Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC Push
Microsoft is currently focusing on its Copilot+ PC push, but it is important to note that they will be a small minority among the PC install base for the near future. The stringent hardware requirements of the program, such as 16GB of RAM, at least 256GB of storage, and a fast neural processing unit (NPU), limit its use to new PCs only. This means that features like Recall will not be available on all current Windows 11 PCs.
However, the Copilot chatbot remains supported on all Windows 11 PCs (and most Windows 10 PCs). Recent changes made by Microsoft to Windows 11 Insider Preview builds have actually made the feature less useful and accessible than in the current publicly available versions of Windows. Copilot has transitioned from a persistent sidebar to an app window that can be resized, minimized, and pinned and unpinned from the taskbar like any other app. Unfortunately, this new version of Copilot can no longer adjust Windows’ settings, and the Windows+C keyboard shortcut no longer summons Copilot. Only newer keyboards with a dedicated Copilot key will have an easy built-in keyboard shortcut for accessing Copilot.
If Microsoft maintains these changes, they will impact Windows 11 PCs when the 24H2 update is released to the general public later this year. These changes are already present on Copilot+ PCs, which come pre-installed with a version of Window 11 24H2.
While changing how Copilot works is understandable, discontinuing the recently introduced Win+C keyboard shortcut to launch Copilot seems unnecessary, especially since the shortcut is not being reassigned. The Copilot assistant is easily accessible on the taskbar, but it appears significant enough to warrant the first major change to Windows keyboards in three decades. It also justifies retaining a keyboard shortcut for the majority of PC keyboards without a dedicated Copilot key.
For users who wish to continue using Win+C as a launch key for Copilot, they can utilize custom keyboard remappers like Microsoft’s Keyboard Manager PowerToy. By setting Win+C as a shortcut for the obscure Win+Shift+F23 shortcut that the hardware Copilot key is already mapped to, users can continue using the familiar shortcut.
Win+C: A Complicated History
The Win+C keyboard shortcut has a history of being reassigned to various less-than-successful Windows features over the years. In Windows 8, it was used as a shortcut for the “Charms” menu, part of the operating system’s tablet-oriented user interface that aimed to replace the old Start menu. However, Windows 10 moved away from this tablet UI, leading to the discontinuation of the Charms bar.
In Windows 10, Win+C was assigned to the Cortana voice assistant, Microsoft’s entry into the voice assistant market. Despite the initial hype surrounding Cortana, it never gained widespread popularity, and Microsoft eventually phased it out in 2023 after deprioritizing it in Windows 10 and 11.
While most older versions of Windows did not utilize Win+C, users of Microsoft Natural Keyboards with IntelliType software in the Windows 95 era could use Win+C to open the Control Panel. However, this shortcut never made it into Windows itself, despite the widespread adoption of the Windows key on PCs in the late ’90s and early 2000s.
Win+C seems to always be associated with new initiatives that never quite take off. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for this ever-evolving keyboard shortcut.
