Microsoft has released so many Copilot-Apps and services in the past that it is difficult to keep track of them all. Last year, the company announced that it would split Copilot from Windows by changing it into an app.

This approach removed the one and only reason for many Windows users to give Copilot a preference over the myriads of other AI-tools and services: the ability to control Windows features. Granted, the Windows-specific functionality was not impressive, but it had the potential of becoming a useful feature. Imagine running into a problem, telling Copilot about it, and the AI solving the problem on its own.

The new Copilot app works like the web-version of the AI service, which means there is little incentive to favor it over the web service. In fact, there are good reasons not to use the app and run AI services in a browser. Content blocking is just one which comes to mind.

Copilot autostarting with Windows

Eagle-eyed Windows detective Phantom of Earth discovered that the latest Copilot App test version for Insiders contains autostart functionality. It is version 1.25014.121.0.

You may remember that Microsoft made the same move in the old Copilot for Windows. It was also set to open when Windows starts automatically, at least on some devices.

Naturally, this means that the app is set to autostart. In other words, Microsoft wants the app to run on launch and therefore in the background. There is a good chance that this want runs opposite to what many Windows users want.

Windows users who do not want that can disable the autostart functionality in the following way:

1. Launch the Copilot application.
2. Select Settings
3. Click on "Auto start on login" and make sure the checkmark is removed.

This takes care of the autostarting behavior. Note that you may also use other means, Autoruns for example, to tame the Copilot app and any other software that is misbehaving in this way.

The Task Manager functionality is severely limited, and therefore not a good option to control startup items on Windows PCs.

Closing Words

It is a good idea to check startup items on Windows devices regularly, as there is always the chance that a developer enables the autostart of an app automatically. There is a chance, slim as it may be, that Microsoft won't set the next stable version of the Copilot app to autostart with the operating system.

Do you use AI tools like Copilot? Let us know in the comment section below.