- Copilot allows you to analyze, summarize, and compare up to five OneDrive documents simultaneously without needing to open them.
- The feature requires an active Microsoft 365 (Personal or Family) subscription along with a Copilot Pro or Enterprise license.
- It is compatible with most common text formats, such as Word, PDF, PowerPoint files and spreadsheets.
I'm sure it's happened to you a thousand times: your cloud storage is full of documents, contracts, or reports, and when you need a specific piece of information, you have to open file by file like you're looking for a needle in a haystack. It's a hassle and a total waste of time. To solve this, Microsoft has stepped in and integrated Copilot into OneDrive , an artificial intelligence tool that basically reads your files for you and gives you the answer in a simple chat.
The coolest thing about this system is that it not only works on the web, but also integrates directly into Windows 11 File Explorer . No more navigating through endless folders; now you can ask AI about the contents of your PDF or Word documents while still at your desktop. However, for all of this to work, you need to have the Microsoft 365 ecosystem properly configured and the appropriate license, as this feature isn't enabled by default for everyone.
How to run Copilot from Windows Explorer 11
If you want to take advantage of AI without leaving your local folders, the process is quite intuitive. First, locate the file or group of documents you want to work with. If it's just one, right-click on it. If you want to analyze several, you can select up to five files at once and then right-click on any of the selected ones.
In the context menu that appears, find the OneDrive option and select "Ask a question ." If this is your first time using it, the system will likely ask you to sign in to your Microsoft account. Once you do, a side chat panel will appear where Copilot will suggest some ideas to get you started, but you can also type any questions at the bottom and click send.
Using Copilot through the web version of OneDrive
Sometimes it's more convenient to manage everything from your browser. To do this, go to onedrive.com with your account and navigate to the folder where your documents are stored. Just like on your computer, you can select between one and five files and click the Copilot button that appears in the bottom right corner of the screen.
If you're only interested in one document, there's a quicker way: hover your cursor over the file, click the Copilot button, and select "Ask a question ." The chat will open instantly, and you can ask your question. This method is ideal for those who prefer the full browser interface and want more comprehensive visual control over their cloud files.
What can you actually do with this AI? Practical examples
Copilot isn't just for asking simple questions; it's a powerful productivity tool. One of its most effective uses is summarizing lengthy documents . If you have an 80-page PDF and don't have time to read it before a meeting, you can ask the AI to extract the key points in seconds.
Another very useful feature is file comparison . Imagine you have three versions of a contract and want to know which clauses have changed. Instead of reading all three and underlining the differences, you ask Copilot to create a comparison table or summary of the main changes. It's also useful for extracting specific data, such as asking "What is the marketing budget allocated this month?" based on several selected spreadsheets.
Important requirements, licenses, and limitations
Not everyone can use these features right now. To activate Copilot in OneDrive, a Microsoft 365 Personal or Family subscription is required . However, there's an important caveat: with the Family plan, only the primary subscriber has access to Copilot's capabilities; other family members are excluded.
In a professional setting, you need an educational or business account that has a Copilot for Microsoft 365 license assigned. If you don't see the option, it's likely that your organization's administrator has disabled it from the Microsoft 365 admin center.
Supported formats and restrictions
- Office Documents: Supports DOC, DOCX, PPT, PPTX and XLSX.
- Universal formats: It works with PDF, TXT, RTF, and web files such as HTML or ASPX.
- New formats: It is now compatible with Loop and Fluid files.
Despite its power, Copilot has its limitations. Currently, it cannot process images , videos, or OneNote notebooks, although Microsoft is working to add this functionality soon. Additionally, there is a size limit: files must be less than 150 MB for the AI to read them. Another detail to note is that the joint analysis limit is a maximum of five files per query.
Privacy, security, and AI credits
Many people are concerned about what happens to their data. Copilot strictly respects access permissions ; it can only read the files you select or those that have been explicitly shared with you. If you use Microsoft Purview to encrypt data with sensitivity labels, the AI will respect those usage rights and will not access restricted information.
On the other hand, it's important to mention AI credits . Every time you request a summary or compare documents, one credit is used from your subscription. These are automatically deducted, so it's advisable to use prompts efficiently to avoid running out of credits prematurely.
The use of this technology transforms document management by shifting from a manual search model to one of direct querying. By integrating the ability to summarize and compare multiple files from the Windows 11 environment and the web, data analysis time is optimized, provided the appropriate Microsoft 365 license is in place and the format and size limits established by the platform are respected.