With Copilot, Microsoft has changed the way we use Microsoft products. Copilot is AI technology that assists users to easily take action and get things done. Windows 11 is the first PC platform that provides centralized AI for customers.
If you have questions, you can ask Copilot.
If you want to play with the content, make it shorter, or longer, or summarize it, you can ask Copilot.
If you want to create images based on the text description, you can ask Copilot to do it.
It’s just amazing what you can do with it.
Copilot is included in the Windows 11 September 2023 update. However, as a user, you can always enable or disable it.
This blog article outlines the steps you need to take to disable or enable it on your Windows 11 machine.
Enable or disable Copilot using Settings
You can enable or disable Windows Copilot by navigating to Settings and then simply dragging the slider to ‘On’ or Off. Let me show you how easy it is to do.
- Open Settings
- Go to Personalization > Taskbar
- Drag the slider to enable Copilot (Preview). Once enabled, the Copilot icon will appear in the Taskbar
Enable or disable Copilot using Group Policy Editor
Another method to enable or disable Copilot is through the Group Policy Editor. Additionally, you can utilize Group Policy Objects (GPO) to restrict users from using Copilot on your machine.
Here’s how to enable or disable Copilot using GPO.
- Open the Search bar and type “Group Policy Editor.”
- Navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Copilot
- Right-click on the group policy “Turn off Windows Copilot” and select Edit
- Click on Enable to deactivate Windows Copilot. Enabling this policy setting restricts users from using Copilot. Consequently, the Copilot icon will not appear on the taskbar. If you disable or leave this policy setting unconfigured, users will retain access to Copilot whenever it’s available to them
- Click Apply and then OK
Why Can’t I Find Windows Copilot on My Windows 11?
Windows Copilot is included in the Windows 11 September 2023 update. Firstly, be sure to navigate to Windows Update and install the latest available updates.
Based on your geographical location and your PC’s position in Microsoft’s update queue, you might need to activate the “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available” toggle switch.
Here is how to do it.
- Open Settings
- Navigate to Windows Update
- Enable “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available” by dragging the slider
Alternatively, if you want to test Copilot without installing it on your production Windows machine, you can download the Windows 11 Insider Preview Build and test it from there. Check out this article on how to create a new virtual machine on a Hyper-V Server.
Backup your Windows 11 using BDRSuite
Your critical Windows 11 machines deserve proper protection. With BDRSuite, you can back up your Windows machines to onsite or offsite storage in just a few clicks.
What is BDRSuite?
BDRSuite is an advanced backup solution with a full feature set and functionality to back up your physical machines or virtual machines hosted on Hyper-V and VMware, as well as your Azure and AWS virtual machines.
Practically, wherever your Windows 11 machine is located, you can back it up.
BDRSuite offers a free version that allows you to back up up to 10 Windows machines for free.
It’s amazing what you can do with this tool.
Related articles:
- How to install BDRSuite on Windows and Windows Server – Tech with Jasmin
- Windows Backup using BDRSuite: Step-by-step configuration – Tech with Jasmin
Conclusion
In summary, Copilot is a cool feature in Windows 11 that helps you a lot. You can ask it questions, change stuff easily, and even make images based on text.
This article showed you two easy ways to do that: through the Settings menu or the Group Policy Editor.
It came with the September 2023 update, but you can turn it on or off whenever you want. Be sure your Windows 11 is up to date.
Furthermore, for those who wish to test Copilot without installing it on their production machines, downloading the Windows 11 Insider Preview Build is an option, with guidance on setting up a new virtual machine on your Hyper-V client or server machine.
Lastly, for comprehensive Windows 11 backup solutions, BDRSuite offers a feature-rich option for protecting critical data, with a free version available for backing up to 10 Windows machines.
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