Windows 10: Cortana registry setting?

Again, this is a registry issue.

Everything being so far suggested on fixing Cortana has been file issue, SFC /scannow is a file repair, it doesn't do anything to the registry. Other than very simple registry fixes that never applied to me, but I have some MAJOR Cortana registry problems!


UGH, so frustrating.

Again, I ask Microsoft, why NO Cortana reset/repair tool yet?

 

You can try resetting the registry to default values.

 

Well, how?

I have NEVER ran across any guides on resetting Cortana registry to default values.

 

I once reset the entire registry, not on this install but on one in the past.

I am not sure for the specific cortana one that you need, as I am not sure which it is.

I had to do it within the command prompt outside of Windows. It was kinda complicated but it worked.

"1. Identify the correct drive letter for your Windows installation. It could be a drive other than C: but it won't be X:. You do it by typing the commands

dir C:\Win*
dir D:\Win*
dir E:\Win*
until you find the Windows folder.
I will call that drive "Q:".
2. Type these commands:
cd /d Q:\windows\System32\config
xcopy *.* Q:\MyRegBack\
cd RegBack
dir
3. Examine the dates of the Software, System and SAM files. Were the files created before or after your problem became apparent?
4. If they were made before the problem became apparent then you can type these commands:
copy /y software ..
copy /y System ..
copy /y Sam ..
(the two dots are part of each command)
5. Reboot normally. If things do not work out then you can backtrack by copying the original registry files from Q:\MyRegBack to Q:\Windows\System32\config."

Do that at your own risk. It will reset your registry to default.

 

I appreciate your help, but as I've repeatedly said, my intent is to ONLY reset just Cortana portions, and NOT the entire registry whatsoever.

 

Another solution is to upgrade to the creator update, that will probably bring it back.

 

Did you read my previous post in this thread?

Sorry, I know you are trying to help, but didn't seem you did that.

 

Just my opinion, you are probably gonna spend more time trying to find the specific reg edit than it would to backup and clean install, or another method.

But I could be wrong, good luck to whatever you do.

 

NOT gonna clean install. NOT ever!

Guess I will keep nag and complain to Microsoft that they really need to put out a Cortana fix tool!

TBCH, I am very surprised they don't have such tool yet and I have to even complain about this matter in the first place. Cortana is such an important part of the OS and people have issues with it's registry can't get it to run.

Guess they don't care that much about users using Cortana or not.

 

And, for those of you want to get rid of Cortana, It's as easy as deleting the whole registry of

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search]

When you corrupt that, Cortana is gone, like mine.


I myself DON'T know how mine went away, one day it was just gone and that part, or another part of the registry on Cortana got missing or corrupted somehow.


My observations and understanding is that, there are ONLY EASY Cortana registry fix (EnableBingSearch to 1, or AllowCortana to 1) have not seen anyone capable of knowing any expert-level Cortana registry fix yet.

Maybe someday, even if Microsoft themselves never come out with a Cortana registry fix tool, someone would become an expert on Cortana registry?

 

Are you sure? When you open your task manager do you see "Search" or "Cortana"

This is what it looks like when Cortana is gone.

 

I know this is an old thread but it was of interest to me since Cortana is not working properly on my PC since I upgraded from Windows 10 Pro v1709 build 16299.334 to v1830 build 17133.1 as an Insider a few weeks ago. It actually works fine for searching, so it's 99.99% functional in truth, but the initial window that opens when I click in the search bar is clearly not right as text that should be readable isn't and only becomes visible when I mouse over it.

More information on this issue can be found in my thread here: Windows 10 Pro v1803 Cortana Text Visibility Issue - Windows 10 Forums

It's a relatively minor issue overall but an incredibly annoying one because it is the first thing I see everytime I use Cortana and it clearly is not working properly. What astounds me is that Microsoft have no troubleshooter or way of resetting Cortana yet it is an important part of Windows 10, basically the easiest way to open and find apps, programs, games and documents yet there is no easy way to fix it if it goes wrong short of reinstalling Windows.

Even doing an uninstall and reinstall of Cortana did not fix my issue and the only other option open to me, since a clean install is not practical due to the number of programs and games I have installed, is to do an in-place upgrade of v1803 once the Media Creation Tool is released and I can make an ISO of Windows 10 on a USB memory stick.