Copilot is not allowing me to tell it where I want to save a downloaded document

The download location behavior is controlled by Microsoft Edge, not by Copilot itself. Copilot uses the browser’s download mechanism, so if the “Ask where to save each file before downloading” prompt is flashing and then closing, Edge is falling back to the default download folder.

To control where the file ends up, use Edge’s download settings directly and, if needed, enforce them via policy:

1. Verify and change the downloads folder in Edge
   1. Open Microsoft Edge.
   2. Select Settings and more (⋯) > Settings.
   3. Select Downloads.
   4. Under Location, select Change and choose the folder where files should be saved by default.
   5. In the same Downloads page, confirm the option to ask where to save each file before downloading is turned on. This is also where Edge exposes the “ask every time” toggle that Copilot downloads rely on.
2. If managed or if the toggle keeps reverting, enforce the setting with policy (Windows) If this is a managed or domain-joined device, or if the UI setting does not stick, configure the Edge policy that controls this behavior:
   • Policy name: Ask where to save downloaded files
   • Policy ID: PromptForDownloadLocation
   • Effect:
     • Enabled: Edge always asks where to save each file before downloading.
     • Disabled or Not configured: Files are saved automatically to the default location (user can change the setting if not configured).
   Configure via Group Policy (requires MSEdge.admx):
   1. Open Local Group Policy Editor.
   2. Go to Administrative Templates > Microsoft Edge.
   3. Open Ask where to save downloaded files.
   4. Set it to Enabled and apply.
   Or via registry (mandatory policy):
   • Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge
   • Value name: PromptForDownloadLocation
   • Type: REG_DWORD
   • Value:
     • 1 = Ask where to save each file before downloading
     • 0 = Do not ask; use default download folder
   After setting the policy, restart Edge and test a Copilot document download again.
3. Workaround if the prompt still disappears If the “save as” dialog continues to vanish when triggered from Copilot, use the default download and then move the file:
   1. Let the file download to the default folder.
   2. In Edge, go to Settings and more (⋯) > Settings > Downloads and check the Location path (for example, C:\Users\[name]\Downloads).
   3. Move or rename the file from that folder using File Explorer.

This ensures that, even if the transient dialog from Copilot’s download flow closes too quickly, the final file location is predictable and controllable via Edge’s download location and policy.

References:

• Change the downloads folder location in Microsoft Edge
• Find where your browser is saving downloads
• PromptForDownloadLocation