Forum Discussion
How to turn off or disable copilot in windows 11 permanently?
I have the same issue as I don't use Copilot app. I managed to remove the app after hours of researching.
https://www.geekhowto.com/remove-copilot-app-on-windows
For users who seek a definitive solution rather than a superficial one, the Group Policy or Registry method offers the highest level of control over Windows 11's Copilot integration. It ensures Copilot is completely disabled at the system level, you can use Group Policy (Windows 11 Pro/Enterprise) or the Registry Editor (all editions).
How to completely disable Copilot on Windows 11
Group Policy Editor (Pro/Enterprise): Press Windows + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter. Navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Copilot. Double-click Turn off Windows Copilot, select Enabled, then click Apply and OK.
Registry Editor (All editions): Press Windows + R, type regedit, and press Enter. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows. Right-click on the Windows folder, select New > Key, and name it WindowsCopilot. Inside this new key, right-click, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, name it TurnOffWindowsCopilot, set its Value data to 1, and click OK. Restart your computer for the change to take effect.
Note: The Registry method is powerful for turning off AI Copilot from Windows 11. Just be cautious and follow the steps precisely to avoid affecting other system settings.
Unlike cosmetic changes that only remove visual elements, this technique enforces a hard disable that survives system updates and eliminates the risk of accidental activation. It is particularly valuable for enterprise administrators managing multiple machines, power users who demand streamlined performance, and privacy-conscious individuals who prefer to keep AI interactions confined to their browser rather than embedded into the core operating system.
Quite comfortable using Regedit. Did all the suggestions, and it's just not happening. I do not want Copilot on my system; I don't use AI (my own "I" is still working really well, happy to report). Every time I open Word (which is a lot, given I'm a writer), that #$@*# Copilot bar now shows up at the top of the doc. My WIndows 11 doesn't give me the option in Options to just turn it off as some suggest. It is still showing up in Outlook, still showing up at the top of every new Word doc. MS is heavily $$$ invested in this, so they're making it as unpleasant to eradicate as possible. UGH.
This solution worked for me, but I also saved my previous MS Word, specifically the CD and, importantly, box. My new computer didn't have a CD reader, so I had to find an archived version of the software and download it.
It worked perfectly. I now have Microsoft Office 2007 Home and Student installed on my computer so I can write novels without AI. If you have the product key (usually found on the box) to an older version of MS Word, you can search the software section of the archive website for your exact software. Of course, Ebay sells plenty of these old discs, just make sure you are buying a box with a product key available.I do suggest uninstalling Microsoft 365 after successful installation and testing of the older MS Office software. Once you uninstall 365, do a reboot of your computer. After the reboot, file icons will update and other file types previously opened by 365 will normally be taken over automatically by your older Office software.
https://archive.org/details/software?tab=collection&query=microsoft+officeNote, older version of office may not be able to open things like .odt files which programs like Google docs and OpenOffice sometimes save as, so make sure you've got .doc or .docx files of your work saved or know how to transfer them to an intermediary application (like Google docs) so you can re-save as .doc or .docx