Windows 10: This is How to permanently Disable Cortana

I signed up to reply to this..even though it's old. Start10 from Stardock was and remains to this day the best $5 replacement for the horrendous menu that is the Windows 10 start menu. You don't need Cortana. *Smile

 

Removing Cortana this way - by simply deleting her file - isn't a good idea. Windows still thinks she's there, and i believe it's throwing errors behind the scenes as it tries continually to reopen her exe. In addition, it still leaves her entry in the Windows 10 start menu, but it replaces the word "Cortana" with some code from her registry entry, It also does the same in the app history tab of task manager. In Windows's eyes, she is damaged or corrupted, but still installed - which is why an SFC brings her back.

Thankfully, there actually *IS* a way to remove her cleanly and completely.

1. If you have already "removed" Cortana by deleting files, run SFC to bring her back.
2. Make sure her app and shows up and is named cortana. Try rebooting the PC if SFC didn't work instantly.
3. Go into Group policy (or the registry, for the home edition) and disable Cortana. I'd suggest disabling windows search and the searching services as well, since they won't work anyway.
4. Download and unzip the attached file "Uninstall Cortana". Run "Uninstall Cortana.cmd" AS AN ADMINISTRATOR.
5. After the command is done running, REBOOT THE COMPUTER. Because Cortana's file is running in the background, it takes a reboot to completely remove her.

Cortana should have vanished completely, without a trace. Even SFC will not bring her back again.

The other attachments do the same for the other so called "uninstallable" windows 10 apps. The ONLY app in Windows 10 that truly cannot be removed is the settings app.

 

Hi.

I did this and killed cortana and skype off my Win10.
Now i get random "bad pool caller" BSODs.
I couldnt analyze the dumps yet, because the system doesnt run long enough.
Do you have any idea what i can do to get it running long enough to get my data off it, so that i can install loonix? Im so fed up with this Win10 BS, id like to kill somebody.

 

What is the best option to stop Cortana using up so much memory?
I've tried a Registry tweak, but Cortana continues to run.

I am working on an old notebook computer that doesn't have a lot of memory, and the memory is not upgradeable and Cortana is using a big chunk of that memory.

 

Rename (remove) Cortana's folder, so SearchUI.exe would not run. Run CMD as admin and copy/paste:
Code: takeown /f "%WinDir%\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy" /a /r /d y icacls "%WinDir%\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy" /inheritance:r /grant:r AdministratorsOI)(CI)F /t /c taskkill /im SearchUI.exe /f ren "%WinDir%\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy" "Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy.backup"[/quote]

 

Hello @Stigg, *Smile

If you mean that you disabled Cortana using the method in the tutorial below, then the Cortana process you still see running is for Windows search (SearchUI.exe). It would have been better if Microsoft left the process named "SearchUI.exe" instead of Cortana to avoid confusion,. but this isn't the same as Cortana the personal assistant.

Enable or Disable Cortana in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Apps Features Tutorials

 

OK. I better leave it then.

Thanks guys. *Smile

 

[/quote] Having done this last year with no ill-effects, I tried this again on an updated computer [Ver 1703] and renaming the folder has the effect of freezing the Start menu so I had to undo it. Any advice?

Added later - I was able to disable Cortana later on by using the reg edit suggested in the tutorial Enable or Disable Cortana. This method caused no side-effects.

Denis

 

Terminating "ShellExperienceHost.exe" will restart it and restore its functionality.
Code: taskkill /f /im ShellExperienceHost.exe[/quote] To automate the process, you can create a task, which will run after logon with one minute delay.

 

thanks for that.

 

Is there any way to reverse "Uninstall_Cortana.7z" After using it my start menu is unusable on the first click. I have to click on it again to use it. It's really annoying. I should not have ever used this.