Copilot remains a divisive addition to Windows, so there was a mixture of jubilation and despair when Microsoft released updates for Windows 10 and Windows 11 that had the unintended side effect of deleting the AI-powered digital assistant.
At the time, Microsoft acknowledge the accidental deletion and unpinning of the app and suggested Copilot fans manually download and reinstall the app while it worked on a proper fix. Now the company says it has things sorted out — to the delight or chagrin of those affected.
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Microsoft has not given any details about what went wrong with the KB5053598 update for Windows 11 and KB5053606 update for Windows 10, but it has updated the release notes for the updates.
The “Workaround” section of the known issues listed for these updates now reads:
This issue has been fixed, and the affected devices are being returned to their original state. You can also reinstall the app from the Microsoft Store and pin it to the taskbar.
Considering the importance Microsoft is placing on artificial intelligence in general, and the big push it has been giving Copilot, it is strange that it was able to fluff an update so badly that it resulted in this tool being nuked. Embarrassment is a possible explanation for failing to go into much detail about what happened, but it is also disappointing.
That Microsoft could ask users to invest so much time and effort in using Copilot only to inadvertently kill it is a little worrying. If this sort of accident can happen with this component, what else could be at risk in the future?
Image credit: Pavlo I / Dreamstime.com
