Microsoft abandons Copilot for professionals and recommends uninstalling everything

Microsoft recently made a surprising decision: the company is recommending that professionals uninstall Copilot, its artificial intelligence-based assistant. Initially presented as a revolutionary solution, Copilot now seems to pose sufficiently serious problems to prompt the company to review its strategy.

Microsoft abandons its Copilot assistant for professionals

Microsoft is backtracking on its strategy concerning Copilot, its assistant integrated into Windows 11. Long touted as a universal tool, it is now deemed unsuited to the needs of professionals. The company recommends uninstalling Copilot on all workstations using Microsoft Entra (formerly Azure Active Directory) accounts. This about-turn, justified by security concerns, also fuels doubts about the coherence of Microsoft’s strategy.

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Companies will have to remap the Copilot key

Initially announced as an intelligent assistant capable of transforming digital productivity, Copilot is now reserved for individual users connected via personal Microsoft accounts. In an official press release, Microsoft has confirmed that Entra business accounts will no longer be able to use this functionality directly in Windows. According to Redmond, this decision is aimed at strengthening corporate data security, an increasingly critical issue.

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Microsoft is calling for Copilot to be completely uninstalled on workstations. In parallel, it suggests reconfiguring the Copilot key, present on the new Windows 11 keyboards, to launch more suitable tools such as Microsoft 365. This application remains a privileged access point to Copilot functionalities, but in a separate, secure environment.

To prevent reinstallation or unauthorized use, IT administrators are encouraged to lock access to Copilot via AppLocker. Microsoft also offers automatic redirection for Entra accounts: any attempt to run Copilot in Windows will now redirect to an optimized, secure web version of the wizard, preserving sensitive data.

A choice that divides professionals

While Microsoft points to security imperatives to justify this decision, its overall strategy remains unclear. The withdrawal of Copilot from the professional environment is raising questions, notably about the long-term viability of this tool and its ability to meet business expectations. Some believe that this choice could slow down the adoption of Windows 11 in professional environments, while others welcome a clearer stance on data protection.

This turnaround highlights the challenges Microsoft faces in implementing AI-based solutions, where security and efficiency must coexist without compromise.