What you’ll need#
- A Copilot+ PC with a qualifying NPU (Snapdragon X, Intel Core Ultra 200V or later, or Ryzen AI 300 or later)
- Windows 11 version 24H2 or 25H2
- The August 2026 cumulative update (KB5101684) installed
- A restart after the update — the Settings page often does not appear until after reboot
If you are on a standard laptop or desktop without a Copilot+ NPU, the AI components page will likely not appear or will list nothing removable.
Overview#
For three years Microsoft shipped local AI models on Windows PCs without giving users a way to remove them. The August 2026 cumulative update changes that. On Copilot+ PCs you can now uninstall the Image Generation model directly from Settings, reclaiming roughly two to 2.5 GB of SSD space.
This does not remove Copilot. It removes one on-device model. The Copilot app, the Copilot key, Windows Copilot Runtime, and all cloud-based AI features continue working.
Step 1 — Install the August 2026 update#
The uninstall option is tied to the August 2026 update. You must install it and restart before the Settings page becomes available.
- Open Settings > Windows Update.
- Click Check for updates and install KB5101684.
- Restart your PC after installation.
The Settings page is registered during the post-install phase. If you see the AI components page without the uninstall option, verify you are on the latest cumulative update using winver.
Step 2 — Open the AI components page#
- Open Settings > System > AI components.
If you do not see this entry, your device almost certainly is not a Copilot+ PC with a qualifying NPU. This page only appears on devices with the required NPU stack.
Step 3 — Review what is installed#
The AI components page lists each local AI model with its name, version, size on disk, and status. Check the Size column before deciding.
Typical entries you may see:
- Image Generation model: ~2 GB, removable on Copilot+ PCs after KB5101684
- Phi Silica: ~2.59 GB, removable on some builds, varies by device
- Windows Copilot Runtime Core: <500 MB, required, not removable
- AI database engine: varies, required, not removable
- Screen reader/accessibility model: varies, required, not removable
Grayed-out entries carry a tooltip stating they are required for system functionality. For the Copilot Runtime this is genuinely true since other features link against it.
Step 4 — Uninstall the Image Generation model#
- Click Uninstall next to the Image Generation model.
- Confirm the prompt.
The removal deletes the model weight files and associated ONNX inference files while leaving the Windows Copilot Runtime in place.
Step 5 — Restart and verify#
- Restart your PC.
- Return to Settings > System > AI components and confirm the entry now reads as not installed.
- Check your free space in Settings > System > Storage to see how much space you reclaimed.
Expected result: you will see roughly 2 to 2.5 GB more free space, matching the size shown before uninstall.
What breaks when you uninstall the model?#
Removing a local model does not sandbox itself neatly. Be aware of these effects:
- Paint’s Cocreator and Image Creator stop working offline. They either disappear from the toolbar or fall back to a cloud call that requires a Microsoft account and internet connection.
- Photos loses local generative erase and restyle features.
- Any Copilot feature that previously rendered an image on-device now sends the request to Microsoft’s servers instead. This is slower, requires connectivity, and arguably sends more of your data off the machine than the local model did.
If your motivation is disk space on a 256 GB laptop, the trade is straightforward and probably worth it. If your motivation is privacy, removing the local model can be counterproductive since the features relocate to a datacenter rather than disappearing.
Apps do not crash when the model is missing. They fail gracefully because the runtime framework stays installed and returns a clean “unavailable” response. You can reverse the process by reinstalling from the same Settings page or by letting Windows Update re-offer the component in a future update.
Testing it works#
Confirm the model is uninstalled and Copilot still functions:
- Open Settings > System > AI components: the Image Generation model should show as not installed.
- Open Copilot (Win+C or taskbar icon): verify it opens and responds to chat prompts.
- Open Paint: check that Cocreator/Image Creator either prompts for cloud usage or no longer appears.
Common issues#
I don’t see AI components in Settings Your device is likely not a Copilot+ PC with a qualifying NPU, or you have not installed KB5101684. Check your update history in Settings > Windows Update > Update history.
Uninstall button is grayed out The model may still be in use or the update may not be fully applied. Restart again, then retry. In rare cases a pending cumulative update will prevent removal until it installs.
How much space will I get back? Roughly 2 to 2.5 GB in most reports. The exact figure appears in the size column on the AI components page before you uninstall, so check it there rather than relying on a general estimate.
Next steps#
If you want to free more space, consider removing unused Copilot+ features or disabling AI-related services as described in our guide on how to disable Recall, Copilot, and AI bloat in Windows 11. For deeper privacy tuning, explore Group Policy settings that limit diagnostic data and cloud-connected search features.