ReAnimation Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 (edited) Hi everyone, Over the past few days you've no doubt read that Microsoft won't let you disable Cortana with the Windows 10 Anniversary update. After much searching of the interwebs, I can confirm there is a way to do it however - original link: http://www.howtogeek.com/265027/how-to-disable-cortana-in-windows-10/ For those that don't want to follow the link: 1. Load up regedit 2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows 3. Here, look for a folder called 'Windows Search' - if you don't see this folder - create it. 4. Next, inside the windows search folder, right click and choose the option to create a new 32-bit DWord value. 5. Right click the new value and rename it to AllowCortana 6. Double Click the value and set the value data to 0 Log out and log back in again. Windows will now use the same cortana-less built in windows search that was available pre-anniversary update. Please note, I didn't work this out myself - credit goes to the above link - just sharing as am I sure a few other people may want to opt out of Cortana search usage on their device. Edit - just wanted to add - I can confirm this works for Windows 10 Home editions. Edited August 3, 2016 by ReAnimation +Gary7, goretsky, DrunknMunky and 1 other 4 Share Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1304710-disable-cortana-in-windows-10-anniversary-update/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillz Posted August 4, 2016 Share Posted August 4, 2016 I'm on the Anniversary Update and I have all Cortana settings off and it doesn't bother me or ever show up. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1304710-disable-cortana-in-windows-10-anniversary-update/#findComment-597525984 Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrolson Posted August 4, 2016 Share Posted August 4, 2016 Do we have to do this every time there's an update? Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1304710-disable-cortana-in-windows-10-anniversary-update/#findComment-597526698 Share on other sites More sharing options...
PsYcHoKiLLa Posted August 4, 2016 Share Posted August 4, 2016 ...or you could just not install Windows 10 if you don't want new things/improvements. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1304710-disable-cortana-in-windows-10-anniversary-update/#findComment-597526738 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian W Posted August 4, 2016 Share Posted August 4, 2016 1 minute ago, PsYcHoKiLLa said: ...or you could just not install Windows 10 if you don't want new things/improvements. It is nice to have the option, though. Elliot B. 1 Share Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1304710-disable-cortana-in-windows-10-anniversary-update/#findComment-597526746 Share on other sites More sharing options...
+JHBrown Subscriber¹ Posted August 4, 2016 Subscriber¹ Share Posted August 4, 2016 Thank you for the information. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1304710-disable-cortana-in-windows-10-anniversary-update/#findComment-597526752 Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakeB Posted August 4, 2016 Share Posted August 4, 2016 1 hour ago, Ian W said: It is nice to have the option, though. Well there are some options that work more with the OS and disabling will affects other areas. This is why something they allow you to turn off and some they don't. The store is also something you can't disable in group policies as it's going to be used more and more in the future. Example: If you disable the store you can't add extensions to Edge. Extensions are a new feature. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1304710-disable-cortana-in-windows-10-anniversary-update/#findComment-597526948 Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Gary7 Subscriber² Posted August 4, 2016 Subscriber² Share Posted August 4, 2016 Thanks for information. I although will just turn her off. Mando 1 Share Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1304710-disable-cortana-in-windows-10-anniversary-update/#findComment-597526956 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Topham Hatt Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 (edited) Thanks I like having the search box, but now it's properly Cortana, I'm not sure. I'm not fussed about what info is being sent where, it's just I only use it to find things quickly on my computer. I'll never have a mic attached, never use Cortana for what MS want me to use her for so it's pretty useless - much like the whole "location" thing, and WiFi assist - for a desktop PC, all these things are useless. Why they don't strip all those settings out I don't know. Plus, she now wants my home address for transit updates. I'll NEVER need them. But I wonder if I give it to her, what else she'll want next, and after that, and after that. Better just to disable the whole thing and have it purely as a search box thank you Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1304710-disable-cortana-in-windows-10-anniversary-update/#findComment-597530444 Share on other sites More sharing options...
saurabhdua Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 Hello Sir Topham Hatt, Why does there exists a Memory footprint of Cortana in the Task-manager even upon making it turned off? Please refer to the Pictorial reference & help suggest further in this regard. Thank you. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1304710-disable-cortana-in-windows-10-anniversary-update/#findComment-597530904 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ve7878 Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 (edited) I just turned all of the options off & ignored it. It hasn't asked anything as of yet. I'm not going to make these registry changes as it'll probably screw something up on the system at some point. I do use it from time to time on my phone though. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1304710-disable-cortana-in-windows-10-anniversary-update/#findComment-597530910 Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisj1968 Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 (edited) is there a way I can get rid of the search box left behind? I'd like to recoup that space on my taskbar. Yeah for some strange reason, Cortana shows up for me too. probably have to go to services.msc and disable it Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1304710-disable-cortana-in-windows-10-anniversary-update/#findComment-597530944 Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Gary7 Subscriber² Posted August 7, 2016 Subscriber² Share Posted August 7, 2016 http://winaero.com/comment.php?comment.news.1836 This will disable it and permit you tyo put it back. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1304710-disable-cortana-in-windows-10-anniversary-update/#findComment-597530950 Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReAnimation Posted August 7, 2016 Author Share Posted August 7, 2016 3 minutes ago, chrisj1968 said: is there a way I can get rid of the search box left behind? I'd like to recoup that space on my taskbar. Right click on your taskbar -> Select the search option -> choose 'Hidden'. Search will still work if you hit the start button and start typing what you are looking for. Hope this helps. chrisj1968 1 Share Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1304710-disable-cortana-in-windows-10-anniversary-update/#findComment-597530952 Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisj1968 Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 Just now, ReAnimation said: Right click on your taskbar -> Select the search option -> choose 'Hidden'. Search will still work if you hit the start button and start typing what you are looking for. Hope this helps. I appreciate that. this is what makes this community thrive so well. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1304710-disable-cortana-in-windows-10-anniversary-update/#findComment-597530954 Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReAnimation Posted August 7, 2016 Author Share Posted August 7, 2016 (edited) 15 minutes ago, chrisj1968 said: I appreciate that. this is what makes this community thrive so well. No problem - glad to help. WIth regards to the cortana service still running in the background - the registry key doesn't do anything to stop/remove the cortana service - it just lets you re-enable the local windows 10 search functionality (essentially overriding cortana) that was available in Windows 10 as a selectable option before installing the anniversary update. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1304710-disable-cortana-in-windows-10-anniversary-update/#findComment-597530982 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ve7878 Posted August 8, 2016 Share Posted August 8, 2016 (edited) On 07/08/2016 at 8:26 PM, ReAnimation said: No problem - glad to help. WIth regards to the cortana service still running in the background - the registry key doesn't do anything to stop/remove the cortana service - it just lets you re-enable the local windows 10 search functionality (essentially overriding cortana) that was available in Windows 10 as a selectable option before installing the anniversary update. The Cortana service is just SearchUI.exe. I think if people were to get rid of the service outright, it would affect normal search functionality. As I said further up I have just switched all of the user facing options off purely because I no use for them. But I recommend strongly against registry tweaks & such for this. Ian W 1 Share Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1304710-disable-cortana-in-windows-10-anniversary-update/#findComment-597532390 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillz Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 On 8/7/2016 at 0:10 PM, ReAnimation said: Right click on your taskbar -> Select the search option -> choose 'Hidden'. Search will still work if you hit the start button and start typing what you are looking for. Hope this helps. I do this on all my Win10 machines, that search box takes up a lot of room and doesn't do anything differently from just clicking the Win key and typing my inquiry. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1304710-disable-cortana-in-windows-10-anniversary-update/#findComment-597535984 Share on other sites More sharing options...
George P Global Moderator Posted August 11, 2016 Global Moderator Share Posted August 11, 2016 On 8/8/2016 at 11:15 PM, Vince800 said: The Cortana service is just SearchUI.exe. I think if people were to get rid of the service outright, it would affect normal search functionality. As I said further up I have just switched all of the user facing options off purely because I no use for them. But I recommend strongly against registry tweaks & such for this. This is correct, all MS did was merge the two under the Cortana name, it's the same service and the same local search index feature if you have "Cortana" off and not logged in. People want to get rid of it for no reason other than misconception that it's somehow the full "Cortana" personal assistant and nothing else. It's not, it's still the same two features just combined at the front end and presented as one to the user so there's no longer and misunderstanding as to "why do I have two search features?". All the registry tweak does is change the naming again and the way local search is presented, the underlying search service itself is the same thing. The full Cortana feature is built on top of searchUI.exe and the local Windows Search system, it's not like there's two different search indexers and so on running when you have both in use. Ve7878 1 Share Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1304710-disable-cortana-in-windows-10-anniversary-update/#findComment-597536998 Share on other sites More sharing options...
d5aqoëp Posted August 11, 2016 Share Posted August 11, 2016 You can even install Enterprise LTSB 2016 and install store package. Best non intrusive OS ever. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1304710-disable-cortana-in-windows-10-anniversary-update/#findComment-597537010 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ve7878 Posted August 11, 2016 Share Posted August 11, 2016 2 hours ago, d5aqoëp said: You can even install Enterprise LTSB 2016 and install store package. Best non intrusive OS ever. Make sure you have a volume license first. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1304710-disable-cortana-in-windows-10-anniversary-update/#findComment-597537248 Share on other sites More sharing options...
r0wnin Posted August 11, 2016 Share Posted August 11, 2016 (edited) O&O Shut Up 10 has a "DISABLE CORTANA" slider. No need to install O&OSU10, it runs from the folder. Very lightweight, no scam or slipstreamed ######. Allows fully removing Cortana, telemetry, defender, etc etc.GET O&O SHUT UP 10 Edited August 11, 2016 by r0wnin changed image Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1304710-disable-cortana-in-windows-10-anniversary-update/#findComment-597537660 Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReAnimation Posted August 11, 2016 Author Share Posted August 11, 2016 (edited) On 08/08/2016 at 9:15 PM, Vince800 said: The Cortana service is just SearchUI.exe. I think if people were to get rid of the service outright, it would affect normal search functionality. As I said further up I have just switched all of the user facing options off purely because I no use for them. But I recommend strongly against registry tweaks & such for this. Thanks for clarifying. I wanted the control to keep searches local to my desktop PC and applying the key appears to do this - applying the key appears to mirror the behaviour of search that was available as a selectable option before the anniversary update installed - this is why I thought I would share the info I found. Personally, I'm keeping the registry key in place. If further down the line it causes issues I can always dive into regedit and remove the key. I'd love for Cortana to give you the granular option/control to change how it behaves (much like spotlight on OS X), but I haven't been able to find out how to do this myself. Again, thanks for Clarifying. Edited August 11, 2016 by ReAnimation Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1304710-disable-cortana-in-windows-10-anniversary-update/#findComment-597537700 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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