Windows 10: View Poll Results: Does 'hey Cortana' work for you?

Getting kind of confusing! I'm not exactly sure what you're asking, I've tried toggling many different cortana settings off and on again, including what you suggested. It didn't make a difference unfortunately.

In fact I have a new problem after turning cortana back to recognizing 'everyone' she now freezes after I click on her mic icon and I have to start task manager to fix her! On top of that the 'hey cortana' option slider has completely vanished from her settings!

 

This is getting worse and worse, now the whole task bar at the bottom of windows has stopped functioning, that includes the windows start button and chrome button, I had to manually go into program folder to launch the browser!

All the programs I pinned to the start/task bar at the bottom have vanished and the start bar/cortana search/task view/notifications aren't responding. Any idea what's going wrong here?? Upgrading to W10 has been a mistake for me...

 

Have you run trouble shooter as that can fix a lot of problems.
Also make sure all updates are downloaded and installed.
Also check your system for malware

 

Thanks for the reply, I did eventually get the taskbar back by reinstalling windows apps:
Has your Windows 10 Start menu stopped working? Here are four ways to fix it - BT

It unfroze Cortana aswell but didn't give back the 'hey cortana' option in her settings. But at least I got my taskbar and windows start button back!! I did also run trouble shooter which said it found and fixed some problems, but it didn't give me back the taskbar.

 

Have you at all run this
SFC Command - Run in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums
That can also fix a lot of problems

 

Actually that is what I ran, I just used a different method since I couldn't use the windows start button, so trouble shooter is different then.

 

How many times did you run it as sometimes it needs running 2 to 3 times
Did you also afterwards run this
DISM - Repair Windows 10 Image - Windows 10 Forums

 

You can't use the Start button ?
Do you mean BOTH left click and right click at Start button not working, or just the left click ?

 

It was both buttons, but that issues been fixed thankfully, but as I said it's back to cortana's 'hey cortana' puzzle now!

 

So everything now working ok for you.
So pleased for you and enjoy Cortana

 

Well, I wouldn't mind using the mic icon to talk to Cortana and the search bar to search.
I kind of like that arrangement myself.

But you do want to find a solution, I understand.

 

Looks like I spoke too soon, more problems! Here is a summary of my situation since not everyone seems clear on what I asked in the past:

1) When I installed W10 a few weeks ago Cortana would refer me to 'change to a language I can use' or something in order to set her up. I had to change all my system language settings (including keyboard) to American English, then restart, then Cortana allowed me to set her up, then I switched everything back to English. Cortana also responded to 'hey cortana' once I switched the setting on.

2) When I created this topic, the only problem I had was cortana's 'hey cortana' command had mysteriously stopped working. It wasn't a big problem as I could click on the mic and she'd respond, but I was curious to see if I could get it working again (why would I upgrade to a new OS and then not be able use it's new features if I want to)

3) After I tried switching off/on different Cortana settings as suggested (I'd already done so previously without results) the start button would start freezing, but I could still right click it and it would eventually unfreeze. Cortana's bar would also freeze up. But then the whole task bar froze, all the icons vanished and I had to launch files manually from their folders. Reinstalling windows apps fixed this, which suggests what I already suspected, that cortana was maybe causing the problems.

4) Now when I try to set up Cortana, she says I need to give her permission to use location, but the settings button she wants me to click on doesn't include her in the 'choose apps that can use your location', it's like she's vanished from those settings, just like her 'hey cortana' setting vanished without a trace.

5) I ran avast and malware bytes scans just to rule out anything malicious.
I then ran the SFC command 3 times with restarts, it found no problems.
I then ran the Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth and it said it finished repairing.
Just to check, after a restart I ran another Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth which found no problems.

Unfortunately it didn't fix any Cortana problems, she is still stuck on the location permission. Any ideas?
W10 is turning out to be a bit of a headache, it's kind of scary every time I click the start button I wonder if the problems will start up again...

 

Have you turned on or off your location in your user account as that needs to be on as well for Cortana to be able to work.
Go to settings location and you will find questions and answers
Cortana one right at the bottom

 

Yup location is on, but there's no cortana setting or Q n A section. Cortana options don't appear in any of the settings

 

Sorry I have run out of idea