To install CoPilot Interview on Windows from the direct download, get CoPilot_Interview_Setup.zip (about 83 MB) from the download section of copilotinterview.com, right-click it and choose Extract All, then double-click the setup file inside. If Microsoft Defender SmartScreen shows “Windows protected your PC”, click More info, check the app name, then Run anyway. Then turn on the three Windows microphone switches and open the app.
CoPilot Interview is an AI interview assistant for Windows 10 and 11 and macOS 12 or later. On a Windows PC, the homepage's main button reads “Install from Microsoft Store”, which installs in one click and updates itself; installing from the Microsoft Store covers that route. This page covers the direct installer, which sits below it as “Prefer a direct download? Get the Windows installer”.
Microsoft Store or direct download?
| Microsoft Store | Direct download | |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | The Store listing; click Get | CoPilot_Interview_Setup.zip, with a one-click .exe installer inside |
| Security prompt | None | SmartScreen may ask once on first run |
| Updates | Automatic, through the Store | You install each new version yourself |
| Version | The same version as the direct download | The same version as the Store |
Choose the direct download if the Microsoft Store is unavailable or blocked on your PC, or if you'd rather not use it. Everything inside the app is identical; the main difference later is how updates arrive.
Install the direct download, step by step
- Open the download section of copilotinterview.com and choose the Windows installer. You get
CoPilot_Interview_Setup.zip. - In File Explorer, right-click the zip, choose Extract All, and open the extracted folder. Don't run the setup file from inside the zip preview.
- Double-click the setup file. Its name starts with CoPilot Interview Setup, followed by the version number, and ends in .exe.
- If “Windows protected your PC” appears, click More info, confirm the app is CoPilot Interview, then click Run anyway. Only do this for a file you downloaded yourself from copilotinterview.com; if it came from anywhere else, delete it.
- The installer is one-click: there's no install folder or option to choose. When it finishes, open CoPilot Interview from the Start menu.
- The first screen reads “Enter your license key to get started”. Paste your key and click 🔑 Activate License, or click Use the free plan for 15 minutes a day with no card.
Paid plans are activated with the key from your purchase email; see how to activate a license key.
Turn on the three microphone switches
Open Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone (on Windows 10, Settings → Privacy → Microphone) and turn on all three:
- Microphone access
- Let apps access your microphone
- Let desktop apps access your microphone
The desktop-apps switch is the one people miss. Restart CoPilot Interview after changing any of them. If a switch is still off when you start listening, the app says “Microphone access is turned off in Windows” and offers an Open Settings button that opens this page.
Windows needs no extra audio software: the app captures what your computer plays, which is where the interviewer's voice comes from in a call.
Check that it works
- On the setup screen, under 1. Check your audio, choose your microphone and speaker and click ▶ Start test.
- Speak, then play a video through your computer. Both meters should move, and the status should read “Live · mic + meeting audio”.
- Click Record 5 seconds and 🔊 Play back to hear what a session will capture.
For a fuller test with a practice question and a video call, use the setup guide's 10-minute audio check.
Troubleshooting
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| “Windows protected your PC” | Click More info, then Run anyway, but only for a file you downloaded from copilotinterview.com |
| The setup file won't run | Extract All first, and run the file from the extracted folder |
| Opening the app does nothing | It's probably already running; only one copy runs. Click its tray icon and choose Show / Hide, or press Ctrl+Shift+H |
| “Microphone access is turned off in Windows” | Turn on the three switches above, then click Listen again |
| “Your microphone is in use or not responding” | Close the app holding the microphone (a meeting app, browser tab or recorder), or pick a different microphone |
| “Some hotkeys are taken by another app” | Use the on-screen buttons for those shortcuts, or close the app that owns them |
More Windows-specific fixes are in our Windows install and troubleshooting guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is the direct download the same app as the Microsoft Store version?
Yes. It's the same app at the same version. The differences are the one-time SmartScreen prompt and that the Store version updates itself.
Does the direct download update itself?
No. Shortly after launch the app checks for a newer version and shows an “Update available” banner; you then download and run the new installer yourself.
Why do I get a .zip instead of an .exe?
The download is a zip that contains the installer. Right-click it, choose Extract All, and run the setup file from the extracted folder.
Do I need an account to install it?
No. The free plan needs no account and no card. Paid plans are activated by pasting your license key into the app.
Get the desktop app
Free for Windows 10 and 11 and macOS 12 or later: 15 minutes of live help a day in sessions of up to 15 minutes, with AI mock interviews included. No card and no account.
Download free