Windows 11 bug deletes Copilot from the OS – is this the first glitch ever some users will be happy to encounter?

• March updates for Windows 11 and Windows 10 have an odd bug that removes Copilot
• It’s easy enough to reinstall the AI, but the glitch is puzzling, not to mention embarrassing for Microsoft
• There are other bugs hitting Windows 11 users, including worrying reports of crashes or even boot failures

Microsoft’s latest patches for Windows 11 are causing some degree of trouble, it probably won’t surprise you to learn, with reports of various fresh bugs emerging after the release of those March updates last week.

Patch KB5053598 for Windows 11 24H2 seems to be the most problematic, but the major bug here has also affected other Windows versions.

Some users on Windows 11 24H2 and 23H2 – and those who’ve installed Windows 10’s March patch (KB5053606) – are finding that the Copilot app has been randomly removed from their PC.

Windows Latest noticed this strange affair, which Microsoft has since acknowledged. The bug causes the Copilot app to be uninstalled and unpinned from the taskbar - so essentially, the AI assistant is vanishing completely from affected Windows 11 and 10 PCs.

Microsoft says it’s aware of the issue and is “working on a resolution”, but in the meantime, the workaround is to simply reinstall the Copilot app (from the Microsoft Store) and then manually pin it back to the taskbar.

Other reports of bugs that those using Windows 11 24H2 have encountered include installation failures, Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) crashes, or indeed the most feared of system gremlins, total boot failure (so the PC isn’t starting up at all after crashing during the update).

All of this was flagged by Windows Latest, and the tech site also observes that there’s a glitch that causes remote desktop (RDP) sessions to either fail completely or to continually keep disconnecting (that’s a bug that only really applies to business users, though).

This thread on Reddit has some further complaints about BSODs and other issues such as USB keyboards and mice failing to work post-update with Windows 11.

Analysis: An embarrassing inconvenience alongside major woes

It seems like quite a few new bugs are floating around with the March updates, and some of them are very unfortunate – particularly the nasty crashes (or complete boot failures) that are evident in a scattering of reports.

The bug that’s ejecting Copilot from Windows in such an unceremonious fashion is also particularly embarrassing for Microsoft, seeing as the software giant is on a drive to try to get people to use its AI helper – which will be tricky if it’s suddenly MIA for no apparent reason. (It’s worth noting that this doesn’t affect the Microsoft 365 Copilot app, by the way).

This is an odd glitch indeed, although it doesn’t appear to be that widespread, luckily for Microsoft. Presumably, a solution will be found soon enough – it’ll surely be a priority for the company to resolve – but it’s not difficult to reinstall the Copilot app, anyway. This is more of an inconvenience, really, but one that has surely got Microsoft blushing a bit, as it’s difficult to imagine how an accidental Copilot wipe was triggered in this way.

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