Microsoft Copilot, initially launched as Windows Copilot, was rebranded in September 2023. Make sure you have updated to the latest version on Windows before reading the rest of the article. It is easy to check your Windows build and version number. If Copilot is still missing or not showing up on your Taskbar, here’s what to do.
Table of Contents
Prerequisites
There are certain requirements your Windows computer needs to meet before you can open and use Copilot.
- Update to the latest version of Windows 11. For those who skipped the intro, we already covered how to check your Windows build and version.
- You also need to have Edge browser installed and updated to the latest version as noted in this Microsoft Support thread.
- Log in to a Microsoft account. Copilot is not available for offline Windows users or those who prefer local user accounts.
- Copilot is available in North America, UK, parts of Asia, and South America which means you may or may not have access to it depending on where you live. Copilot is still in preview. Some countries like Russia, China, etc. haven’t received the update yet.
- The only hardware requirement is that it requires a Windows PC with a microphone.
- While Copilot is enabled by default, it may be possible that it was disabled due to a bug or some user. We have a separate guide on how to enable/disable Copilot. Worth a read.
- If you have Copilot, you should see an icon in the Taskbar. Press the Windows key+C to launch it.
1. Try Full Shutdown
Some Reddit users were able to fix the missing Copilot error by doing a forced full shutdown of their Windows computer. Make sure to save all open work and files before doing so. We will be using the Terminal (Terminal is different from CMD or PowerShell) for this one.
1. Right-click on Start button and select Terminal (Admin) from the context menu.
2. Copy the command below and then inside the Terminal, right-click to paste it.
shutdown /s /t 0
3. Wait for a few seconds and then reboot. Check if you can see the Copilot icon in the taskbar and if yes, click on it to launch the app.
2. Check for Latest Update Package
Here is an example. The October update package broke the Microsoft Copilot for users who were either using a wallpaper app or on a dual monitor setup. Open Google and search for the latest update package (month name + update package +windows) and read the highlights and improvements section.
If the current update package is indeed causing Copilot to go missing, you have but two options. Either update to the next version when available or downgrade. The answer will depend on what version you are currently on at the time of reading this article. There is no one-size-fits-all solution here.
3. Try ViVeTool
ViVeTool is an open-source app (available on GitHub) that will let you force install Copilot so you can use it.
1. Go to the download page using the link above. Click on the zip file you need to download. Choose the ‘ARM’ version if you have that chip.
3. Extract the files in a folder.
4. Now simply follow the guide in this video.
Don’t forget to reboot the computer.
Copilot for Life
Hopefully, Microsoft Copilot is no longer missing. Pressing the Windows key+C keyboard shortcut should show Copilot on the right side of the screen. However, if Copilot is still not showing up, you can use the same feature on your Edge browser. You can also use the same ChatGPT-powered chatbot in Bing search within Edge.
Microsoft is integrating Copilot in a host of its products so you have lots of ways to access and use it.