Windows 10: Is there a way to completely disable Cortana?

So I just installed Windows 10, everything seems to be running great at the moment except for 1 thing, Cortana is still running in the background (taking up around ~30MBs of RAM), even after following Brink's tutorial (link).

Is there a way to disable it completely?

:)

 

Is there a way to completely block Windows Update in Windows 10?

How to stop Windows 10 auto updates

 

Is there a way to completely block Windows Update in Windows 10?

Hi Janka and Michael,

The task that you are trying to accomplish is possible. There is an article about:
Hide Windows updates or driver updates. Kindly follow the instructions on the article. There is also
another article about: How to temporarily prevent a Windows Update from reinstalling
in Windows 10. this article will guide you how to hide or prevent this update from reinstalling.

You also said the PC that he is using is having an issue with disk space. Kindly go to
Settings>> Storage>> Change how to free up space>> check the options that applies to your PC>> Click, Clean now.

In the future, to save space you save your new apps, documents, and files on a
USB stick or a an external hardrive to prevent your disk space from piling up. To do this, please follow these steps: Go to
Settings>> Storage>> Change where new content is saved>> Select the destination.

If you have other concerns, let us know.

 

My solution is to right-click, Open File Location. Then, go back, and Go to Details, from there end the process tree. Once you end the process tree, rename the folder and move it to a different folder, or delete it entirely. I don't know what MS will do in the long run, or even address Cortana, so, caution.

 

Thanks for the tip.

I would really like a "master switch" sort of thing, something that disables Cortana completely without jumping through hoops.

I have noticed though that Cortana's process goes down to ~0.1 MB after hours of having your PC turned on.

 

I just tried doing that, but when I end the Cortana task, it instantly restarts, faster than I can rename its folder. Am I missing something here?

 

You need to right-click it and end the SearchUI.exe process tree. There is an "end process" option and "end process tree" option.

 

Yeah, I did that. End Process or End Process Tree...either way it pops right back.

 

Then, I'm uncertain of what can be done. The only other things I have done are editing Group Policies, (Win+R, gpedit.msc) under TaskBar and Start Menu, editing some of the Internet Search options and others regarding Internet access via the Taskbar.

 

There is a way to still completly stop it in the process area. Like you said, it pops back too quickly but i found a way to stop it but you gotta be a bit quick but the way i did it gives you enough time to rename it.

This is what i did...

Go to "TaskManager" then go into the "Details" tab in task manager...find SearchUI.exe.

Right click on SearchUI.exe and select Open File Location. You will see this folder Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy if you go back to SystemApps or this is the directions to this directory...C Drive/Windows/SystemApps...find Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy folder

Ok now this is what i did to give me enough time to rename Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy....I right clicked on Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy and added a 1 at the end of the title ....It wont let you rename it because SearchUI.exe is running, this we all know. So what i did is when i tried renaming Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy by adding the number 1 at the end of
Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy1...a small window pops up and says "FILE IN USE" and you will see the button to "TRY AGAIN" ....move this "File in Use" window over to the right of your screen...and then go back to the TaskManger/Details Tab...find SearchUI.exe..right click and select "End Process Tree"....now you will have enough time to go to that open notice that says "FILE IN USE" and quickly press "Try Again" before SearchIU.exe opens back up...you have enough time this method to rename the folder this way.

Let me repeat....You gotta slide over the "File in Use" window over on your screen..so you have the "Try Again" button visible when you go back to TaskManger / Details tab to quickly close out SearchUI.exe by closing the tree process..then soon as you do that go back over to "FILE IN USE" and quickly press "Try Again" ...it will work this way.

I now have only 900mb of memory used in windows 10 after doing this...and i have a pretty fast rig i built...the Cortana Search ate up some mem..not that its windows 10 is bad..i really like windows 10..seems very efficient as it is.

Here is the "FILE IN USE" small window that pops up...the photo below is just an example

 

^ Pretty much this. I posted the same thing in another forum regarding disabling Cortana, and this seems to be the easiest way to do it.

 

Disable Cortana and web search in "Search bar" by clicking on it, going to Settings by pressing on a cog icon, and turning off both