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Missing Copilot? Microsoft’s latest Windows patch restores the AI after mistakenly deleting it

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Microsoft Copilot Pro.
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In an update to its Support page, Microsoft announced that it’s aware of the March 11th update bug that accidentally uninstalled Copilot from PCs. The Verge previously reported on the issue. Microsoft says the affected PCs “are being returned to their original state,” so if you missed Copilot, it should be back on your PC.

We first reported on the March update bug wiping Copilot from Windows PCs and said that Microsoft encouraged users to reinstall the app and manually pin it back to the taskbar. Microsoft also said, “We’re aware of an issue with the Microsoft Copilot app affecting some devices. The app is unintentionally uninstalled and unpinned from the taskbar,” the company explained in updated support documents. “This issue has not been observed with the Microsoft 365 Copilot app.”

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The accidental removal of Copilot only affected those Windows PCs that had installed the KB5053598 build from Windows 11 24H2, 23H2, or 22H2, along with Windows 10 22H2 or 21H2. This isn’t the only headache the Windows 11 24H2 update has caused, since it previously caused visual layout issues and flaws for certain wallpaper apps. However, Microsoft has not said what led to Copilot’s accidental removal, but hopefully, the software giant will say something soon.

Even though updates can cause issues, it’s always best to keep your Windows computer up-to-date with the latest available update since it can include security fixes that help keep your computer safe. For example, only a couple of days ago, Microsoft patched an extraordinary number of zero-day security vulnerabilities, including six critical issues.

Judy Sanhz
Computing Writer
Judy Sanhz is a Digital Trends computing writer covering all computing news. Loves all operating systems and devices.
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