Enable Copilot and other hidden features in Windows 11 Build 23481 (Dev)

Windows 11 Build 23481 that was released to Insiders in the Dev channel, contains a number of hidden features. You can enable an early implementation of Windows Copilot, extra labels for the Start menu shortcuts, and a new Development option under Settings > Personalization > Device usage. Also, you can hide a number of checkboxes in Folder Options.

Enable Hidden Features in Windows 11 Build 23481

Prerequisites

First of all, you need to get ViVeTool. Download it from GitHub, and extract its files to the c:\vivetool folder. This will allow you to launch the commands in a convenient way.

Next, right-click the Windows logo button in the taskbar, and select Terminal(Admin). You will use the elevated Terminal app to execute the ViVeTool commands.

Most commands require you to restart Windows 11 for the changes to take effect.

Now you are ready to enable hidden features in Windows 11 Build 23481.

Enable Windows Copilot

The Dev channel Build 23481 adds the Windows Copilot button to the taskbar for the first time. As you may remember, Microsoft has announced Windows Copilot at the Build 2023 developer event.

At the moment, the it doesn't work properly, as it is a work in progress. Nothing happens when you click on the button.

To enable the Windows Copilot button, do the following.

1. Press Win + X, and select Terminal (Admin) from the menu.
2. Now, type the following command: c:\ViVeTool\ViVeTool.exe /enable /id:44788892.
3. Hit Enter and restart the OS.

Now you will have the Copilot button in the taskbar.

It is worth mentioning that enthusiasts managed to access Windows Copilot through Microsoft Edge Canary, although many of the present functions do not work in this mode.

The FireCubeNews website recommends enabling it as follows.

Enable Copilot with help of Microsoft Edge

1. Run the following command c:\ViVeTool\ViVeTool.exe /enable /id:44788892 to enable the button, as reviewed earlier.
2. Method 1 (CMD): Open a new command prompt or Terminal, run the command: "C:\Users\{YOUR USER PROFILE}\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Edge SxS\Application\msedge.exe" --enable-features=msEdgeAskCopilot,msShorelineToolbarWinCopilot,msUndersideSidebarPinning,msEdgeSidebarIntoFRE,msStandaloneSidebarFramework --flag-switches-begin --flag-switches-end `. Substitute {YOUR USER PROFILE} with your actual user profile name.
3. Method 2 (Run): Pres Win + R and paste the following command into the Run dialog: %localappdata%\Microsoft\Edge SxS\Application\msedge.exe --enable-features=msEdgeAskCopilot,msShorelineToolbarWinCopilot,msUndersideSidebarPinning,msEdgeSidebarIntoFRE,msStandaloneSidebarFramework. Hit Enter.
4. Method 3 (CMD alternative): Using the command line go to where Edge is stored at "C:\Users\{Your User profile}\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Edge SxS\Application\ and then run msedge --enable-features=msEdgeAskCopilot,msShorelineToolbarWinCopilot,msUndersideSidebarPinning,msEdgeSidebarIntoFRE,msStandaloneSidebarFramework --flag-switches-begin --enable-features=msEdgeAskCopilot,msShorelineToolbarWinCopilot,msUndersideSidebarPinning,msEdgeSidebarIntoFRE,msStandaloneSidebarFramework,msEdgeJSONViewer,msEdgeMinimumToolbarTitleBar,msEdgeMoveAvatarButtonToFrameView,msEdgeReadingView,msEdgeShare,msEdgeSplitWindow,msEnableDeveloperControlCenter,msEnableShyUI,msOverlayScrollbarWinStyle:scrollbar_mode/enable_settings,msPhoenixShowContainersInEdge,msRobin,msSwipeToShyUi,msVisualRejuvMaterialsMenu,msVisualRejuvRoundedTabs,msWebAppLinkHandling,msWebAppLinkHandlingWinIntegration,msWebAppWidgets --flag-switches-end
5. Restart Edge via task manager or kill all Edge processes. For that, press Win + X > select Terminal(Admin) > type taskkill /im msedge.exe /f > press Enter.
6. Open Edge
7. Finally, click on the Bing button to launch Copilot via Edge.

Enable labels for system apps in Start menu

Microsoft is about to visually mark system apps in the Start menu with the appropriate label. As of now, all applications containing the "Microsoft" word in the name have are shown as "system" apps. Most likely, it is an early implementation that will be soon reworked. Here's how it currently looks.

To enable the "system" labels for apps in the Start menu, run the following ViVeTool command in an elevated Terminal.

c:\vivetool\vivetool /enable /id:44573982

Enable the Development option in Personalization

On the "Settings" -> "Personalization" -> "Device Usage" page, you will find a new "Development" option has appeared. Enabling the option automatically for the first time launches the Dev Home app, if the latter is installed.

Interestingly, Microsoft is testing a scenario when the Dev Home app automatically starts when you sign in. If you have installed it, but never launched, Windows 11 will start it for you.

Use the following ViveTool command to enable the the Development option.

c:\vivetool\vivetool /enable /id:44358372,43489782,44217597

Enable the updated Folder Options

Windows 11 build 23481 comes with one change that, in my opinion, draws a degree of controversy. Microsoft has removed several options in the Folder Options dialog (File Explorer options). Currently, the company is testing the change with a small number of insiders. So, if you are out of testing, but what your Folder Options lose several checkboxes, run the following command:

c:\ViVeTool\ViVeTool.exe /enable /id:42105254,40608813

Restart the OS. You won't see the following settings:

• Hide Folder Merge conflict.
• Always show icons, never thumbnails.
• Display file icon on thumbnails.
• Display file size information on Folder tips.
• Hide protected OS files.
• Show drive letters.
• Show popup description for Folder and Desktop items.
• Show encrypted or compressed NTFS files in color.
• Use sharing wizard.

Microsoft is going to make this change permanent. They suggest users to apply direct Registry tweaks to change any of the removed checkboxes. If you aren't happy with this change, you may find useful a special option in Winaero Tweaker, "Classic Folder Options".

It is available starting in Winaero Tweaker 1.54 and is located under File Explorer > Classic Folder Options.

Windows Ink improvements

The improved Windows Ink allows Pen users to write ink right on top of text fields. It also makes better the accuracy of handwriting recognition technology, and supports the strikethrough gesture.

To enable Windows Ink improvements, run this command:

c:\vivetool\vivetool /enable /id:42105254,41799415,43679417,44504204

That's it. Many thanks to PhantomOcean3, Albacore,  Xeno, and thecommunity.