Many Windows devices will ship with a new hardware key. The Copilot key is a new key on the keyboard that activates the core AI feature of the operating system when pressed.
If that is all it does, it is probably the most useless key on the keyboard. Yes, it is worse than Scroll Lock.
The main reason is that Copilot sits on the taskbar already. A click opens the interface. Why would you need a key for that?
I’d take it back if Microsoft would add Copilot shortcuts to it, similar to how the Windows-key works. Press Copilot Key and V, and Copilot gives you an analysis of the Clipboard content. Something like that.
How to remap the Copilot key
Good news is that you can remap the Copilot Hardware Key. Right now, you may do so either through a policy or directly in the Registry. Tero Alhonen published the information on X.
Since Windows Home admins have no access to the Policy Editor, it is easier to remap the key in the Registry.
Here is how it is done:
- Open the Start menu.
- Type regedit and select Registry Editor from the list of results.
- Confirm the UAC prompt by selecting the option Yes.
- Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CopilotKey
- Note: if a key does not exist, right-click on the previous key and select New > Key. Name it accordingly and proceed.
- Right-click on CopilotKey and select New > Dword (32-bit) Value.
- Name it SetCopilotHardwareKey.
- Double-click on SetCopilotHardwareKey and set its value to 1.
- Right-click on CopilotKey again and select New > String Value.
- Name it EnterAppAumid.
- Double-click on it and paste the Application User Model ID of an installed app into the field.
- Close the Registry Editor.
- Restart Windows.
Background information: The AUMID / AppID (Application User Mode ID) is used by Windows to “identify and differentiate applications for switching, launching, telemetry, and functions”.
You can get the IDs of all installed apps in the following way:
- Open the Start menu.
- Type Terminal and select the Terminal app.
- Type Get-StartApps and press the Enter-key in the Terminal window.
The list of IDs of installed apps is returned. You need to copy the entire ID, e.g. Microsoft.WindowsCalculator_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App, as the value of EnterAppAumid in the Registry.
Will “SharpKeys” and “Key Remapper” apps work too? Anybody tried it? I know those programs worked for every mouse and keyboard key/button, but they have not been updated in a year. And yes, they have to start on every Windows boot for remapping to work.
There is a good chance that they will support this.
1 – I love the title of the post, it made me smile.
2 – A: A key or keyboard shortcut is always faster then moving the cursor to and clicking on an icon on the screen. To someone who uses copilot, the key would be useful.
3 – I actually had to look up what the scroll lock key did! It makes the arrow keys do what the mouse wheel (2 finger swipe) does now. I remember when there were no PC mice, now that key makes me feel old! I suggest they replace it with the CoPilot key!
Q: Win 11 home does not have regedit? I did not know this. Before we moved from 10 to 11 one pc had pro and the other home. We upgraded the home to pro just before moving to 11 for gpedit knowing ahead of time how much we’d use it.
Sorry, I meant Policy Editor. Home admins do have access to the Registry Editor.
Seems like a rather primitive way to go about the remap possibility. A short search shows MSs own PowerToys provides a much easier and efficient method. And, yes, “Sharp Keys” is an option:
https://techpp.com/2024/02/29/remap-copilot-on-windows-11-to-another-key/
Note the date of the tutorial. Old news!
The good news–it’s possible to remap a key that may have never been used otherwise!