Removing Copilot

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To meet your security requirements and ensure that Copilot is not available or executable on your master image, based on the information you shared, you can use AppLocker to block the application.

AppLocker is an effective way to prevent the execution of unwanted applications such as Copilot, even in cases where removal scripts do not fully uninstall the package. This approach helps meet security and compliance requirements by blocking access and execution on the master image.

1. Identify Copilot Executable or Package

• First, determine the executable or package name associated with Copilot. You can use Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers CoPilot to find the package details if it is still present.

2. Create AppLocker Rule to Block Copilot

• Open the Local Security Policy editor (secpol.msc), Local Group Policy or use Group Policy Management for domain-joined systems.
• Navigate to Application Control Policies > AppLocker.
• Select the appropriate rule type (typically Packaged app Rules for Appx packages).
• Create a new rule to Deny execution of the Copilot package for all users.
  • In the rule wizard, specify the publisher or package name that matches Copilot.
    • Set the action to Deny.
      • Apply the rule to all users or specific groups as required.

3. Enforce AppLocker Policy

• Ensure the AppLocker service is running:
  • Open Services (services.msc), find Application Identity, and set it to Automatic and start the service.
  • Apply the policy by running gpupdate /force if using Group Policy.

4. Validate the Block

• After applying the AppLocker policy, run Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers CoPilot.
• Copilot should not run or be available to users and attempts to launch it will be blocked by AppLocker.

Note:

• AppLocker does not uninstall the package, it prevents execution. The package may still appear in Get-AppxPackage unless removed, but users will be unable to run it.
• If you require the package to be completely removed, continue to use PowerShell and registry edits in addition to AppLocker.
• For a more robust solution, combine AppLocker with removal scripts and ensure your master image does not include Copilot during the build process.

To remove Copilot or any Appx package from a Windows system, you can follow these steps:

1. Check if the App is Installed: First, confirm if Copilot is installed for all users by running the command:

      Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers *CoPilot*
   

   If it returns results, you can proceed to remove it.
2. Remove the Appx Package: If the package is found, use the following command to remove it for all users:

      Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers *CoPilot* | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
   

   Ensure you run this command in an elevated PowerShell prompt (Run as Administrator).
3. Check for Non-Removable Attributes: If the command does not work, check if the package has the NonRemovable attribute set to True. You can do this by running:

      Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers *CoPilot* | Select-Object -Property Name, NonRemovable
   

   If it is marked as NonRemovable, it cannot be removed using the standard methods.
4. Remove Provisioned Packages: If Copilot is provisioned (installed by default for new users), you might need to remove it using the Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage cmdlet:

      Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online -PackageName <PackageName>
   

   Replace <PackageName> with the actual name of the package.
5. Registry Cleanup: Since you've already checked the registry, ensure that there are no remnants left that could cause issues. However, be cautious when editing the registry.
6. Reboot and Verify: After executing these commands, reboot the system and run the Get-AppxPackage command again to verify that Copilot has been removed.

If you still encounter issues, it may be necessary to investigate further into system policies or other installed software that might be preventing the removal of Copilot.