To boost Copilot AI adoption on Windows 11, Microsoft is embedding the tool across nearly every part of the interface from the Taskbar to system apps, and now the context menu. With the latest Copilot update, right-clicking on an image or document (like DOCX, PDF, or TXT files) reveals a new “Ask Copilot” option.
Selecting it opens the Copilot app, automatically uploading the selected file to the chat bar. From there, you can ask questions about the content, generate explanations, or get a summary. This addition is part of Microsoft’s larger effort to deeply integrate AI throughout Windows 11.
Microsoft recently unveiled a range of new features for Windows 11, including a redesigned Start menu, an AI-powered assistant for the operating system, and a host of other AI-driven enhancements.
That said, many users aren’t fans of the increasing “AI-fication” of Windows 11 and prefer an operating system free from unnecessary bloat. The context menu in Windows 11 is already known for being sluggish, and Microsoft has recently added even more options like “Edit in Notepad” and “Edit with Paint,” making it feel even more cluttered.
If you’d like to remove the Copilot option from the Windows 11 context menu, follow the quick tutorial below.
Disable or Remove ‘Ask Copilot’ From Windows 11 Context Menu
The new “Ask Copilot” option appears in the Windows 11 context menu if you’ve updated the Copilot app to version 1.25044.93.0 or later. To remove this entry, you have two choices: either uninstall the Copilot app completely or modify a Registry setting to disable the menu without removing the app. Here’s how to do it.
- Open Notepad and paste the Registry configuration provided below.
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell Extensions\Blocked]
"{CB3B0003-8088-4EDE-8769-8B354AB2FF8C}"="Ask Copilot"- Save the file with the name “copilot.reg” (make sure the extension is
.reg, not.txt).
- Double-click the “copilot.reg” file and allow the permissions when prompted.
- The ‘Ask Copilot’ option should now be removed from the Windows 11 context menu.
- If the change doesn’t take effect immediately, restart Windows Explorer via Task Manager or simply reboot your PC.
And that’s how you can remove the Copilot option and declutter the context menu in Windows 11. If you’re also interested in bringing back the classic context menu, we’ve got a step-by-step tutorial for that as well. Got questions or need help? Feel free to drop them in the comments below!
