Dear Chris Santucci,
Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A.
Microsoft's AI-powered assistant, Copilot, is becoming increasingly integrated into the Windows operating system. While many find it helpful, others may prefer a more traditional desktop experience.
To completely disable Copilot, you could try following these steps below:
- Hide from Taskbar:
- Right-click on the taskbar and select Taskbar settings.
- Alternatively, open the Settings app, navigate to Personalization, and then select Taskbar.
- Under the "Taskbar items" section, toggle the switch next to Copilot to Off.
- Using Group Policy Editor:
- Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
- Type
gpedit.mscand press Enter. - In the Local Group Policy Editor, navigate to the following path:User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Copilot
- In the right-hand pane, double-click on the Turn off Windows Copilot policy.
- Select the Enabled radio button.
- Click Apply and then OK.
- Restart your computer.
- Uninstalling Copilot:
- Open the Settings app.
- Go to Apps and then select Installed apps (or Apps & features on Windows 10).
- Search for "Copilot" in the list of installed applications.
- If it appears, click on the three dots next to it and select Uninstall.
I hope this could help. If you have any further issues, we are happy to assist.
To assist others who might have similar questions and to help us improve our support system, we kindly encourage you to "Accept the answer" if it successfully addressed your concern. Accepting an answer lets other users know that this solution worked for you, and it also helps us track the effectiveness of our support efforts.
Best regards,
Bryan Vu | Microsoft Q&A Support Specialist