After waiting so long for the first Windows Copilot Runtime tools to arrive, this was a disappointing result, especially as the hang not only locks up the NPU app but also affects tools like Task Manager. The only way out is to reboot your PC. I’m sure that updated drivers will be delivered soon, but for now, this feels like something of a dead end.
From desktop to WebNN
The drivers are intended to support WebNN as well as your own code. WebNN is a developing standard for using ONNX in the browser, allowing small models to run locally rather than use remote servers. Microsoft has been building experimental support for WebNN into its Edge browser, putting it behind a flag in both Dev and Canary Insider builds.
As part of the announcement of DirectML support for Qualcomm’s NPU, Microsoft included instructions for using DirectML with WebNN. Again, this is a somewhat complex process for now, as it involves extracting the DirectML DLL from the NuGet package and manually installing it in the appropriate Edge directory.