How to Disable Windows Copilot using Intune or Group Policy

In this post I will explain how to use Microsoft Intune or Active Directory Group Policy to disable Windows Copilot for one or more users.

Introduction

On 26th September 2023, Microsoft released optional update KB5030310, one of the most ground breaking updates to Windows in recent times. With it comes Windows Copilot, which for millions of users worldwide will serve as an introduction to using an AI powered chat interface to enhance their day to day productivity.

Many organisations are still adjusting to the march to an AI enabled workplace and so need some time to test and understand before unleashing it for their workforce.

Disable with Intune

A recent addition to the Policy CSP is the TurnOffWindowsCopilot setting, documented here. At the time of publishing this post there is no built-in setting in Intune to manage Windows Copilot. So we will create a custom OMA-URI policy:

In Intune, select Devices > Windows > Configuration Profiles > Create profile.
Under Platform select Windows 10 and later.
Under Profile type select Templates.
Under Template Name select Custom > select Create.

Name the profile something meaningful.
Under Configuration Settings select Add.
Set the name to something meaningful.
Under OMA-URI enter the below text:

./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/WindowsAI/TurnOffWindowsCopilot

Set Data type to Integer.
Set the Value to 1 (setting it to 0 will enable Windows Copilot which is the default setting).

Save the policy and assign it to a security group containing users for whom you wish to disable Windows Copilot.
No reboot is required. When the user next signs in, the Windows Copilot icon in the taskbar will have been removed.

The Administrative Template that is used in the Group Policy version below cannot be imported in to Intune as a Custom Administrative Template. When you come to apply it to a device it will fail because it tries to modify a protected part of the registry.

Disable with Group Policy

Pre-Requisites

Obtain the WindowsCopilot.admx and WindowsCopilot.adml files from the C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions file of a Windows 11 device that has the KB5030310 installed on it.
- When Windows 11 23H2 is released it will include the same files.
- Alternatively, you can download the files from my Github here.

Implement Group Policy

Import the WindowsCopilot.admx file to the PolicyDefinitions folder in your domain. This will either be C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions on your Domain Controllers or if you have a central store configured (which you should do), it will be in a location like:

\\contoso.com\SYSVOL\contoso.com\policies\PolicyDefinitions

Import the WindowsCopilot.adml file to the PolicyDefinitions\en-US folder.
On a Domain Controller or from a device with the AD DS management tools installed, open Group Policy Management console.
Create a new Group Policy Object and name it something meaningful.

Edit the GPO, expand User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Copilot

Open the setting Turn off Windows Copilot.
Set it to Enabled.

Select OK. The policy will now look like this:

Link the GPO to an Organisational Unit that contains users for whom you wish to disable Windows Copilot.
No reboot is required. When the user next signs in, the Windows Copilot icon in the taskbar will have been removed.

Summary

Windows Copilot provides an opportunity for users to begin experimenting with a new way to command their computers. In a production environment, it is important to use deployment rings such as Test, Pilot and Broad to prepare for and understand the impact of any change to the environment. An ability to roll back for individual users is most welcome. Fortunately, Microsoft have made it easy to switch Windows Copilot on and off on a targeted basis.

Preparing for Microsoft Copilot

💡 What are some of the things you can do NOW to start preparing for Microsoft Copilot in your organisation?

✅ Understand that there is technical readiness and people readiness. Both need attention to maximise return on investment.

✅ Familiarise yourself with Copilot and its role in the world of generative AI https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/ai.

✅ Engage your Ethics, Legal, and Inclusion champions early on to address the implications of generative AI.

✅ Incorporate the six Microsoft principles in AI into your company’s AI usage policy https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/ai/responsible-ai.

✅ Take your first step into the Copilot world with Bing Chat Enterprise https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/bing/chat/enterprise/?form=MA13FV, an AI-powered chat platform included with common M365 licences

✅ Prioritise data security by reviewing identity and access policies, using data labelling for sensitive documents, and ensuring awareness of file sharing risks. Do your device management policies need a health check?

✅ Identify areas where you may need external assistance and initiate conversations with technology partners.

🚀 Implementing generative AI into a business is a marathon, not a sprint. Set those expectations now. There are quick wins out there to get hands on with the technology while you get Org ready. Windows Copilot in Windows 11 is one of them Hands on with Windows Copilot.

Hands on with Windows Copilot

In this post, I explain my first impressions of Windows Copilot along with some tips for getting started with it.

Introduction

Installing Windows Copilot Preview

Check out my guide for installing the Windows Copilot Preview.

Accessing Windows Copilot

Once installed, the Windows Copilot Preview icon appears in the taskbar.

Clicking the Copilot icon opens the full vertical length chat interface.

The screenshot above was taken while logged in on an Azure AD joined device that had Bing Chat Enterprise enabled. This is what the Protected green shield at the top signifies.

Changing Device Settings

Frist things first. Settings in Windows are buried all over the place. Copilot helps by you simply telling it what you want to do. Copilot will respond with a question with Yes and No thanks buttons. In the video below, I ask it to set Windows to the light theme.

Compound Task

Trying something more advanced, I asked it to create a text file on the desktop. It offered to open Notepad for me and apologised for not being able to perform the end to end task itself. It also opened the Desktop Background settings window in case I wanted to change the theme.

Getting advice for troubleshooting

Telling Copilot that my workstation was slow it presented me with a couple of options to get started. First were Yes/No questions for opening Task Manager or opening ‘a troubleshooter’. It followed that with some guidance text.

A bit of a fail though was that clicking ‘open a troubleshooter’ failed saying that the Get Help app wasn’t installed!

Summarising a Web Page

Let’s get to the really clever stuff. Windows Copilot integrates with Bing Chat (Bing Chat Enterprise if its enabled in your Azure tenant). This brings some cool features. In the video below I am browsing the United States Constitution, a large document. Copilot summarises this in a concise manner.

I found that asking it to summarise the Wikipedia page of The River Thames or the recent amendments to an IEEE standard resulted in it largely regurgitating verbatim what was on the web page.
I think this feature will work best when not attempting to summarise highly technical documents (the IEEE standard) or indeed, text that is already very concise like the Wikipedia page.
Simply typing summarise this page sometimes did not trigger the Edge integration, instead it described what the Copilot window was for. Typing summarise this web page seemed to always work.

The first time you try to use the Copilot > Edge integration, you will need to give permission to share Edge browser content with Copilot when it prompts you.

Integration with Bing Search

We have had search bars in Windows for many years. Copilot however binds the advanced understanding that AI can bring. Here I asked it to provide an outline for a 15 minute presentation about ant nesting habits and to include reference articles. It provided links to sources for the facts in the presentation. A small section is below:

Images and Snipping Tool

Bing’s AI image creation service, powered by DALL-E, is accessible via Copilot. Just ask it to create any image and off it goes.

When you use the Snipping Tool, Copilot will ask if you want to add the image to the chat. You can ask Copilot about the image.

Choosing Conversation Style

You have probably realised by now that Copilot is quite wordy. It defaults to a conversational style which will help many users who are new to Copilot. When you want to get to the point though, you can change from More Creative (purple) to More Balanced (blue) or More Precise (teal).

Below is an example of how this affects the responses. As you can see, if you’re looking for a warm, cuddly bit of chat, don’t turn to More Precise!

Conclusion

Windows Copilot presents the second evolution of Microsoft’s generative AI offering. The first being Bing Chat and the next being Microsoft Copilot. If you are preparing your organisation for Microsoft Copilot, enabling Windows Copilot is a great way to start training users in a new way to command and converse with their computer.

Windows Copilot is useable and versatile even at this early stage in its life. It will develop, for instance there are more integrations with built-in Windows apps that will are slated for phased rollouts soon.

How to Get Windows Copilot Preview

In this post I will describe how to install the Windows Copilot Preview update.

Introduction

Now lets walk through how you can get your hands on it.

Prerequisites

A device running Windows 11 22H2.
An environment that allows you to manage your Windows Update settings (some corporate networks prevent users from doing this by restrictive policies).

Installing Windows Copilot Preview

The process requires a reboot

From the Desktop select Start > Settings > Windows Update.
Turn on Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available.

Enabling preview features may reveal additional features unrelated to Windows Copilot. I recommend only doing this on test devices.

Select Check for Updates.
The update “2023-09 Cumulative Update Preview for Windows 11 Version 22H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5030310)” will appear.

It is possible to install the update without enabling Get the latest updates as soon as they're available however, Windows Copilot will be hidden.

If you don’t see the update, try selecting Advanced options > Optional updates.

Install the update.
Reboot the device.
Login and wait for the Desktop to load. You will now see the Copilot Preview icon

Select the icon and you will be presented with Windows Copilot! Enjoy!

The screenshot above was taken while logged in on an Azure AD joined device that had Bing Chat Enterprise enabled. This is what the Protected green shield at the top signifies.

Summary

Welcome to a new way of commanding your device. As you can see, it is easy to install the preview. When Windows 11 23H2 is released in Q4 2023, Windows Copilot will be enabled by default. Check out Microsoft’s 2 minute video overview of features in this update: