Microsoft’s March security update became the latest and perhaps most shocking mistake in a string of installation bugs plaguing users of the company’s Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating systems. Despite promoting 2025 as “the year of the PC refresh” and heavily marketing its Copilot+ PCs as “the fastest, most intelligent and most secure Windows PCs ever built,” Microsoft’s latest update accidentally removes the Copilot app from some devices.
Whoops.
“We’re aware of an issue with the Microsoft Copilot app affecting some devices,” Microsoft noted on its support page. “The app is unintentionally uninstalled and unpinned from the taskbar.” The company clarified that this problem doesn’t affect the Microsoft 365 Copilot app.
The March update affects Windows 11 users as well as some Windows 10 installations — even those with an earlier Copilot update. According to Windows Latest, the move is something of a headscratcher given the high publicity push to add Copilot to every PC. While Microsoft works on a resolution, it’s suggesting that affected users simply reinstall the app from the Microsoft Store and manually pin it back to the taskbar.
A “welcome” bug?
In an ironic twist, the bug may actually be a feature for some. “Nobody asked for Copilot on their PCs,” according to Windows Latest, “and a bug now ‘unintentionally’ takes it down.”
The mistake comes on the heels of widespread reports of installation problems with other new fixes, including some users experiencing the dreaded blue screen of death after updating. Though the March security update is mandatory, some users have been forced to roll back and temporarily pause the installation to keep their computers running normally until Microsoft resolves these issues.
Critical security vs. stable performance: A user’s dilemma
The March security update contains quite a few critical fixes following multiple zero-day vulnerability alerts, with hackers already exploiting these holes and putting PCs at risk. It’s a make-or-break year for Windows and Microsoft’s security team, particularly with about 800 million people still using Windows 10 who have yet to switch to the newer operating system. The latest update is causing a dilemma for users being pushed to migrate in the middle of this concerning pattern of unstable Windows 11 updates.
Our comprehensive guide offers details about Microsoft Windows 11, including new features, system requirements, and more — get your Windows 11 cheat sheet.
