I am on Windows 10 pro and have debloated and stripped as much tracking junk as I could from the OS, so Copilot had been long gone… until two days ago, when it reappeared on my start menu. I assumed it was sneakily reinstalled after an update so I uninstalled it.

Less than 30 minutes later, it was back. I uninstalled it again, and again it reinstalled after about an hour.

I’ve tried registry edits, I’ve tried changing the group policy, but it does nothing - Copilot keeps reinstalling itself in the time span of 20 minutes to an hour.

I know being on Lemmy I’m going to get a bunch of “Replace it with Linux!” replies so I’d like to preempt this by promising you that yes, that will happen eventually - there’s just some compatibility issues with a couple of my daily driver programs that are pending a resolution.

For now I must stay on Windows, but Microslops incredibly aggressive Copilot reinstalls are pissing me off and I was just wondering if there are any other means in which I can get rid of this program, or at least hide the stupid ugly thing from my sight?

Edit: I suppose it’s important to note that I am not nearly as tech-savvy as a lot of people here, but I try to get by. Please keep this in mind if I ask stupid questions.

  • tal@lemmy.todayEnglish
    11·
    15 hours ago

    Okay, this one is kind of funny (Windows 11, but I ran into it when searching for an answer for OP, and chuckled):

    https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5630906/how-do-i-completely-get-rid-of-copilot-and-stop-it

    Thomas4-N 13,070 Reputation points • Microsoft External Staff • Moderator
    Nov 22, 2025, 12:47 AM

    Hello Alex P, welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum.

    Thank you for sharing your experience. I understand how frustrating it feels when features you’ve opted out of keep showing up.

    Copilot is now integrated into Windows and Microsoft Edge as part of the operating system design, so there isn’t a supported way to remove it completely. Even if you uninstall the app or hide the button, some components remain because they’re tied to system features and will return with updates.

    Here’s some steps you can try to partially reduce its presence:

    • Uninstall the Copilot app: Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps > Microsoft Copilot > Uninstall, or use PowerShell. This removes the app temporarily, but cumulative updates or the Microsoft Store can reinstall it.
    • Hide the Copilot button and sidebar: Use Taskbar settings or apply Group Policy/Registry changes to turn it off. Keep in mind that updates may re-enable these settings.
    • Disable Copilot in Microsoft Edge: Open Edge settings > Sidebar > Turn off Copilot. This is separate from the OS-level integration.

    However, in the whole picture, there’s no supported method to permanently block Copilot. It’s treated as a protected system component and will reinstall with cumulative updates and Store auto-updates.

    If you prefer an environment without these integrations, switching to Linux is a valid option.

    Warm regards,

    • tal@lemmy.todayEnglish
      2·
      15 hours ago

      On maybe a more-helpful note, I have no idea if it might have consequences for your system (spend time every reboot trying to reinstall?) but you might try doing something that’d cause the installer to fail. Whatever update mechanism they have might back off if the installer just can’t succeed. Maybe uninstall Copilot, then replace one of the files that’s associated with Copilot with a directory or something, and if the installer can’t handle replacing that directory with the file it tries to install next time it runs, it bails and backs out?

      I’ve occasionally used that trick when some program writes massive log files and doesn’t have an explicit way to disable log file writing — just drop a directory in the way.

      • altkey (he\him)@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        2·
        8 hours ago

        It may also help taking ownership of a folder and making everything read only. I slightly doubt there are checks for that scenario in the middle of the process.