Copilot is getting installed (again) on Windows Server, but you can get rid of it with this policy setting

Microsoft provided the means to uninstall Copilot if you want to

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by Claudiu Andone 

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Copilot is installed automatically on Windows Server

So, Microsoft has removed Copilot from Windows Server 2025, and as we covered the good news for admins, we were also wondering if that was a mistake from Microsoft’s part or it it was a simple bug.

It seems that we’ve got our answer because some users noticed that Copilot was installed automatically on their Windows Server 2022 machines. This is partly true, so read more below to solve this enigma.

Apparently the Windows Server Version 21H2 Build 20348 is automatically installing Copilot. This happened on Windows 11 devices also for some with Edge we reported.

According to Microsoft, copilot can be configured in for commercial environments, so don’t panic. Even if Copilot is installed on Windows Server, you can get rid of it.

You can use this command in CSP to turn it OFF: ./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/WindowsAI/TurnOffWindowsCopilot

The Group Policy can also be updated to get rid of Copilot from User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Copilot > Turn off Windows Copilot.

However, after some research, we’ve found out that all Windows users have the same complaint, and if you look carefully at the screenshot, Microsoft Copilot is only 8 KB. This is, in fact, the Copilot web app from Microsoft Edge. So, if you have Edge, Copilot comes with the Copilot web app included and that’s what you’ve seen within the installed apps.

Now, why is the web app installed separately and Microsoft didn’t put it inside Edge, where it belongs? The answer is quite simple for this as well. Edge has a feature to always show the sidebar in Edge and if you want, you can even get the Copilot sidebar to show up even if you close Edge. So, this can be a stand alone thing on any system that comes with the Edge browser.

More about the topics: Copilot, windows server

Claudiu Andone

Claudiu Andone Shield

Windows Toubleshooting Expert

Oldtimer in the tech and science press, Claudiu is focused on whatever comes new from Microsoft. His abrupt interest in computers started when he saw the first Home Computer as a kid. However, his passion for Windows and everything related became obvious when he became a sys admin in a computer science high school. With 14 years of experience in writing about everything there is to know about science and technology, Claudiu also likes rock music, chilling in the garden, and Star Wars. May the force be with you, always!