Copilot installing, uninstalling, reinstalling on all workstations daily for weeks

1. The repeated install/uninstall activity of the Microsoft Copilot app across devices is not described as expected behavior in the provided information. However, there are several moving parts that can affect Copilot deployment and removal:

• Copilot on Windows and the Microsoft 365 Copilot app are delivered and updated via Windows Update, Microsoft 365 Apps, Microsoft Store, or a stand‑alone installer.
• Admins can deploy or remove the Microsoft 365 Copilot app using Intune, Configuration Manager, Group Policy, or other software deployment tools, and can also control automatic installation with Microsoft 365 Apps.
• Microsoft has temporarily disabled automatic installation of the Microsoft 365 Copilot app on eligible devices due to a technical issue, which indicates there have been known deployment issues.

Given this, the pattern seen is most likely related to deployment/update logic (for example, Microsoft 365 Apps or a management tool repeatedly trying to install/update/remove the app) rather than normal steady‑state behavior.

2. Performance impact:

• Copilot is an app that can be installed/uninstalled like other apps. The documentation does not state that Copilot continuously consumes high resources in the background, but repeated installation/uninstallation and associated update processes can contribute to disk and CPU activity.
• One user reporting improved responsiveness after disabling Copilot is consistent with the idea that the app or its update mechanism may be contributing to perceived slowness, even if Task Manager does not show a single obvious culprit.

3. Effect of the "Remove Microsoft Copilot app" policy and how it behaves:

The Group Policy setting referenced corresponds to the MDM/Policy CSP setting RemoveMicrosoftCopilotApp:

• Scope: Device and User.
• Applicable OS: Windows 11, version 24H2 [10.0.26100] and later.
• Editions: Enterprise, Education, IoT Enterprise / IoT Enterprise LTSC (and the description notes it applies to Enterprise, Professional and Education client SKUs).

Behavior (per the policy definition):

• This policy allows uninstalling Microsoft Copilot from devices in a targeted way.
• It applies only when all of the following are true:
  • Microsoft 365 Copilot and Microsoft Copilot are both installed.
  • The Microsoft Copilot app was not installed by the user.
  • The Microsoft Copilot app was not launched in the last 28 days.
• If the policy is enabled (value = 1):
  • The Microsoft Copilot app is uninstalled.
  • Users can still reinstall Copilot if they choose.
• If the policy is disabled or set to 0:
  • Removal is disabled (the policy no longer causes removal).

This means:

• Enabling the "Remove Microsoft Copilot app" Group Policy will uninstall the Microsoft Copilot app on devices/users that meet the conditions above. That will remove the app and its associated files as part of the uninstall.
• Later disabling or not configuring this policy will stop enforcing removal. Copilot can then be reinstalled (for example, via Store, deployment tools, or user action) if desired.
• Because this is a standard Group Policy/MDM‑mapped setting, configuring it at the domain level (for the appropriate scope and OU) is sufficient; it does not need to be set manually on each workstation, provided those workstations are in scope of the GPO and meet the OS/edition requirements.

If the goal is to prevent Copilot from being installed at all, AppLocker can also be used to block the Microsoft Copilot package by publisher/package name, which prevents installation rather than just removing it after the fact.

References:

• Policy CSP - WindowsAI
• Updated Windows and Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat experience
• Welcome to Copilot on Windows
• Deployment overview for the Microsoft 365 Copilot app
• Frequently asked questions about deploying the Microsoft 365 Copilot app