Copilot changes path of files, makes tbem inaccessible for other applications

Hello David Hardy

I can see that all your data in the folder Documents no longer appeared in the top-level Explorer screen but had been demoted to one level lower in a folder labelled Copilot Chat.

To clarify, Copilot should not normally change your Windows folder structure or move your Documents folder into a Copilot Chat folder. Copilot in OneDrive/File Explorer is mainly for actions such as summarizing, comparing, generating FAQs, or asking questions about selected OneDrive files, not for reorganizing folders.

What may have happened is that the Windows Documents known folder path was redirected or the folder was moved during the Microsoft 365/OneDrive setup. OneDrive can redirect known folders such as Desktop, Documents, and Pictures into OneDrive.

Here are what you can try:

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Right-select Documents from the left pane or under This PC.
3. Select Properties > Location.
4. Check the current path. If it shows something like: C:\Users\<your name>\OneDrive\Copilot Chat\Documents then the Documents folder has likely been redirected to the wrong location.
5. Select Move, then choose the correct OneDrive Documents folder, usually: C:\Users\<your name>\OneDrive\Documents
6. Allow Windows to move the files if prompted.

If the normal Documents folder no longer exists at the top level of OneDrive, create a new Documents folder directly under OneDrive first, then move the contents from Copilot Chat\Documents into it before updating the location path.

Before moving anything, I also recommend making a temporary backup copy of the affected folder to another location, such as an external drive or a non-synced folder, just to avoid accidental data loss.

If the folder keeps reverting back to Copilot Chat, you will have to try resetting OneDrive or unlinking/relinking the account from OneDrive settings.

Feel free reply back to this post and update me on this issue, I'll be happy to help.