Persistent Crashing Issue with Microsoft 365 Copilot (slowing down and Crash / Reset )

Question

Hi,

At my workplace, we are officially limited to using Microsoft 365 Copilot as our only AI tool. I rely heavily on Copilot to assist with administrative tasks, script editing, and troubleshooting, which makes it a critical part of my workflow.

However, I’ve been experiencing constant crashes that have become increasingly frustrating. I’ve decided to raise this issue here in hopes of finding a solution or connecting with others facing the same problem.

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My Setup and Symptoms

• I have a paid subscription to Copilot.
• I’ve tested this on Windows 10 and Windows 11, using:
  • Multiple browsers (Edge, Chrome, Firefox)
    • The official Microsoft 365 desktop app

Regardless of the platform, the issue persists:

• After about 5 interactions, Copilot starts to slow down.
• Between 15 to 20 questions, it crashes completely.
• Sometimes it crashes even earlier, after just 7 questions.
• After a crash, all memory is lost, and I have to start over.

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Troubleshooting Attempts

I’ve tried everything I could think of:

• Restarting the laptop
• Switching browsers
• Using the desktop app
• Clearing cache and cookies
• Updating the app

None of these steps have resolved the issue.

In a previous version of the app, I received an error message like this:

Error code: 1
exitCode: -536870904
reason: 5

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Support Status

I submitted an official ticket to our local IT administrators responsible for Microsoft 365. Unfortunately, they were unable to help or escalate the issue further.

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My Question

Is there anything that can be done to resolve this?

I found https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5443057/copilot-gets-slower-and-slower?page=1#answers describing the same issue, but it has been closed. That’s why I’m creating a new one.

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

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Let me know if you’d like to attach screenshots or logs to this message, or if you want help posting it directly to Microsoft Learn or another support channel.it directly to Microsoft Learn or another support channel.

Answer 1

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Thank you all for your responses.

I’ve recently switched to using Visual Studio Code in combination with Copilot AI. While the experience is generally smoother — and thankfully it doesn’t crash — I’ve encountered a limitation: despite having a paid subscription, the monthly usage cap is surprisingly easy to reach.

What’s particularly frustrating is that the free version of Copilot seems to run without issues, whereas the licensed version I’m actually allowed to use (M653) crashes frequently.

It’s unfortunate that there’s currently no way to integrate a self-developed Copilot agent into VS Code. At this point, working with Copilot feels more like a struggle than a solution.

Answer 2

Here to report I am also having the same frustrating issue. I noticed it started last week, and despite taking all the steps OP took and responded suggested, nothing works. I'm also on a macbook pro and see high CPU usage whenever using the browser version of copilot. Regardless if I'm actively typing or doing nothing the tab will crash and I will have to reload and lose all my memory even if it said memory updated. MS please investigate this further as it seems to be a server issue from what I am gathering.

Answer 3

I have almost the same situation with a paid corporate Copilot. I'm experiencing very similar issues on MacBook Pro, under any browser, even after tweaking the configuration. CPU usage is consistently high even if the chat is static (not asking anything, just the tab is open). After a couple of minutes it freezes and then the tab crashes.
It is likely to be a more widespread issue, I'd suggest MS to investigate this issue further.

Answer 4

I use co-pilot constantly for Bible studies. I recently lost a 78-page conversation because Microsoft butted in and asked me to sign in again!!!! I was devastated!! Although I'm signed in all the time at the top of this page, Microsoft does that constantly. AI told me when I went back in to put in any part of the conversation and it will bring it up again, but it wasn't exactly the same. Now what I do, being a Microsoft Word user for over 40 years, is copy and paste. AI also recommended this frequently. It's a pain in the butt, but saves my conversations. Co-pilot used to save them!! Now they don't. Ug.

Happy co-piloting!!

Answer 5

Hi TG,

I completely understand your frustration with these persistent Copilot crashes - this is incredibly disruptive when you're trying to maintain productivity in your workflow. You've already done solid troubleshooting work, but let me walk you through some additional approaches that often resolve these issues.

Session Limits and Resource Management

The pattern you're describing (5 interactions before slowdown, crashes at 15-20 questions) strongly suggests you're hitting resource or session limits. Microsoft 365 Copilot has built-in conversation limits and memory constraints that aren't always clearly communicated:

• Conversation Length: Copilot sessions have practical limits around 20-30 exchanges before performance degrades
• Memory Usage: Each interaction builds up context that consumes resources
• Recommendation: Start fresh conversations every 10-15 interactions as a preventive measure

Clean Environment Testing

Let's isolate whether this is environment-specific:

1. Create a new user profile in Windows and test Copilot there
2. Try in Private/Incognito mode across all browsers
3. Test during off-peak hours (early morning/late evening) to rule out server load issues
4. Disable all browser extensions temporarily, especially ad blockers and productivity tools

Resource Monitoring

The error code you mentioned (-536870904) often indicates memory issues. Here's how to monitor:

1. Open Task Manager while using Copilot
2. Watch memory usage of your browser/app - look for steady increases
3. Monitor CPU spikes during interactions
4. Check available disk space - ensure you have at least 2GB free
5. Close other applications while using Copilot to free up resources

Enhanced Cache Reset Process

You mentioned clearing cache, but let's be more thorough:

For Browsers:

1. Clear browsing data for "All time"
2. Include: Cookies, cached files, site data, hosted app data
3. Edge specifically: Go to edge://settings/reset and reset settings
4. Chrome: Clear "Cookies and other site data" and "Cached images and files"

For Microsoft 365 Desktop App:

1. Press Win+R, type %appdata%\Microsoft\Microsoft 365
2. Delete the "Copilot" folder if it exists
3. Restart the app

Working Within Interaction Limits

Best Practices:

• Break complex tasks into smaller conversations
• Save important responses externally before continuing long sessions
• Use specific, focused questions rather than building on long context
• Consider starting new conversations for different topics/projects

Service Health Monitoring

Before diving into deep troubleshooting:

1. Check Microsoft 365 Service Health: admin.microsoft.com > Health > Service health
2. Monitor @MSFT365Status on Twitter/X for real-time updates
3. Track your crash times - if they correlate with service issues, that's your answer

Escalation with Proper Logging

Since your IT team couldn't help, let's gather the right data for Microsoft support:

Collect These Logs:

1. Browser Developer Tools: Press F12, go to Console tab, capture any red errors during crashes
2. Windows Event Logs:
   • Open Event Viewer
   • Navigate to Windows Logs > Application
   • Look for errors around crash times
3. Network Activity: In Developer Tools, go to Network tab and capture failed requests
4. Session Details: Note exact time of crashes, number of interactions, type of questions asked

For Escalation:

• Document the pattern clearly (X interactions before slowdown, Y before crash)
• Include your tenant ID if known
• Provide browser/app version numbers
• Include the error codes you captured

Immediate Workaround Strategy

While working on the permanent fix:

1. Set a timer for every 10 interactions to remind yourself to start a new conversation
2. Save key information in a separate document as you go
3. Use multiple browser tabs/windows to maintain separate Copilot sessions for different tasks
4. Consider mobile app as a backup when desktop crashes

Next Steps

If the clean environment testing still shows crashes, this is likely a backend issue that needs Microsoft engineering attention. The fact that multiple users are experiencing this (as evidenced by the closed thread you referenced) suggests it's not isolated to your setup.

Try the resource monitoring and clean environment testing first, then escalate with the detailed logs if the issue persists.

Let me know what you discover with these steps - I'm happy to help you interpret the results and guide the next phase of troubleshooting!

Best regards