Microsoft to Auto-Install Copilot on Windows – But You Can Fight Back
New York, NY – August 27, 2024 – Microsoft is pushing further into the AI landscape, announcing plans to automatically install its Copilot app on Windows machines this fall. The rollout, confirmed by the tech giant, will affect users wiht Microsoft 365 applications – Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and others – already installed on their systems. However, the move isn’t without controversy, raising questions about user control and data privacy.
This latest progress follows Microsoft’s recent integration of Copilot into Excel, accompanied by a cautionary note advising users against relying on the AI for tasks demanding high accuracy. The company’s ambition is clear: to weave AI deeply into the fabric of its operating system and productivity suite.
Automatic Installation – With a Catch
According to Microsoft’s documentation, the Copilot app will install silently in the background, designed to be a non-disruptive experience. But there’s a meaningful regional exception. Users within the European Economic Area (EEA) will not receive the automatic installation. this likely stems from the stricter data privacy regulations within the EEA, such as GDPR.
Taking Control: How to Opt-Out
While Microsoft is making Copilot readily available, users aren’t entirely powerless. Administrators can prevent the automatic installation through the Microsoft 365 Apps admin center:
- Sign in to the Microsoft 365 Apps admin center with an admin account.
- Navigate to Customization > Device Configuration > modern App Settings.
- Select Microsoft 365 Copilot app and uncheck Enable automatic installation of Microsoft 365 Copilot app.
Regular users also have options, though they require a bit more technical know-how. Copilot can be disabled via the Group Policy Editor (for Windows 11 Pro users) or the Registry Editor.
* Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc): Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Copilot and enable the “Turn off Windows Copilot” policy.
* Registry Editor: Create a new DWORD (32-bit) Value named “TurnOffWindowsCopilot” in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsWindowsCopilot and set its value to 1.
if Copilot is already installed, it can
