Windows 11 PC Insights Rolls Out as Read-Only Copilot System Checks

Windows 11’s PC Insights Explains System Status, but It Is Not a Root-Cause Diagnostician​

Microsoft’s gradual U.S. rollout gives consenting Copilot users a conversational way to check CPU, memory, graphics, storage, battery, security, firmware, network, and connected-device information. The read-only feature may simplify basic troubleshooting, but the available facts do not prove that it can identify the actual cause of a slowdown or name the process responsible.
Microsoft is gradually rolling out PC Insights in the Windows 11 Copilot app in the United States. For users who receive it and grant permission, the feature can report selected information about the current state of a PC in conversational language.
That could be useful for people who do not know where Windows keeps hardware specifications, storage totals, resource graphs, or connected-device status. It is also narrower than “AI-powered diagnosis” may suggest. PC Insights can retrieve and explain supported system facts, but the information reported so far does not establish that it can diagnose root causes, identify a culpable process, or repair a problem.
Windows Latest reports that PC Insights is optional, opt-in, read-only, and not yet available on every PC. Copilot reportedly asks for permission when a question requires local system information, with “Ask every time” and “Always allow” as the available choices.

What Windows 11 users should do now​

• Expect a gradual U.S. rollout. PC Insights may not appear on your PC yet.
• Treat it as an optional, read-only reporting feature, not an automatic repair tool.
• Choose “Ask every time” before testing it so each request for supported PC information remains visible.
• Start with limited questions such as current CPU usage, available storage, system specifications, or whether a device is detected.
• Verify important answers in Windows before changing, removing, or purchasing anything.

The useful idea is straightforward: Windows already holds much of this information, but it distributes the details across Task Manager, Settings, File Explorer, and other interfaces. PC Insights attempts to replace some of that navigation with a question-and-answer exchange.

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PC Insights Turns Windows System Information Into a Conversation​

PC Insights is best understood as a translation layer between ordinary users and selected information available from Windows. Instead of asking someone to find a particular Settings page or interpret a Task Manager graph, Copilot can retrieve a supported value and describe it in plain language.
According to support information reported by Windows Latest, PC Insights can access current CPU, RAM, and GPU usage. It can report available storage and total capacity, system specifications, BIOS information, battery health, and antivirus-protection status.
Its reported scope also includes Bluetooth and Wi-Fi status, network adapters, USB devices, external drives, printers, and webcams. That could make it useful as a lightweight inventory and initial triage interface.
Questions such as “Is my webcam detected?” or “Is my printer online?” are not advanced diagnostics, but they address a common support obstacle: the user does not know which Windows interface contains the relevant status.
The same principle applies to hardware information. A general-purpose chatbot can explain what RAM or a graphics processor does, but it cannot know the configuration of a particular PC unless the user supplies that information. With permission, PC Insights can reportedly answer supported questions using data from the current machine.
Live utilization requires more caution. A current CPU or memory percentage is an observation at a particular moment. It may help a user recognize that the system is busy, but it does not by itself reveal why the activity is occurring.
PC Insights should therefore be described as reporting and explaining the system’s current state—not as proving the root cause of poor performance. Nothing in the reported examples demonstrates that it can reliably attribute a slowdown to a specific process, driver, application, service, temperature problem, or hardware fault.

Windows-side verification steps​

The following are standard Windows paths users can use to check important results. They are Windows-side verification steps, not confirmed descriptions of buttons or links that appear inside the PC Insights interface:

Information to verify	Windows-side path	What it can confirm
Live CPU, RAM, and GPU activity	Task Manager > Processes or Task Manager > Performance	Current utilization, process activity, and resource graphs
Storage capacity and free-space categories	Settings > System > Storage	Used and available capacity, plus storage categories
Processor, installed RAM, device name, and Windows specifications	Settings > System > About	Core device and operating-system specifications

These paths matter because an AI-generated explanation should not become an opaque verdict. If Copilot reports a consequential figure, users should be able to compare it with the underlying Windows interface.

The Storage Example Shows Both the Value and the Limits​

A reported example asks whether the PC has enough room for a large game. Windows Latest describes a machine with 87GB of available space and a question about installing GTA V, with the cited requirement exceeding 100GB.
Those are the facts demonstrated by the example: 87GB is available, and the referenced requirement is above 100GB. Comparing the two shows that the machine does not have enough free capacity under that requirement.
PC Insights is potentially useful because it can place the local storage figure and the stated requirement into one conversation. The user does not have to locate the capacity page, remember the number, and perform the comparison separately.
The example should not be stretched beyond what it proves. Download size, final installed size, temporary unpacking space, future updates, optional content, and a prudent free-space buffer can all affect whether a game installation succeeds. Those are general software-installation caveats, not demonstrated PC Insights capabilities in the reported test.
Similarly, a recommendation to create additional room is general guidance. The example does not establish that PC Insights can calculate every stage of an installation, predict future update requirements, or certify that a particular amount of free space will be sufficient.
The feature can reportedly calculate file and folder sizes, including the size of Downloads and Documents. Microsoft’s described boundary is that Copilot cannot read individual file contents without explicit access, while metadata such as file and folder size may be used for supported questions.
That could help a user locate a broad source of storage pressure without granting content access. Knowing that Downloads occupies a large amount of space is different from opening and interpreting the files inside it.
Users should still review material manually before deleting it. Installers, archives, synchronized cloud files, application data, and old project folders may appear disposable while serving different purposes. Read-only access keeps PC Insights from turning a questionable recommendation into automatic data loss.

Read-Only Access Is a Sensible Safety Boundary​

PC Insights currently operates as a read-only reporting layer. It can present information and make suggestions, but it cannot independently perform the repair described in its response.
That limitation may disappoint users expecting a full Windows agent, but it reduces risk. Reporting that a drive is not detected is substantially different from changing a driver, restarting a service, modifying a device policy, repartitioning storage, or deleting files.
Windows troubleshooting often involves dependencies that are not obvious from a single status reading. A busy process may be completing legitimate work. A synchronization application may consume resources because the user recently changed many files. A disconnected network adapter may be intentional. A driver update that resolves one issue may introduce another.
Keeping the user in control provides a checkpoint between explanation and action. Copilot can report what it sees; the user can verify the observation and decide whether to open Settings, inspect Task Manager, reconnect hardware, contact support, or do nothing.
Any future expansion into system changes would require stronger safeguards, including a clear preview of each action, narrow permissions, explicit confirmation, useful logs, and a practical way to reverse changes. Those controls are not necessary to assess the current feature because the reported version is read-only.
The immediate question is simpler: can PC Insights retrieve supported facts accurately, describe their limits, and avoid presenting a momentary measurement as a proven diagnosis?

Consent Is Visible, but Users Should Still Review Privacy Settings​

Microsoft says PC Insights is opt-in rather than an automatic background inspection system. When Copilot needs supported information from the PC, it prompts the user for permission.
The reported choices are “Ask every time” and “Always allow.”

Permission mode	How access begins	User friction	Practical privacy posture	Appropriate starting point
Ask every time	Copilot requests permission when relevant PC information is needed	Higher	Each access request remains visible and deliberate	Testing, shared PCs, and cautious users
Always allow	Previous approval permits later supported access without another prompt each time	Lower	The user relies more heavily on Copilot’s scope and indicators	Personal PCs after the user understands the behavior

“Ask every time” is the safer default during evaluation. The prompts introduce friction, but they help users distinguish questions that require local information from questions answered through general knowledge or other sources.
“Always allow” does not necessarily mean Copilot is continuously scanning the system. It does mean fewer moments at which the user is explicitly reminded that local PC information is being consulted.
Microsoft’s described privacy treatment distinguishes source data from conversation activity. Windows Latest reports that Microsoft says personal files and system information are not stored or used for model training, while prompts and responses may be used to improve the service depending on the user’s settings.
That distinction deserves careful attention. If a prompt includes a hardware detail, or if Copilot repeats a retrieved system fact in its answer, the resulting conversation can contain information derived from the PC even if the underlying source record is handled separately.
Permission and privacy are related but different controls. Permission determines whether Copilot may retrieve relevant local information. Account settings and service policies govern the treatment of conversation activity.
Most individual readings—such as a CPU percentage—may appear harmless. A broader system inventory can reveal device models, firmware details, security status, connected peripherals, network configuration, and storage patterns. Users should avoid assuming that every category of “PC information” carries the same sensitivity.

Reporting Resource Use Is Not the Same as Diagnosing a Slow PC​

The strongest reason to temper expectations is that current utilization does not automatically identify causation.
A high CPU reading can reflect a malfunction, but it can also reflect an update, a scan, compilation, media processing, application startup, or a task the user intentionally began. High memory use may indicate a leak, yet it may also represent active data or cached information Windows can reclaim.
GPU activity can be expected during gaming, video playback, rendering, desktop composition, browser acceleration, or local AI workloads. Even a process-level reading does not always reveal why that process is active.
A trustworthy PC Insights response should maintain a clear boundary between observations and interpretations:

• Observation: CPU usage is currently elevated.
• Observation: Available storage is 87GB.
• Observation: Windows currently detects a connected webcam.
• Interpretation: The PC may feel less responsive while resource use remains elevated.
• Unproven conclusion: A particular application is the root cause of the slowdown.

Identifying a root cause may require repeated measurements, process-level investigation, workload context, temperatures, storage latency, event logs, driver history, or controlled testing. The provided facts do not show PC Insights performing that level of analysis.
This does not make the feature useless. Many support interactions begin with basic evidence collection. A user who cannot locate system specifications or determine whether Windows sees an external device may be able to retrieve that information conversationally and share it with a technician.
Consequential details should still be checked through Windows. Task Manager can show whether the reported utilization persists and which processes are active. Storage settings can confirm capacity. The About page can confirm core specifications.
The goal should be faster access to evidence—not replacing evidence with confidence-sounding prose.

Copilot’s Own Resource Use Complicates the Pitch​

There is an unavoidable tension in using a comparatively large application to explain resource pressure. Windows Latest observed Copilot using roughly 800MB of memory while idle and reported that its footprint could approach 1GB under the observed conditions.
A Task Manager memory total does not prove that every displayed megabyte is active, irreclaimable, or responsible for poor performance. Windows manages memory dynamically, and browser-based applications may divide work among several processes. Usage can also vary with application state, open content, account configuration, and measurement timing.
Even with those qualifications, the reported footprint is relevant on PCs with limited memory. On a high-end desktop it may be inconsequential; on an entry-level Windows 11 machine already running a browser, security tools, synchronization software, communication applications, and productivity programs, it can become a noticeable part of the overall load.
Windows Latest also reports that Copilot includes a private Microsoft Edge package with Chromium components and its own msedge.exe, supporting web content displayed inside the Copilot experience. Task Manager may consequently classify the application as a browser.
Keeping pages within Copilot can preserve web context alongside the active conversation rather than sending every result to a separate browser window. However, it is reasonable to ask whether that functionality justifies the package size and memory footprint for users who primarily want short answers or basic system information.
Claims about duplicated code, servicing burden, or Microsoft’s architectural motives should be treated as analysis rather than established fact. Based on the reported private Edge package, it is reasonable to infer that Copilot carries additional application components that must be installed and maintained. The available reporting does not quantify that burden or prove how much of the package duplicates files already present elsewhere in Windows.
Likewise, it is reasonable to infer that an embedded browser environment can help Copilot retain page context and produce more consistent in-app behavior. That does not establish Microsoft’s complete rationale for choosing the design.
The practical concern is independent of motive: users should be able to compare the value of PC Insights with the resources consumed by the Copilot application that delivers it. Microsoft would strengthen the feature by minimizing idle use, making background behavior clear, and ensuring that Copilot releases resources appropriately when inactive.

Windows Information Needs Clear Labels and Timestamps​

PC Insights combines several types of information that should not be presented as if they have equal certainty.
In the GTA V example, the 87GB free-space figure is a local system measurement. The requirement above 100GB is product information brought into the comparison. The suggestion to clear additional space is a recommendation. Each has a different origin and a different chance of becoming outdated.
The same separation applies elsewhere:

Information type	Example	Appropriate presentation
Local observation	Current CPU usage or available storage	Label as retrieved from the PC and include the observation time
Windows configuration	Installed RAM or BIOS version	Identify it as reported by Windows and provide a verification path
External information	A game’s current storage requirement	Identify it as externally sourced and potentially subject to change
AI interpretation	“This may affect responsiveness”	Present it as an explanation, not a measured fact
Recommendation	Free space, reconnect a device, or contact support	Explain risks and leave the decision to the user

Live readings can change before the response is finished. CPU usage can rise or fall in seconds, and a connected device can disappear immediately after a status check. Answers should make clear that they describe an observed moment and should offer a refresh when recency matters.
This fact-versus-inference boundary is more important than elaborate conversational language. A concise answer that identifies its sources and uncertainty is safer than a polished paragraph that blends measurements, external facts, and recommendations into one authoritative conclusion.

Enterprise IT Should Treat PC Insights as an Optional Consumer Feature​

PC Insights may help employees collect basic device information before contacting support, but its gradual availability makes it unsuitable as a mandatory help-desk procedure. Two otherwise similar PCs may not expose the same capability during the rollout, and some managed environments may not provide the consumer Copilot app at all.
Organizations should also avoid treating a conversational response as the source of record for inventory, security, or compliance. Existing endpoint-management and security systems remain the appropriate authority for managed-device status.
The reported ability to remove or block Copilot may give administrators a containment option, but deployment details can vary by Windows edition, update level, policy set, and management platform. Without a documented, tested policy path specific to the organization’s environment, IT teams should not assume that one universal Group Policy setting will remove every Copilot entry point or prevent future reinstallation.
The executable next step is therefore procedural: inventory where the Copilot app is present, test the organization’s existing application-control and removal policies on a representative Windows 11 device, and verify the result after servicing updates. Organizations needing authoritative controls should use Microsoft’s current administrative documentation for their Windows release and management platform rather than relying on a consumer feature description.
For environments where Copilot remains available, support documentation should treat PC Insights as optional evidence collection. Users can report an answer, but technicians should validate important information through Windows, scripts, endpoint management, or approved diagnostic tools.

A Useful First Step, Provided Microsoft Describes It Accurately​

PC Insights addresses a real Windows usability problem. Basic system information is spread across several interfaces, and many users do not know where to find it or how to interpret it. A conversational layer can reduce that navigation burden.
Its safest and most credible role is also its least sensational: retrieve supported facts, explain what they mean, and let the user decide what happens next.
Microsoft should resist presenting the feature as a system diagnostician until evidence shows that it can distinguish symptoms from causes consistently. Current CPU, RAM, GPU, storage, security, and device readings can support troubleshooting, but they do not automatically identify the responsible process or explain the chain of events behind a problem.
For now, users who receive PC Insights should begin with “Ask every time,” use narrowly framed questions, verify consequential answers in Task Manager or Settings, and treat recommendations as guidance rather than commands.
If Microsoft can keep the feature read-only, transparent about data access, precise about what was observed, and modest about what can be concluded, PC Insights could become a helpful front end for Windows system information. Its long-term value will depend less on how confidently Copilot speaks than on how clearly it separates a measured fact from an inferred explanation.

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Update: Copilot Permissions Can Be Denied or Revoked (July 13, 2026)​

ZDNET has clarified that PC Insights offers a third permission choice beyond one-time or persistent access: users can deny access for the current Copilot session. A session lasts until the Copilot app is closed or the PC is restarted.
Users who previously granted access can also revoke that permission through Copilot’s privacy settings. This provides an additional control for anyone who selects persistent access and later changes their mind.
ZDNET’s testing also confirms that availability remains limited during the gradual rollout. PC Insights had not appeared on the publication’s Windows 11 laptop or two virtual machines as of July 13, 2026.
The practical guidance remains to start with one-time permission while evaluating the feature. Users can deny an unexpected request, close Copilot to end the session, or revoke previously granted access in privacy settings.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-copilot-analyze-windows

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References​

1. Primary source: Windows Latest
   Published: Sun, 12 Jul 2026 01:55:37 GMT
   
   

   Windows 11 Copilot now tells you what’s slowing down your PC, while using 1GB RAM itself

   Windows 11 Copilot can now tell you what’s slowing down your PC, while using 1GB of RAM itself (ironically).

   www.windowslatest.com
2. Official source: blogs.windows.com
   
   

   Windows 11 is the home for AI on the PC, with even more experiences available today

   AI is changing the way we use our PCs. According to a new consumer AI report commissioned by Microsoft, nearly 60% of people report using generative AI for work and business purposes

   blogs.windows.com
3. Official source: support.microsoft.com
   
   

   Click to Do: do more with what’s on your screen | Microsoft Support

   Click to Do: do more with what’s on your screen

   support.microsoft.com
4. Related coverage: pcworld.com
   
   

   I tried making Windows 11's Copilot a habit. Here's what stuck (and what didn't) | PCWorld

   Users can already utilise Copilot for texts, research, settings, and creative tasks. We demonstrate the possibilities and limitations.

   www.pcworld.com
5. Official source: learn.microsoft.com
   
   

   Connect to the Microsoft Copilot Dashboard for Microsoft 365 customers | Microsoft Learn

   Explains how to set up and use the Microsoft Copilot Dashboard, which provides various metrics to help you see how employees are using Copilot and the impact it could have on your organization.

   learn.microsoft.com
6. Official source: microsoft.com
   
   

   IDC Quick Take Observations on the Next-Generation AI PC

   PDF document

   www.microsoft.com

Spoiler: Additional references (7)

• Official source: cdn-dynmedia-1.microsoft.com
  
  

  PowerPoint Presentation

  PDF document

  cdn-dynmedia-1.microsoft.com
• Official source: news.microsoft.com
  
  

  PowerPoint Presentation

  PDF document

  news.microsoft.com
• Related coverage: tomsguide.com
  
  

  Microsoft's Copilot Vision AI can now see your whole desktop — here's what it does | Tom's Guide

  Microsoft's Copilot Vision AI now has eyes on your entire screen as it rolls out an update to Windows Insiders on Windows 11 PCs.

  www.tomsguide.com
• Related coverage: windowscentral.com
  
  

  Microsoft scales back Copilot plans on Windows 11 | Windows Central

  Originally announced in 2024, Microsoft's plan to integrate Copilot across various areas of the Windows 11 shell has been shelved as the company reevaluates its AI approach in the OS.

  www.windowscentral.com
• Related coverage: techradar.com
  
  

  Did Microsoft not hear about the RAM crisis? Windows 11's new Copilot app is quite the memory hog | TechRadar

  Hands off my memory, Edge… I mean, Copilot

  www.techradar.com
• Related coverage: pcgamer.com
  
  

  Microsoft's Copilot AI assistant can now optionally see your entire desktop—maybe it will be able to finally explain what Windows error code 0x8007002c means | PC Gamer

  Oh, and you can make it look like Clippy, too...

  www.pcgamer.com
• Related coverage: tomshardware.com
  
  

  Microsoft is reportedly testing Copilot+ AI features with discrete GPUs instead of NPUs — a feature available on Windows App SDK with a Windows Insider Experimental Channel build and Developer Mode turned on | Tom's Hardware

  Is this the beginning of the end for Copilot+ PCs?

  www.tomshardware.com

 

[ChatGPT]

Microsoft is rolling out PC Insights, an experimental Copilot for Windows feature that lets users query local system status in plain language rather than dig through Settings, Task Manager, Device Manager, or File Explorer.
Microsoft’s support documentation describes PC Insights as an opt-in capability within the Copilot app for Windows. Users can ask questions such as “What is my current CPU usage?”, “What graphics card do I have?”, “Is my antivirus running?”, or whether there is sufficient disk space for a 100GB game. Copilot then requests permission to retrieve the relevant device or file information and returns an explanation.
The feature is being gradually deployed, so it will not immediately appear on every Windows 11 PC. Microsoft also flags it as experimental and warns that answers may not always be complete or accurate.

Read-only diagnostic help, not automated repair​

PC Insights is intended to make basic diagnostics less intimidating, particularly for users who do not know where Windows exposes hardware, storage, peripheral, or security status. Microsoft says it can report on device specifications, battery health, BIOS version, connected USB devices, network adapters, storage, external drives, printers, webcams, and selected files or folders.
The limitations matter. PC Insights cannot change Windows settings, run repair actions automatically, or continuously monitor the machine in the background, according to Microsoft. It can suggest a next step, but it will not terminate a runaway process, clear space, update a driver, or fix a service on the user’s behalf.
Access is permission-based. Microsoft says Copilot requests approval before accessing the system or file data needed for a question, and users can allow a single session, permanently allow similar requests, or decline. Permissions can be revoked from Copilot privacy settings. Microsoft also says the feature does not access corporate Microsoft 365 email, Teams chats, calendars, or organization documents.

Copilot’s own footprint is worth checking​

The awkward wrinkle is the resource use of the Copilot client itself. As reported by Windows Latest and highlighted by PC Gamer, the current Edge-based Copilot app reportedly used 791.7MB of memory while idle in one test; PC Gamer saw roughly 560MB on its own machine. Those are individual observations, not a Microsoft memory specification, and Windows memory figures can vary by workload, system configuration, and the way browser-hosted processes are counted.
Still, it is a reasonable concern on 8GB or otherwise memory-constrained systems: an assistant opened to identify resource pressure may itself rank among the larger active processes. Admins and experienced users will likely continue to reach for Task Manager, Resource Monitor, Performance Monitor, and PowerShell when they need repeatable measurements or remediation.
For everyone else, PC Insights could be a useful translation layer over Windows telemetry—as long as its answers are treated as a starting point, not a diagnosis.

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References​

1. Primary source: PC Gamer
   Published: 2026-07-13T10:50:03+00:00
   
   

   A new Copilot feature tells you what might be slowing down your PC—while gorging itself on a fair chunk of your system RAM | PC Gamer

   It can't help, can it?

   www.pcgamer.com

 

[ChatGPT]

Microsoft is gradually rolling out PC Insights, an experimental Copilot feature that can inspect a Windows PC’s current state and answer questions such as why the machine may be slow. As reported by PCWorld, it is designed to turn system telemetry that normally lives across Settings, Task Manager, Device Manager and storage views into conversational answers.
The feature does not diagnose every fault or perform repairs. It can, however, pull relevant information after the user grants permission and explain it in plain language. That could make it useful for basic triage: identifying high CPU or memory use, checking free storage before installing a game, confirming a GPU model, or finding whether a peripheral is detected.

What PC Insights can see​

Microsoft’s support documentation says PC Insights can access information needed to answer a specific request, including device specifications, CPU and memory activity, storage capacity, network adapters, connected USB devices, battery health, BIOS version, antivirus status, printers and webcams.
Examples include asking what is using system resources, whether enough space is available for a 100GB game, whether an external drive is recognized, or whether antivirus protection is running.
The notable distinction is that this is on-demand access rather than continuous monitoring. Microsoft says Copilot prompts for permission before collecting relevant PC or file data. Users can approve access for one session, always allow similar requests, or decline; saved permissions can later be revoked in Copilot settings.

Privacy and reliability limits​

Microsoft says personal files and system information gathered through PC Insights are not stored or used to train AI models. Conversation activity, including prompts and responses, may still be used to improve Copilot and train models depending on the user’s Copilot settings.
For managed environments, Microsoft also says PC Insights cannot access work email, Teams chats, calendars, Microsoft 365 documents, or other organizational data. That makes the feature less alarming than a broad local-data connector, but administrators should still account for its separate permission model and Copilot conversation-data settings.
PC Insights is explicitly experimental, opt-in, and being deployed gradually to users of the Copilot app on Windows. Microsoft warns that its answers may be incomplete or inaccurate while development continues.

Useful shortcut, not a replacement for troubleshooting​

The feature’s practical value is convenience rather than new diagnostic capability. Experienced users will still get more precise data from Task Manager, Resource Monitor, Event Viewer, Windows Security, storage tools, and vendor diagnostics. Copilot can summarize conditions, but it cannot change system settings, kill a runaway process, install a driver, remove malware, or otherwise fix a problem on the user’s behalf.
Users who receive the rollout can try it for first-pass troubleshooting, but should verify any surprising answer against Windows’ own diagnostic tools before acting on it.

---

References​

1. Primary source: PCWorld
   Published: 2026-07-13T13:21:52+00:00
   
   

   Ask Copilot why your PC is slow. It might actually have a real answer | PCWorld

   Copilot's new PC Insights feature scans your hardware with permission. Here's what data it collects and how to control it.

   www.pcworld.com
2. Related coverage: pcgamer.com
   
   

   A new Copilot feature tells you what might be slowing down your PC—while gorging itself on a fair chunk of your system RAM | PC Gamer

   It can't help, can it?

   www.pcgamer.com

 

[ChatGPT]

Story update: Copilot Permissions Can Be Denied or Revoked — the article above has been updated.

 

[ChatGPT]

Microsoft is gradually rolling out PC Insights, an experimental opt-in feature in the Copilot app for Windows that lets the assistant answer questions using the current state of a Windows 11 PC. Rather than asking users to hunt through Settings, Task Manager, Device Manager, and File Explorer, Copilot can retrieve relevant device data after receiving permission and explain it in plain language.
Microsoft’s support documentation describes PC Insights as a limited, on-demand capability. Windows Latest first reported that the feature is rolling out slowly in the United States and may not yet appear on every device. Microsoft also cautions that, as an experimental feature, its answers may not always be complete or accurate.

What Copilot can check​

PC Insights is meant for questions that normally require a quick diagnostic pass through several Windows tools. Microsoft lists examples including current CPU usage, installed graphics hardware, battery health, BIOS version, antivirus status, connected USB devices, network adapters, printer availability, webcam detection, and whether an external drive has been recognized.
It can also assess storage capacity and folder sizes. A user could ask whether there is enough room for a 100 GB game, for example, or how much space the Downloads folder consumes. The key difference from ordinary Copilot hardware questions is that PC Insights can query the machine’s present condition rather than rely on a pasted specification or screenshot.
That could make it useful for basic support triage. A user who asks why a PC feels slow may get a readable explanation of current resource use, while an administrator helping a less technical user could point them toward a specific Copilot query before escalating to a remote-support session.
The feature is not a replacement for Task Manager, Performance Monitor, Reliability Monitor, Event Viewer, or endpoint-management tooling. Microsoft positions it as an explanatory layer, not a deep diagnostic engine, and its own documentation warns that the results can be incomplete.

Read-only access, with permissions​

Microsoft says Copilot asks before it accesses relevant PC or file information. Users can approve a single session, always allow similar requests, or decline. A session lasts until the PC is restarted or the Copilot app is closed, according to the company.
The first version is read-only. PC Insights cannot close processes, alter settings, delete files, apply repairs, or run troubleshooting steps automatically. It also does not monitor the PC in the background. Copilot can suggest a next step, but the user must carry it out.
Microsoft says personal files and system information gathered through PC Insights are not stored or used to train models. Conversation content—including prompts and replies—may still be used to improve Copilot depending on the account’s settings. The company also says PC Insights does not access work email, Teams chats, calendars, Microsoft 365 documents, or other organizational data.
For enthusiasts and admins, the practical question is whether the convenience justifies giving Copilot access to live device telemetry. For now, there is little reason to change established troubleshooting routines: PC Insights is optional, read-only, and still rolling out.

---

References​

1. Primary source: eTeknix
   Published: 2026-07-13T19:42:51+00:00
   
   

   Microsoft Copilot Will Be Able to Check Your PC Hardware and Tell You What Is Slowing Down Windows 11 - eTeknix

   Microsoft is testing a new Copilot feature for Windows 11 called PC Insights. The tool will let users check the state of their computer and understand which…

   www.eteknix.com
2. Related coverage: techradar.com
   
   

   Laptop specs are getting more confusing – here’s what actually matters in 2026 | TechRadar

   Look past the marketing hype to get the best Windows laptop

   www.techradar.com
3. Related coverage: pcgamer.com
   
   

   A new Copilot feature tells you what might be slowing down your PC—while gorging itself on a fair chunk of your system RAM | PC Gamer

   It can't help, can it?

   www.pcgamer.com
4. Related coverage: windowslatest.com
   
   

   Windows 11 Copilot now tells you what’s slowing down your PC, while using 1GB RAM itself

   Windows 11 Copilot can now tell you what’s slowing down your PC, while using 1GB of RAM itself (ironically).

   www.windowslatest.com
5. Official source: learn.microsoft.com
   
   

   What are Windows AI APIs? | Microsoft Learn

   The Windows AI APIs support a variety of AI-powered features through machine learning (ML) models that run locally on Copilot+ PCs.

   learn.microsoft.com
6. Official source: support.microsoft.com
   
   

   Використовуйте програму Copilot для Windows, щоб отри&#x43

   Ознайомтеся з аналітикою для ПК – експериментальною функцією Copilot, яка дає змогу ставити запитання про ПК з Windows і отримувати чіткі відповіді на основі стану вашого пристрою. Перегляньте приклади та запитання й відповіді.

   support.microsoft.com

 

[ChatGPT]

Microsoft is gradually rolling out an experimental Copilot feature called PC Insights for the Windows Copilot app, giving users a conversational way to check live system status and basic hardware information. The feature is currently limited to a phased U.S. rollout, according to Microsoft’s support documentation.
PC Insights is designed for questions that would normally send users into Task Manager, Settings, File Explorer, or Device Manager. Microsoft’s examples include checking current CPU use, confirming available storage for a 100GB game, identifying the installed GPU, checking battery health, and verifying whether a webcam, printer, external drive, or antivirus product is detected.

Permissioned, read-only diagnostics​

Microsoft says PC Insights requests permission before accessing relevant device or file data. Users can allow a request for the current session, always allow similar requests, or decline; saved permissions can later be changed or revoked in Copilot settings.
The feature is explicitly read-only. It cannot change settings, repair a fault, run troubleshooting steps automatically, or monitor the machine in the background. That makes it closer to a plain-language front end for existing Windows telemetry and status APIs than an autonomous support tool.
Microsoft says PC Insights retrieves only information needed for the question asked. Personal files and system information collected by the feature are not stored or used for model training, though Copilot conversation activity — prompts and responses — may still be used to improve the service depending on a user’s settings. Microsoft also says the feature does not access work email, Teams chats, calendars, Microsoft 365 documents, or other organizational data.

The Copilot overhead problem​

The feature arrives with an awkward caveat: the Copilot app may itself be a notable memory consumer. Windows Latest, which first reported the test on July 12, found Copilot using roughly 800MB to 1GB of RAM after opening on a 32GB system. The outlet attributes that footprint to the current Copilot client’s web-app architecture and bundled Edge components; the app can appear as a browser-related process in Task Manager.
That observation does not mean RAM allocation alone is causing a slow PC. Windows will use spare memory for caching, and the practical impact depends on installed RAM, active workload, and memory pressure. But it does make PC Insights a less compelling diagnostic shortcut on lower-memory systems if launching Copilot materially adds to the load being investigated.
For experienced users and admins, Task Manager, Resource Monitor, Event Viewer, Windows Security, and Settings still provide more direct and auditable information. PC Insights may be useful for translating a narrow question into a quick answer, but its responses should not replace checking the underlying process, disk, driver, or event-log data—particularly because Microsoft warns that experimental answers may be incomplete or inaccurate.

What to do​

There is no deployment action for IT teams at this stage. Availability is controlled by Microsoft’s gradual rollout, and the feature remains opt-in per query or permission category.
Users who receive PC Insights can try it for quick checks, but should treat it as a read-only convenience layer and keep Copilot permissions set to prompt unless persistent access is genuinely useful.

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References​

1. Primary source: Technobezz
   Published: 2026-07-13T21:02:54.589000+00:00
   
   

   Microsoft Tests New Copilot PC Insights Tool That Diagnoses Windows 11 Performance Issues | Technobezz

   Microsoft's new Copilot PC Insights tool diagnoses Windows 11 slowdowns, but ironically uses up to 1GB of RAM itself.

   www.technobezz.com
2. Related coverage: windowscentral.com
   
   

   The Windows Central Podcast breaks down the Copilot OS leaks, the latest Microsoft layoffs, and what all of this means for the future of Windows and the company’s AI strategy | Windows Central

   Copilot OS leaks and job cuts raise big questions about Microsoft’s next moves.

   www.windowscentral.com
3. Official source: support.microsoft.com
   
   

   Використовуйте програму Copilot для Windows, щоб отри&#x43

   Ознайомтеся з аналітикою для ПК – експериментальною функцією Copilot, яка дає змогу ставити запитання про ПК з Windows і отримувати чіткі відповіді на основі стану вашого пристрою. Перегляньте приклади та запитання й відповіді.

   support.microsoft.com
4. Related coverage: windowslatest.com
   
   

   Windows 11 Copilot now tells you what’s slowing down your PC, while using 1GB RAM itself

   Windows 11 Copilot can now tell you what’s slowing down your PC, while using 1GB of RAM itself (ironically).

   www.windowslatest.com
5. Official source: cdn-dynmedia-1.microsoft.com
   
   

   Understanding Employee Productivity and Satisfaction Benefits of Next-Generation AI PCs as You Plan Your Next Refresh

   IDC White Paper, sponsored by Microsoft

   cdn-dynmedia-1.microsoft.com
6. Official source: news.microsoft.com
   
   

   PowerPoint Presentation

   PDF document

   news.microsoft.com