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Windows 11 August update adds AI uninstall, Hello security

Windows 11 August update

Microsoft's Windows 11 August update is rolling out across all supported versions, and it hands Copilot+ PC owners a new level of control: the ability to uninstall on-device AI models from Settings. The Patch Tuesday release, shipped on August 11, 2026, also extends Windows Hello's hardware-isolated sign-in security to external fingerprint readers and addresses roughly 400 security vulnerabilities, three of them actively exploited zero-days.

The AI removal option is available under Settings > System > AI Components. On Copilot+ PCs, the Image Generation model can be uninstalled with a single button and reinstalled later, which reclaims the local storage the downloaded-on-demand component occupies. There is still no single system-wide toggle to turn off AI features; the removal path currently covers only the standalone image-generation package, so other AI components stay installed.

That narrow scope still matters. It gives consumers a supported path for controlling which local AI components stay on their hardware, and for privacy-sensitive users or regulated environments, granular control over on-device models is a step beyond the previous all-or-nothing approach.

What the Windows 11 August update adds

Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security (ESS) previously worked only with built-in biometric hardware. The update removes that restriction, letting plug-in USB fingerprint readers use ESS on desktop PCs and Copilot+ machines without onboard sensors. Setup runs through Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options, and ESS keeps biometric processing in a protected memory space separate from the operating system.

The release bundles several smaller refinements. File Explorer changes how it reports sizes for files and folders: labels now scale between KB, MB, and GB, so a large file is no longer shown as a long kilobyte count. Middle-clicking any folder in the address bar or Home view also sends it to a new tab, a shortcut that speeds up multi-folder browsing. Those are modest conveniences, but they are the visible part of an update otherwise dominated by security fixes. Voice Access adds Voice Isolation for background noise filtering, Voice Typing gains Fluid Dictation, and new touchpad gestures ship alongside adjustments to Windows Search, Widgets, and power settings.

All of this shipped inside a mandatory security release: KB5121003 for Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2, and KB5120240 for 23H2. The features first appeared in the optional KB5101684 preview at the end of July and now reach everyone through the August cumulative update.

Why this matters

The Windows 11 August update matters on two fronts. Copilot+ owners get a supported, settings-based way to manage local AI models, even if the option is currently limited to the image-generation package. And the Hello ESS expansion brings hardware-isolated biometric login to desktop PCs without built-in sensors, closing a security gap that previously forced those users to fall back on standard Hello.

Sources

How to remove "ai components" from my computer - Microsoft Q&A

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Researched and cross-referenced against primary sources by the Bytevyte editorial team. This article was generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence and reviewed by the Bytevyte editorial team.

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