How to Completely Disable the “Copilot in Windows” Keyboard Shortcut (Win + C)

Microsoft is heavily pushing its new AI assistant, Copilot, across the Windows 11 operating system. As part of this integration, Microsoft repurposed the Windows Key + C keyboard shortcut. Previously used to launch Cortana or Teams Chat, this shortcut now instantly opens the Copilot sidebar.

If you do not use Copilot, frequently hit this shortcut by accident while trying to press Win + V (Clipboard History) or Win + X (Power Menu), or simply want to reclaim the hotkey for a third-party application like AutoHotkey, you can disable it entirely.

Note: Because Microsoft does not provide a simple toggle in the Settings app to disable this specific hotkey, you must use the Group Policy Editor (Windows 11 Pro/Enterprise) or the Registry Editor (Windows 11 Home).

Method 1: Disable the Shortcut via Registry Editor (All Versions)

This is the most reliable method and works on all editions of Windows 11.

1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog.
2. Type regedit and press Enter. Click “Yes” if prompted by User Account Control.
3. Navigate to the following path by pasting it into the address bar at the top: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows
4. Right-click on the Windows folder, select New > Key, and name it WindowsCopilot.
5. Click on your new WindowsCopilot folder. Right-click in the empty space on the right side of the window, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
6. Name this new value TurnOffWindowsCopilot.
7. Double-click on TurnOffWindowsCopilot and change its “Value data” from 0 to 1.
8. Click OK and close the Registry Editor.

You will need to restart your computer (or log out and log back in) for the change to take effect. The Win + C shortcut will no longer do anything.

Method 2: Disable via Group Policy Editor (Pro/Enterprise Only)

If you are running Windows 11 Pro and prefer not to touch the registry, you can use the Group Policy Editor.

1. Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
2. In the left sidebar, navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Copilot.
3. Double-click on the policy named Turn off Windows Copilot on the right side of the window.
4. Select the Enabled radio button (this sounds counterintuitive, but you are “Enabling” the “Turn off” policy).
5. Click Apply and then OK.

After a quick restart, the Copilot sidebar will be disabled, and the Win + C keyboard shortcut will be completely neutralized.