How do I disable Copilot and all Other AI functionality in Windows 11 HOME edition

Question

I want to fully disable (or preferably remove) Copilot and all other AI functionality in Windows 11 Home Edition. This question may belong under another topic; I just guessed at Settings.

See the bottom of this post for system information. Below are specific questions related to the details of disabling Copilot and AI functionality. I have not been able to find any of this information on any Microsoft resources; perhaps I missed something?.

• Disabling Copilot in Windows 11 Home Edition: Please note that I am running Windows 11 Home edition - not Pro, Enterprise, etc., where I could solve the problem with group policies or other administrative options. The Windows Update setting "Get the latest updates" is turned on, so I am running Copilot Preview.
• Copilot Taskbar Button: I have hidden Copilot on the taskbar, but that is obviously not the same as disabling Copilot or other AI functionality.
• Disabling Copilot via Registry: There are instructions on various websites for disabling Copilot by editing the registry; I would appreciate details about how to do that, as long as the necessary edits are reasonably safe and reliable.
• Disabling all AI functionality: How centralized is AI functionality in Windows 11? Does disabling Copilot disable AI functionality across all Windows 11 built-in features, as well as Microsoft desktop apps? Or has AI metastasized across the entire Windows ecosystem, requiring a constant game of whack-a-mole to disable everywhere?

Thanks in advance for any help.

• Laura

Windows System Information:

Edition Windows 11 Home

Version 22H2

OS build OS Build 22621.2361 Preview (KB5030310)

Answer 1

It can be disabled in the registry. Right click the start button and select Terminal.

Copy and paste in the command below and press enter:

reg add HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsCopilot /v TurnOffWindowsCopilot /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

If it is successful, sign out of your account then back in for the change to take effect.

To reenable:

reg delete HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsCopilot /f

Answer 2

If you think someone who is not tech-savvy can understand this, you are sadly mistaken.

Answer 3

THANK YOU!!!! Finally a solution that works! I was getting pretty aggravated with all these AI things. I'd (try) to open a file and before I could CoPilot would popup wanting to know what I was doing and I guess wanting to offer suggestions or help. So here goes another step, another button to click so I can do what I picked up the tablet or laptop to do. Thank You SOOOOOO much. Now if we can get rid of the Connected Experences (or whatever it's called). I don't want to give someone or a program permission to go looking around at my files, that's what hackers are for and you don't give them permissions. Its like the 'feature' that goes through my pictures and interrups what I'm doing to show me it's found a picture with text and it's converted it to a PDF Scan... 'isn't this wonderful'... No it's a waste of processor resources and data on my internet connection data plan. When did I ask for that?

Answer 4

I have the same question.

Answer 5

It can be disabled in the registry. Right click the start button and select Terminal.

Copy and paste in the command below and press enter:

 

reg add HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsCopilot /v TurnOffWindowsCopilot /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

 

If it is successful, sign out of your account then back in for the change to take effect.

 

To reenable:

 

reg delete HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsCopilot /f

This is useful, and I thank you for the response. Invoking the terminal using your quick-start enlarged my knowledge of W11, and I will be using the technique a lot.

It looks as if there are two Terminal options available, standard Terminal and Terminal with admin rights. Will your instruction work in both, or should the Terminal with admin rights be selected for the cut-and-paste operation?