an administrator, follow these steps:

1. First, you need to sign in to the Microsoft 365 Apps admin center. You must use an account with administrative privileges to access these settings.
2. Once logged in, look for the customization options. Navigate to the section labeled Customization, then find Device Configuration, and finally select Modern App Settings.
3. In this menu, you will see an option for the Microsoft 365 Copilot app. Select it.
4. You will find a checkbox with the text “Enable automatic installation of Microsoft 365 Copilot app.” This box will be checked by default. To prevent the installation, you must clear this checkbox.

After you save this change, the Copilot app will no longer be installed automatically on the Windows devices you manage.

How Regular Users Can Disable Copilot

If you are a home user or not part of a large managed network, you still have options to block Copilot. These methods involve changing settings directly on your own computer. The tools you use depend on your version of Windows. It is important to note that these methods are designed to disable the main Copilot feature in Windows. It is expected, but not yet certain, that they will also prevent the new, separate app from installing.

Using the Group Policy Editor

If your computer runs Windows 11 Pro, Education, or Enterprise, the easiest way to block Copilot is by using the Group Policy Editor. This tool is a powerful settings manager for Windows.

1. To open it, press the Windows key and R at the same time to open the Run box. Type gpedit.msc and press Enter.
2. In the Group Policy Editor window, use the left pane to navigate to this path: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Copilot.
3. On the right side, find the policy named “Turn off Windows Copilot.” Double-click it.
4. Select the Enabled option and then click OK. This action will turn off the Copilot feature on your system.

Using the Registry Editor

For users of any Windows version, including Windows 11 Home, the Registry Editor offers another way to disable Copilot. The Registry is a critical database of settings for your operating system. Making incorrect changes here can cause serious problems, so proceed with caution.

Open the Registry Editor by pressing the Windows key and R, typing regedit, and pressing Enter.

In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following location using the address bar at the top: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsCopilot.

If the WindowsCopilot key does not exist, you will need to create it. Right-click on the Windows key, select New > Key, and name it WindowsCopilot.

With the WindowsCopilot key selected, right-click on the empty space on the right side. Select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.

Name this new value TurnOffWindowsCopilot.

Double-click the new TurnOffWindowsCopilot value and change its Value data to 1. Then click OK.

Removing the App After Installation
If you do not take any of these steps and the Copilot app installs automatically, you can still remove it. The process is the same as uninstalling any other application from your computer. You can go to the Settings app, find the Apps section, and look for the Microsoft 365 Copilot app in your list of installed programs. From there, you can select it and choose the uninstall option to remove it from your system. This gives you the final say on whether the app remains on your device.