Windows 10: Windows 11: Microsoft replaces Show Desktop with Copilot on taskbar

GHacks · Feb 15, 2024

Microsoft has changed the position of the Copilot icon on Windows 11's taskbar in the latest stable version of the operating system. Previous versions of the operating system show the Copilot icon as the third-icon on the centered part of the taskbar. It is located just next to the Start Menu button and Search. The February 2024 Windows Security Update changes that.

The Copilot icon is not the only option to launch the AI tool on Windows. Even without any icon displayed, Windows users may use the shortcut Windows-C to launch the interface.

The new position of the Copilot icon on the taskbar is on the far right of the taskbar. It replaces the decade-old invisible Show Desktop icon by default.

Microsoft confirmed the change on its support website: "New! The Copilot in Windows icon now appears on the right side of the system tray on the taskbar. Also, the display of Show desktop at the rightmost corner of the taskbar will be off by default. To turn it back on, go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar. You can also right-click the taskbar and choose Taskbar settings."

The company announced the change back in November 2023, but has not

Windows users could click on the rightmost location of the taskbar on Windows 10 or 11 devices to hide all open program windows. This feature has a mapped shortcut as well. Press Windows-D to hide or show the open program windows.

The Show Desktop option is still available after installation of the February 2024 update, but its taskbar icon is not enabled by default. Windows 11 users may restore the icon, if they want to use it.

The following guide explains how that is done.

How to restore Show Desktop on Windows 11's taskbar

Windows 11 users have one option to restore the icon on the taskbar of the operating system. Microsoft implemented a new option that restores the Show Desktop functionality.

Here is how that you reactive it:

Step 1: Open the Taskbar Preferences

Right-click on a blank space on the Windows 11 taskbar and select Taskbar settings from the context menu that opens. You may also get there in the following way:

Right-click on a blank spot on the desktop and select Personalize. This opens the main Personalize category of the Settings app.

Select Taskbar to open the Taskbar preferences.

Step 2: Enable the Show Desktop icon

Expand the Taskbar behaviors section on the main Taskbar preferences page in the Settings. Locate the option "Select the far corner of the taskbar to show the desktop" and enable it with a click in its checkbox.

Windows adds the invisible area to the taskbar again, so that you may click on it to show the desktop.

Things to note

Microsoft rolls out the new location for the Copilot icon and the removal of the Show Desktop icon to all devices over time. It may take days, weeks or even months before the majority of users see the new location and realize the change in functionality.

Disabling Windows Copilot does not restore the Show Desktop functionality. It is necessary to enable the option in the Settings, as described above, to restore it.

Closing Words

Microsoft does not explain why it decided to move the Copilot icon to the rightmost location on the Windows taskbar. One possible explanation is that the new location moves it closer to the Copilot interface. A click on the Copilot icon opens its interface on the right side of the screen. The new button location places it right there.

Now You: do you use Show Desktop on Windows?

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Brink · Feb 15, 2024

Microsoft plans to bring Copilot to Windows 10

Microsoft began rolling out its new AI assistant for Windows earlier this year with the Windows 11 version 23H2 release, which adds a new Microsoft Copilot button directly to the Taskbar. Microsoft has been putting its Copilot in front of every user it can, but there's still a large chunk of PC users on the older Windows 10 OS which hasn't seen any of Microsoft's recent AI additions. That may soon be changing. According to my sources, Microsoft is planning to bring the same Microsoft Copilot to Windows 10 in an update coming soon. Just like Windows 11, this update to Windows 10 will place a Copilot button directly on the Windows 10 taskbar, which will open the exact same Copilot sidebar experience found on Windows 11. The main reason behind this decision is market share. Windows 10 is still in use on around 1 billion monthly active devices, compared to the 400 million monthly active devices on Windows 11. Microsoft views that additional 1 billion users as an untapped market for Copilot expansion, and so adding Copilot to Windows 10 is an obvious next step for the company.
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Read more: Exclusive: Microsoft will update Windows 10 with new AI Copilot soon | Windows Central See also: Announcing Microsoft Copilot, your everyday AI companion | Windows 11 Forum

Brink · Feb 15, 2024

Copilot coming to Windows 10

Today, we start to roll out Copilot in Windows (in preview) [1] for Windows 10, version 22H2 to Windows Insiders in the Release Preview Channel. Bringing Copilot to Windows 10 [2] enables organizations managing both Windows 11 and Windows 10 devices to continue considering a rollout of Copilot in Windows and provide this powerful productivity experience to more of their workforce. Windows Update: KB5032278 Windows 10 Insider Release Preview Build 19045.3757 (22H2) Why you should try Copilot in Windows People who work with information daily are excited about the capabilities of generative AI to help them discover and create new content. They may already be using generative AI by accessing Microsoft Copilot (previously Bing Chat) or ChatGPT in the browser. Copilot in Windows powers the generative AI experience in managed Windows 10 and 11 PCs. As an IT professional, you want to help your organization be at the forefront of AI, but also hold the bar on protecting corporate data that employees may share with AI models. We are here to help you do both. With Copilot in Windows, you can offer a managed version of Copilot to Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices so employees do not accidentally share confidential or proprietary information. By using Copilot, employees can:

Save time and effort by prompting for information and services in one place by typing prompts in natural language or using their voice.

Explore new possibilities and ideas by generating creative and innovative content that includes both text and images.

Try Copilot in Windows today Copilot in Windows is turned on by default in Windows 11, version 23H2. If you are looking to try Copilot on Windows 10, version 22H2 devices today, you can do so through the Release Preview Channel in the Windows Insider Program for Business. This will help you understand what to expect and make an informed decision about when and how you will roll out Copilot in Windows to your employees. Availability of Copilot in Windows 10 Copilot will begin rolling out to devices running Home and unmanaged [3] Pro editions of Windows 10, version 22H2 in the near term. We will roll out this experience in phases using Controlled Feature Rollout (CFR) technology over several months. Devices running Enterprise or Education editions of Windows 10, version 22H2, or managed Pro devices, are not included in this initial rollout. Additionally, users with eligible non-managed devices running Windows 10, version 22H2 who are interested in experiencing Copilot in Windows as soon as possible can choose to do so by going to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and turning on ”Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available” and then selecting Check for updates. Copilot in Windows 10 will be released in preview to select global markets. The initial markets for the Copilot in Windows previews include North America and parts of Asia and South America. We intend to add additional markets over time, aligned with our release policy for Copilot in Windows 11.

Windows 10 desktop with the Copilot icon on the taskbar and Copilot open on the right side of the desktop. (Screen simulated, subject to change. Feature availability and rollout timing varies by market and device.) How to use Copilot in Windows 10 To use Copilot in Windows 10 (in preview), employees must click the Copilot icon on the taskbar to open a chat window to type queries or requests. Copilot will then respond with relevant information or suggestions that can help achieve the goals the employees are after. They can also use voice to interact with Copilot by clicking on the microphone icon in the chat window. The experience in Windows 10 is similar to the experience released for Windows 11. Tutorial: Add or Remove Copilot Button on Taskbar in Windows 10 In September 2023, we made Copilot in Windows available for Window 11, version 22H2 and then, in October, for version 23H2. Not all Copilot functionality for Windows 11 will initially be available for Windows 10. The core experience of discovering and creating content is the same, but employees will not be able to take actions such as customize preferences and settings or open applications by using simple commands in this initial release. How to manage Copilot in Windows 10 If you need to manage Copilot access in Windows 10 for certain groups in your organization, you can do so by using MDM or Group Policy settings. When you remove access to Copilot, the people in these groups will not be able to use it and the Copilot icon will not appear on the taskbar. Tutorial: Enable or Disable Windows Copilot in Windows 10 and Windows 11 Tutorial | Windows 11 Forum To learn more about how to manage Copilot in Windows, see Manage Copilot in Windows. When you enable Copilot in Windows for all or some of your Windows 10 users, we recommend that you ensure that Copilot with commercial data protection is enabled for the best experience. For guidance on how to do so, see the Copilot documentation. What about Windows 11? We want to make generative AI in Windows broadly available so all organizations and individuals can take advantage of this progress in productivity and creativity. However, Windows 10 will reach end of support on October 14th, 2025. Many organizations have already started or completed their migration to Windows 11. Westpac, one of Australia’s largest financial services institutions, leveraged Windows Autopatch and App Assure when moving its 40,000 employees to Windows 11 to support both IT cost savings and employee accessibility initiatives. The Alabama Appellate Court System transitioned to Windows 11 to stay on the latest and most secure version of Windows, and to prepare for the new era of AI, with the goal of “harnessing the power of AI to discover and create in new ways” and to “integrate AI-driven solutions to enhance search capabilities and facilitate comprehensive legal research.” Moving your employees to Windows 11 brings you the most secure Windows yet, simplified IT management, and a modern user experience, including the full-fledged Copilot integrations. You can heighten your organization’s security and benefit from a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) with Windows 11. Next steps We encourage you to start your trial of Copilot in Windows today so you can validate what is available and what is coming. Learn more by reading our Copilot in Windows documentation. We also recommend that you continue your migration to Windows 11.

Use Windows Autopatch for in-place upgrades of eligible devices, for a less costly and smooth experience for your employees. Windows Autopatch is included with Windows Enterprise E3/E5 or Microsoft 365 E3, E5, or F3 subscriptions. Learn more about Windows Autopatch.

Enable the Windows 11 experience with Windows 365 in Microsoft Intune or via the web, delivering Cloud PCs on Windows 10 devices that are ineligible for the Windows 11 upgrade. Learn more about Windows 365.

Replace the ineligible Windows 10 devices with new Windows 11 Pro devices.

Continue the conversation. Find best practices. Bookmark the Windows Tech Community, then follow us @MSWindowsITPro on X/Twitter. Looking for support? Visit Windows on Microsoft Q&A. [1] Copilot is currently available in preview in select global markets. It is our intention to add additional markets over time. [2] Devices require > 4GB RAM and Display adapter that supports +720p resolution. If we detect that your device may have an issue, such as an application incompatibility, we may put a safeguard hold in place and not offer Copilot in Windows (in preview) until that issue is resolved. [3] Devices are considered managed if they are running Pro, Enterprise, or Education editions of Windows, and are managed by an MDM or Configuration Manager, or have their Windows Updates managed through Windows Update for Business, Windows Autopatch, or Windows Server Update Service (WSUS).
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Source: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/...0/ba-p/3984070

LChalifoux · Feb 15, 2024

How do I disable Copilot and all Other AI functionality in Windows 11 HOME edition

I want to fully disable (or preferably remove) Copilot and all other AI functionality in Windows 11 Home Edition. This question may belong under another topic; I just guessed at Settings.

See the bottom of this post for system information. Below are specific questions related to the details of disabling Copilot and AI functionality. I have not been able to find any of this information on any Microsoft resources; perhaps I missed something?.

Disabling Copilot in Windows 11 Home Edition: Please note that I am running Windows 11 Home edition - not Pro, Enterprise, etc., where I could solve the problem with group policies or other administrative options. The Windows Update setting "Get the latest updates" is turned on, so I am running Copilot Preview.

Copilot Taskbar Button: I have hidden Copilot on the taskbar, but that is obviously not the same as disabling Copilot or other AI functionality.

Disabling Copilot via Registry: There are instructions on various websites for disabling Copilot by editing the registry; I would appreciate details about how to do that, as long as the necessary edits are reasonably safe and reliable.

Disabling all AI functionality: How centralized is AI functionality in Windows 11? Does disabling Copilot disable AI functionality across all Windows 11 built-in features, as well as Microsoft desktop apps? Or has AI metastasized across the entire Windows ecosystem, requiring a constant game of whack-a-mole to disable everywhere?

Thanks in advance for any help.

- Laura

Windows System Information:

Edition Windows 11 Home

Version 22H2

OS build OS Build 22621.2361 Preview (KB5030310)

Windows 10: Windows 11: Microsoft replaces Show Desktop with Copilot on taskbar

Windows 11: Microsoft replaces Show Desktop with Copilot on taskbar

Windows 11: Microsoft replaces Show Desktop with Copilot on taskbar

Windows 11: Microsoft replaces Show Desktop with Copilot on taskbar

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