Windows 11 Copilot makes digital mischief with desktop icons, leaving users baffled
A new Windows 11 preview build, KB5031455, which powers the AI-powered assistant Windows Copilot, is reportedly wreaking havoc on desktop icons.
Windows 11 Build KB5031455 is one of a series of updates that come to us via Windows Update and through the Windows Insider program, Microsoft’s official community for Windows enthusiasts and industry professionals, helping to discover new versions of Windows and features to try before they are rolled out to all Windows users. Build KB5031455 was released in October and was packed with new developments such as Windows Copilot. Other feature updates include reworks of the Start menu, File Explorer, and native system support for more archive file formats.
However, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing and some users are reporting problems. According to BetaNewsMicrosoft has acknowledged that there is a known issue with the preview build that causes desktop icons to be shuffled. This apparently happens because of Copilot’s interaction with multi-display Windows setups.
The update is quite stacked in terms of functionality, so it is somewhat expected that there will be an issue here or there for certain users. That said, affected users are likely hoping for a fix as soon as possible, especially since most are looking forward to giving Copilot a try. This is also the kind of feedback these preview builds are intended for.
What Microsoft has to say about this
Microsoft has shared the release notes for the preview build in a support post describing the nature of the updates and changes, as well as the known issues in the update. About the above problem, Microsoft writes the following:
“Windows devices that use more than one monitor may experience issues with desktop icons moving unexpectedly between monitors or other icon alignment issues when trying to use Copilot in Windows (in preview).”
It goes on to explain that there is no existing solution or workaround, and Microsoft recommends not using Windows Copilot on devices that currently use a multi-monitor configuration. There is some comfort in that a resolution is currently being developed and will be released in a future update.
This is a fairly typical response from Microsoft, but it also has a reputation for offering solutions to such problems, even if it may take a while. I think we can expect one soon, especially since it was picked up after a preview build was released. These were released specifically to test and monitor for feedback, so an opportunity to improve a feature is completely normal for a Windows release like this, and Microsoft is keen to ensure the flashy new Copilot feature works well for as many users as possible – including people who use more than one screen.