Microsoft hijacks keyboard shortcut to bring Copilot to your attention
- Reference: 1733927470
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2024/12/11/microsoft_copilot_keyboard_shortcut/
- Source link:
The [1]move from a Progressive Web App (PWA) to a native binary – although most of it appears to still be a website, just not running as a PWA – will be welcomed. Microsoft noted that once the app update has been installed, Copilot will appear in the system tray.
However, the assistant's quick view feature has been given the Alt+Space keyboard shortcut. This is already used by many other applications, including Microsoft's own PowerToys. [2]PowerToys Run , for example, uses Alt+Space to open a launcher into which users can type in the name of the service they are seeking.
[3]
Alt+Space is also used to show the context menu of the active window. Therefore, Microsoft's decision to hand the shortcut over to Copilot is unlikely to please keyboard warriors who are used to their shortcuts working in a particular way.
[4]
[5]
The Windows vendor acknowledged that the shortcut was already in use by many apps, saying: "For any apps installed on your PC that might utilize this keyboard shortcut, Windows will register whichever app is launched first on your PC and running in the background as the app that is invoked when using Alt+Space."
[6]Microsoft rolls out Recall for Intel, AMD-based Copilot+ PCs
[7]Microsoft teases Copilot Vision, the AI sidekick that judges your tabs
[8]Windows 11 24H2 rolls out to more devices – with a growing list of known issues
[9]Microsoft says premature patch could make Windows Recall forget how to work
PCs with a dedicated Copilot key will open the Copilot app in the main window. Microsoft said: "Copilot will continue to explore options related to the keyboard shortcuts for the app."
The update is gradually rolling out to all Windows 10 and 11 devices in the Windows Insider program. While Microsoft won't extend support for Windows 10, it will grab a keyboard shortcut for its unloved AI assistant.
It's unclear why Microsoft used this particular shortcut key to bring up Copilot's quick view. We're sure the conversation within Redmond didn't go like this:
[10]
Boss: Nobody is using Copilot, but we have investors who want results. How do we get it in the face of more customers?
Engineer: How about loading it from a keyboard shortcut that lots of customers already use?
Boss: Brilliant! ®
Get our [11]Tech Resources
[1] https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2024/12/10/update-for-copilot-for-windows-begins-rolling-out-to-windows-insiders/
[2] https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/powertoys/run
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Z1nFMDK4FuHbq-6fef5W9AAAAMw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z1nFMDK4FuHbq-6fef5W9AAAAMw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Z1nFMDK4FuHbq-6fef5W9AAAAMw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2024/12/09/windows_recall_intel_amd/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2024/12/07/microsoft_copilot_vision/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2024/12/05/microsoft_windows_roll_out/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2024/12/04/microsoft_update_recall_bug/
[10] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z1nFMDK4FuHbq-6fef5W9AAAAMw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[11] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Boss: But if they use CoPilot, surely they won't need a keyboard at all!
Engineer: OK, so we can assign any key?
Boss: Where's the any key?
Engineer: Grrr. And don't call me Shirley!
Do they even know what users do or how
I use the shortcuts a lot as it saves time getting to a mouse when you know them
alt-space is not one I use that much, but if a window has pootled off the page for whatever reason - alt - space - M is a saver.
Re: Do they even know what users do or how
That's my main use for Alt+Space as well.
What you have to do now is hover over the icon for the app on your taskbar. Then when the 'mini' windows appear move the mouse to the one you want and right-click. That'll bring up the Alt+Space menu that you're used to.
United States v. Microsoft Corp.
Do they forget their own history? 2001 where they lost and were about to be broken up?
Re: United States v. Microsoft Corp.
In what way is that relevant? Bundling IE and bribing OEMs has nothing to do with keyboard shortcuts.
Re: United States v. Microsoft Corp.
Of course they remember it. It showed them they could get away with anything. They've lived by that result ever since.
No, no and a million times no
Of all the shortcuts to hijack Alt-Space must be the most stupid possible so full marks to Microsoft.
These days people move about plugging their laptops into different configurations which will sometimes mean a program might want to run on a screen that does not exist in the current set up so a quick Alt-Space to get the control box is needed to move the window somewhere visible.
A well written application will ensure it is starting on a visible screen, needless to say I have never seen a Microsoft application do that.
Re: No, no and a million times no
Ctrl-C would have been very slightly stupider - and in fact is what I was expecting, given what Copiliot begins with...
Alt-Space then C - *the* number one way to close a window
Alt-F4 is too unwieldly -- finger stretch plus why are the F keys so tiny these days? (I miss PC AT or XT -- or clone -- keyboards. Left hand F keys... Any USB versions with a full 12 on the left?)
Ctrl-W can act differently within different programs -- sometimes closing the program, sometimes just a tab or sub-window. (Not as far a stretch as Alt-F4, but more stretch and movement than the alternative below.)
However, Alt-Space then C(lose) takes minimal hand/finger movement and works for just about all programs in Windows. I must use it somewhere between a dozen and a hundred times a (work) day. And I will shove those fingers into the eyes of whoever thought messing with Alt-Space was a good idea. Or maybe just push the big, red button -- target: Redmond ----->
"For any apps installed on your PC that might utilize this keyboard shortcut, Windows will register whichever app is launched first on your PC and running in the background as the app that is invoked when using Alt+Space."
I bet that MS will make sure that copilot is one of the very first apps that load.
however as shortcuts go it's not as bad as a certain CCTV monitoring utility which uses CTRL-F for fullscreen, this wouldn't be too bad if it only did it while it was the active window or only went fullscreen on the monitor it was showing on but they use the shortcut globally so trying to find a word in a document suddenly presents you with 3 full screens of cctv cameras which then need a password entering to drop them out of fullscreen.
I was about to say the same thing. If (as I’m sure they will) MS force copilot to start on boot (even if you tell it to fuck off and die) then how is any other application going to get in first to set the shortcut?
Dirty, evil bastards.
I'm sorry, officer
Yesterday that was my brake pedal. Now I guess it means "Go really, really fast."
Apple envy
Microsoft’s got a touch of apple envy, hasn’t it? They’ve nabbed the ALT key which is right where the Command key sits on a Mac, as if hoping for a bit of that Apple Spotlight magic to rub off.
Maybe it is self aware
I'm not convinced that Copilot will ever be useful, whatever the activation key is.
It came together with the latest W10 update, so since it was there staring at me the first thing that I asked it was "How do I uninstall Copilot".
Its answer was "Sorry, I can't answer that right now, try again later".
So I uninstalled it anyway.
They've not even updated their own documentation
The first hit on a DuckDuckGo (so Bing, mostly) search on "windows keyboard shortcuts" is https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/keyboard-shortcuts-in-windows-dcc61a57-8ff0-cffe-9796-cb9706c75eec
It still says:
"Alt + Spacebar - Open context menu for the active window."
I'm so glad I've kicked my Windows 11 Pro install to the curb in favour of Linux 100% of the time. Even, mostly, works great for gaming these days!
OK boss they STILL refuse to use copilot despite us DEMANDING they give us ALL their data.
OK give it the following shortcut keys:
CTRL+C CTRL+V, CTRL+ALT+DEL, Windows+S, The enter key, A E I O U