Microsoft has unveiled one of its biggest updates for Windows 11 – Microsoft Copilot. An AI-powered digital assistant that reminds me of Cortana, it’s now deeply integrated into the operating system, ready to perform a myriad of tasks, from changing system settings to launching apps to answering questions.
The surprise was notable when Microsoft released Copilot today as part of the Windows 11 22H2 (KB5030310) update, an unexpected advance given that it was planned for Windows 11 23H2.
It's crucial to note that this release does not include everything announced during last week's Surface and AI event.
John Cable, vice president of Windows servicing and delivery at Microsoft, said in a blog post that “Windows 11 devices will receive new features at different times, as we will be gradually rolling out some of these new features over the coming weeks initially through controlled feature releases (CFRs) to consumers.”
So what does Copilot bring to Windows 11 22H2? Let’s explore!
How to Activate Windows Copilot
The first step is to update your operating system to the latest version. Go to the settings menu and, in the Windows update tab, click on “Check for updates”.
After downloading and installing the 2023–09 Preview Cumulative Update for Windows 11 Version 22H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5030310), a system restart will reveal the all-new Copilot icon in your taskbar.
Clicking on the icon will open a “Copilot” panel on the right side of the screen, with a user interface that closely resembles Bing Chat in the Microsoft Edge browser.
To disable and remove the application icon from the taskbar, go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar and enable the Copilot menu (preview).
Activate via Registration
If after installing the latest OS update you cannot see the shortcut, you can still activate Copilot via registration.
Open the registry browser and go to:
Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\ShowCopilotButtonBy opening the registry editor and navigating to the indicated key, double-clicking the ShowCopilotButton DWORD and setting its value to 1, followed by a system restart, should reveal the Copilot shortcut button on your taskbar.
Available Features
It is with disappointment that I inform you that most of the features presented in the announcement are not available in the version of Copilot released today.
In this preview state, interactions with AI are limited to answering questions, changing system settings, launching applications, and generating images.
For example, when I asked to switch to dark mode, the AI took a few seconds to start changing my desktop theme. It asked for permission before making any changes outside of the chat box, which was a bit annoying.
But in the end it managed to change my theme to dark mode.
Cost
If you’re expecting Copilot to be completely free, it’s not. The final version of the AI assistant will cost $14,300 per month, an additional cost on top of any existing Microsoft 365 subscription.
Final Thoughts
Honestly, this early preview of Copilot isn't impressive – at least, not yet.
However, I remain confident in Microsoft's ability to deliver a polished, feature-rich final version.
I'm particularly excited about Copilot's potential to help with more complex tasks like writing documents, creating presentations, and coding.
To get early access to more features that are coming to Windows 11 Copilot, like the super cool Paint Cocreator, you can do so through the Windows Insider program.
