copilot no longer generating images since 12th June 2026

Question

copilot no longer generating images since 12th June 2026

dave williams 45

Copilot no longer generating images since 12thJune 2026. Blames outage, server error. Asks me to retry evevery 15 minutes, then 30 minutes, then later. Problem seems to be your end. When will this be fixed?

Anas Roustom 10 Reputation points

2026-06-23T00:34:43.4866667+00:00

I have the same issue! It is not generating images through PowerPoint, but it is through Word and Copilot app. I am currently being assisted with Microsoft agents tier 3 level and they still have not figured out why this is happening. Was your issue resolved?
Asher Anderson 15 Reputation points

2026-06-25T15:43:37.05+00:00

I am still facing this image server issue. I did get a HTTP 500 error when using the browser version of PowerPoint, but I have nothing further to offer. Are there any updates from Microsoft?
dave williams 45 Reputation points

2026-06-26T12:10:07.2666667+00:00

Anas Roustom and Asher Anderson

No my issue with copilot no longer generating images in PowerPoint was not resolved. I also had Microsoft agent helping me but issue was not resolved. I have no idea what to do.
dave williams 45 Reputation points

2026-06-26T12:11:48.95+00:00

Asher Anderson ...I also had HTTP _500 error
Iuri Mitika 25 Reputation points

2026-06-26T19:38:17.06+00:00

Same issue for me. First noticed at around June 15th. No help from Microsoft until now.
Deleted

This comment has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The comment was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.
Asher Anderson 15 Reputation points

2026-06-29T07:52:37.9733333+00:00

Thank you for all of your updates. It would be nice to see someone from Microsoft communicate with us about this issue. To continue paying premium rates, yet not being able to use the software as promised, isn't good business.
Josef Panhans 5 Reputation points

2026-07-01T16:27:48.4+00:00

I have the same problem with PowerPoint Copilot. Today I finally managed to reach someone from support and had to realize that they had no information about it or didn’t know anything. All he could do for me was refer me to this page. Their answer was, that I should just keep trying to see if the image generation service is working again. What an irony. The fact, that I pay, for the premium version didn’t matter to them. Why would it? In any case, I’m going to suspend my monthly premium subscription and hope that something changes.
Anas Roustom 10 Reputation points

2026-07-01T18:50:54.9633333+00:00

@Asher Anderson @dave williams @Iuri Mitika @Josef Panhans

image.png

They currently investigating the issue and have their Copilot engineers involved. I should get an answer by July 2nd.

What they suggested me to do was to switch the toggle to chat only instead of editing. That would at least generate the images and then you can manually include it in your work, or attach the image upload the image to your copilot command to integrate it into whatever you are working on. That was not practical with me to switched to ChatGPT
Neil S 10 Reputation points

2026-07-02T16:13:40.6433333+00:00
Same problem! Apparently someone from Microsoft needs to contact the image generation service "DALL-E 3" and have them reset the image generation server interface to fix the problem. I have been trying for over a week to get someone at Microsoft to do that - unsuccessfully.

Failure Escalation: Image Generation Service Outage

1. Summary

The AI image‑generation provider (generate) is returning HTTP 500 – HANDLER_ERROR on every request, including a trivial control prompt. It is the only image provider enabled in this workspace (IMAGE_ALLOWED_PROVIDERS=generate), so there is no fallback. All image work is fully blocked.

2. Impact

Severity: High — feature fully unavailable, no workaround.

User-facing effect: Cannot generate or place any photorealistic graphics into the presentation. Task cannot proceed.

Blast radius: Any workflow depending on image generation (this deck task, and likely all others in this environment).

Data safety: No corruption; the source .pptx was left unmodified.

3. Timeline (UTC, 2026‑07‑02)

HTTP status: 500

Error code: HANDLER_ERROR

Message (truncated by provider): Handler execution failed: HANDLER_ERROR: Image search provid…

messageType: image-search

Provider: generate

Invocation path: node /agent/.claude/scripts/batch-image-search.js (stdin JSON array)

5. Reproduction Steps

Ensure IMAGE_ALLOWED_PROVIDERS=generate.

Run:

echo '[{"query":"a simple red apple on a wooden table, photograph","provider":"generate","orientation":"square","size":"large"}]' | node /agent/.claude/scripts/batch-image-search.js

Observed: success:false, HTTP 500, HANDLER_ERROR.

Expected: success:true with a local image path under /data/workspace/images/.

6. Evidence — Request IDs

7. Triage Signals (helps assign owner)

Control prompt fails identically to complex prompts → not a prompt/content/RAI issue; points to a backend/provider outage, not client input.

Failures are immediate (~0.6s) → likely upstream handler/provider error, not a timeout.

100% failure rate across ~14 requests over ~5 minutes → sustained outage, not intermittent flakiness.

8. Requested Action

Route to the image‑generation service / provider integration owner.

Confirm provider health and inspect handler logs for the request IDs above (full un‑truncated HANDLER_ERROR message).

If a known incident exists, provide ETA; otherwise treat as new outage.

9. Mitigation / Workaround

None available in-workspace — generateis the sole enabled provider. Enabling a stock‑image search provider would unblock non‑generative image needs.Failure Escalation: Image Generation Service Outage
ann b 0 Reputation points

2026-07-04T09:56:45.11+00:00

I am having the same problem as others with not being able to generate images. I teach very low ability students so images are important. It is difficult to contact someone about this, but as others have commented it states that someone/thing from copilot needs fixing. I would really appreciate this to be resolved as copilot cuts by workload down by half, but at the moment this is not the case.
Lissa 5 Reputation points

2026-07-09T15:51:51.2533333+00:00

As of 7/9/2026, it is still happening. I'm using the Copilot app. Very frustrating. Maybe a set schedule for a weekly or daily reset is needed.
Joan Kloth-Zanard 0 Reputation points

2026-07-10T21:55:50.81+00:00

This ongoing image generation issue has become completely unacceptable.

In the past, when generation problems occurred, they typically caused delays of a few hours or, at worst, a day. Now, I have been unable to complete my work for over a week due to these recurring failures. I am currently stalled on a project with only a single image left to generate, yet I have no way to move forward.

What makes this even more frustrating is that I am hesitant to move the project into M365 Copilot because I cannot be confident that the images will render consistently with the work already completed. This leaves me stuck between platforms with no reliable solution.

As a paying customer, I find this level of disruption unacceptable. The lack of accessible, effective technical support only adds to the frustration. When customers are reporting the same issue repeatedly, across multiple days and weeks, it is no longer an isolated incident—it is a systemic problem that requires immediate attention and resolution.

This issue is directly impacting productivity, project timelines, and confidence in Microsoft's AI tools. Microsoft needs to acknowledge the scope of these ongoing generation failures, communicate transparently about the root cause, and provide a clear path to resolution.

Please treat this as a high-priority service issue. A week-long inability to reliably generate images is not a minor inconvenience—it is preventing paying customers from doing their jobs. This needs immediate action, not silence.
Matthew M 0 Reputation points

2026-07-17T07:03:37.6566667+00:00
Same issue for me. I get back the same issue and have for quite a while.
"
I tested it twice, and AI image generation is not working right now. Both attempts came back with a server-side error (HTTP 500) from the generation service, so the problem is on the provider's end rather than anything with your request or setup.

A couple of things worth noting:

The capability is enabled and configured correctly — the requests are reaching the service, it's just failing to fulfill them.

This looks like a temporary outage, so it may resolve on its own if you try again a bit later.
"
Iuri Mitika 25 Reputation points

2026-07-17T12:06:30.24+00:00

It's been over a month now since I first noticed the issue, with no fix and no answer from Microsoft. This is very frustrating, as the ONLY reason I paid for the Premium subscription to M365 was to use Copilot in PowerPoint to auto generate class slides for me. It makes no sense to keep paying for a service that is not working as expected and does not seem to be a fix priority.
It was working before, since the problem started I have tried different computers, uninstalled the desktop apps, waited, did everything I could to be sure the problem was not on my side of things.
This needs a fix ASAP.
Gail Boyle 0 Reputation points

2026-07-19T08:09:57.0633333+00:00

Waste of time response - people are telling you it does not work!
Asher Anderson 15 Reputation points

2026-07-29T14:57:16.8633333+00:00

Recently, my subscription ended because I canceled it due to this issue. I resubscribed AFTER the cancellation went through to test if that worked and so far everything is back to normal. Unnecessary, but it's working for now.
Jose 0 Reputation points

2026-07-31T01:42:45.9466667+00:00

I previously used Copilot to generate actual .pptx PowerPoint files directly from chat. This feature no longer works. Copilot now only produces text-based slide outlines instead of real PowerPoint files.

I asked Copilot why, and it explained that:

Copilot (in chat) can no longer generate or export binary file formats such as .pptx, .docx, .xlsx, .pdf, etc.

This change applies to all users, including paid Copilot Pro and Copilot for Microsoft 365 subscribers.

The limitation is due to system-wide restrictions, not a paywall or subscription requirement.

Copilot can still create a PowerPoint-style document, but not an actual .pptx file.

To generate a real PowerPoint file, I must use Copilot inside Microsoft Word or PowerPoint (Microsoft 365 apps), not Copilot chat.

I need clarification on why the ability to generate .pptx files was removed from Copilot chat and whether Microsoft plans to restore this feature.
Joan Kloth-Zanard 0 Reputation points

2026-07-31T09:34:46.94+00:00

This is why I primarily use Claude for most of my Microsoft work. It will actually produce a word document and PowerPoint document that you can download. Claude, however, does not do images.

1 answer

Your answer

Anas Roustom 10 Reputation points

2026-06-23T00:34:43.4866667+00:00

I have the same issue! It is not generating images through PowerPoint, but it is through Word and Copilot app. I am currently being assisted with Microsoft agents tier 3 level and they still have not figured out why this is happening. Was your issue resolved?
Asher Anderson 15 Reputation points

2026-06-25T15:43:37.05+00:00

I am still facing this image server issue. I did get a HTTP 500 error when using the browser version of PowerPoint, but I have nothing further to offer. Are there any updates from Microsoft?
dave williams 45 Reputation points

2026-06-26T12:10:07.2666667+00:00

Anas Roustom and Asher Anderson

No my issue with copilot no longer generating images in PowerPoint was not resolved. I also had Microsoft agent helping me but issue was not resolved. I have no idea what to do.
dave williams 45 Reputation points

2026-06-26T12:11:48.95+00:00

Asher Anderson ...I also had HTTP _500 error
Iuri Mitika 25 Reputation points

2026-06-26T19:38:17.06+00:00

Same issue for me. First noticed at around June 15th. No help from Microsoft until now.
Deleted

This comment has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The comment was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.
Asher Anderson 15 Reputation points

2026-06-29T07:52:37.9733333+00:00

Thank you for all of your updates. It would be nice to see someone from Microsoft communicate with us about this issue. To continue paying premium rates, yet not being able to use the software as promised, isn't good business.
Josef Panhans 5 Reputation points

2026-07-01T16:27:48.4+00:00

I have the same problem with PowerPoint Copilot. Today I finally managed to reach someone from support and had to realize that they had no information about it or didn’t know anything. All he could do for me was refer me to this page. Their answer was, that I should just keep trying to see if the image generation service is working again. What an irony. The fact, that I pay, for the premium version didn’t matter to them. Why would it? In any case, I’m going to suspend my monthly premium subscription and hope that something changes.
Anas Roustom 10 Reputation points

2026-07-01T18:50:54.9633333+00:00

@Asher Anderson @dave williams @Iuri Mitika @Josef Panhans

image.png

They currently investigating the issue and have their Copilot engineers involved. I should get an answer by July 2nd.

What they suggested me to do was to switch the toggle to chat only instead of editing. That would at least generate the images and then you can manually include it in your work, or attach the image upload the image to your copilot command to integrate it into whatever you are working on. That was not practical with me to switched to ChatGPT
ann b 0 Reputation points

2026-07-04T09:56:45.11+00:00

I am having the same problem as others with not being able to generate images. I teach very low ability students so images are important. It is difficult to contact someone about this, but as others have commented it states that someone/thing from copilot needs fixing. I would really appreciate this to be resolved as copilot cuts by workload down by half, but at the moment this is not the case.
Lissa 5 Reputation points

2026-07-09T15:51:51.2533333+00:00

As of 7/9/2026, it is still happening. I'm using the Copilot app. Very frustrating. Maybe a set schedule for a weekly or daily reset is needed.
Joan Kloth-Zanard 0 Reputation points

2026-07-10T21:55:50.81+00:00

This ongoing image generation issue has become completely unacceptable.

In the past, when generation problems occurred, they typically caused delays of a few hours or, at worst, a day. Now, I have been unable to complete my work for over a week due to these recurring failures. I am currently stalled on a project with only a single image left to generate, yet I have no way to move forward.

What makes this even more frustrating is that I am hesitant to move the project into M365 Copilot because I cannot be confident that the images will render consistently with the work already completed. This leaves me stuck between platforms with no reliable solution.

As a paying customer, I find this level of disruption unacceptable. The lack of accessible, effective technical support only adds to the frustration. When customers are reporting the same issue repeatedly, across multiple days and weeks, it is no longer an isolated incident—it is a systemic problem that requires immediate attention and resolution.

This issue is directly impacting productivity, project timelines, and confidence in Microsoft's AI tools. Microsoft needs to acknowledge the scope of these ongoing generation failures, communicate transparently about the root cause, and provide a clear path to resolution.

Please treat this as a high-priority service issue. A week-long inability to reliably generate images is not a minor inconvenience—it is preventing paying customers from doing their jobs. This needs immediate action, not silence.
Matthew M 0 Reputation points

2026-07-17T07:03:37.6566667+00:00

Same issue for me. I get back the same issue and have for quite a while.
"
I tested it twice, and AI image generation is not working right now. Both attempts came back with a server-side error (HTTP 500) from the generation service, so the problem is on the provider's end rather than anything with your request or setup.

A couple of things worth noting:

The capability is enabled and configured correctly — the requests are reaching the service, it's just failing to fulfill them.

This looks like a temporary outage, so it may resolve on its own if you try again a bit later.
"
Iuri Mitika 25 Reputation points

2026-07-17T12:06:30.24+00:00

It's been over a month now since I first noticed the issue, with no fix and no answer from Microsoft. This is very frustrating, as the ONLY reason I paid for the Premium subscription to M365 was to use Copilot in PowerPoint to auto generate class slides for me. It makes no sense to keep paying for a service that is not working as expected and does not seem to be a fix priority.
It was working before, since the problem started I have tried different computers, uninstalled the desktop apps, waited, did everything I could to be sure the problem was not on my side of things.
This needs a fix ASAP.
Gail Boyle 0 Reputation points

2026-07-19T08:09:57.0633333+00:00

Waste of time response - people are telling you it does not work!
Asher Anderson 15 Reputation points

2026-07-29T14:57:16.8633333+00:00

Recently, my subscription ended because I canceled it due to this issue. I resubscribed AFTER the cancellation went through to test if that worked and so far everything is back to normal. Unnecessary, but it's working for now.
Jose 0 Reputation points

2026-07-31T01:42:45.9466667+00:00

I previously used Copilot to generate actual .pptx PowerPoint files directly from chat. This feature no longer works. Copilot now only produces text-based slide outlines instead of real PowerPoint files.

I asked Copilot why, and it explained that:

Copilot (in chat) can no longer generate or export binary file formats such as .pptx, .docx, .xlsx, .pdf, etc.

This change applies to all users, including paid Copilot Pro and Copilot for Microsoft 365 subscribers.

The limitation is due to system-wide restrictions, not a paywall or subscription requirement.

Copilot can still create a PowerPoint-style document, but not an actual .pptx file.

To generate a real PowerPoint file, I must use Copilot inside Microsoft Word or PowerPoint (Microsoft 365 apps), not Copilot chat.

I need clarification on why the ability to generate .pptx files was removed from Copilot chat and whether Microsoft plans to restore this feature.
Joan Kloth-Zanard 0 Reputation points

2026-07-31T09:34:46.94+00:00

This is why I primarily use Claude for most of my Microsoft work. It will actually produce a word document and PowerPoint document that you can download. Claude, however, does not do images.

Answer 1

Image generation in Microsoft Copilot is currently supported and there is no documented, ongoing outage or end-of-service in the provided information.

From the available documentation:

Copilot continues to support creating images from text prompts and from uploaded images, both in the standalone Copilot experience and in Microsoft 365 apps like Word and PowerPoint.
Recent release notes even describe new image capabilities (for example, new models in PowerPoint and reference-image support and aspect ratios in Copilot Chat), which indicates the feature is active and being enhanced, not retired.

Because the issue described is a time-specific service or backend problem (server errors, “retry later” messages) and there is no outage or fix timeline documented in the context, the only supported guidance is:

Treat this as a transient service issue on the backend.
Retry later and monitor the Copilot experience; when the backend issue is resolved, image generation should resume without local changes.

For a concrete, working baseline once the service is healthy again, the supported steps for image generation are:

Open Copilot or the Microsoft 365 Copilot app.
Enter a detailed text prompt describing the desired image (style, subject, mood, etc.).
Wait for Copilot to generate the image; generation can take a couple of minutes.
Optionally upload an original image (that is owned or properly licensed) and ask Copilot to transform it.

If server-error messages continue for an extended period (multiple days) despite retries, the next step is to contact Microsoft support via the appropriate support channel for the subscription so they can check service status for the tenant and region, as any fix timeline would come from them rather than from product documentation.

References: