How to Completely Turn Off Cortana from Windows 10 in 2023

Microsoft's latest version of Windows was Windows 10. It was launched in 2015. Windows 10 is one of the best versions of the Windows operating system. Microsoft is also not working on any other operating system. However, they are still releasing updates for Windows 10. Windows 10 also has an assistant known as Cortana. It is similar to Siri. However, many people don't like Cortana on their computers.

Why Turning Off Windows 10's Cortana?

Many people thought that Cortana is actually collecting personal data. It is also uploading the personal data of users to the MS servers. However, there is no proof of this. Still, many people were angry about this.

Microsoft is trying its best to improve Cortana. They are also succeeding in making it a good assistant. However, still many people don't like AI assistants. Also, there is a difference between mobile and desktop. Most people are storing important files on their desktop. Thus, they want full privacy.

Also, Cortana doesn't feel like an AI. It looks very odd in the Windows operating system. The integration of Cortana was done very poorly. Thus, most people don't like it.

Cortana also lacks many basic AI features. It is like not Siri. It is still lacking many important features. However, it has many cool features. Still, it is lacking many features when compared to other AI assistant.

What is Cortana?

Cortana is actually an AI assistant. Microsoft is developing it for their latest products. Most people don't know about the meaning of Cortana. The name is actually taken from the Halo series. There was an AI in the Hola series known as Cortana. Thus, Microsoft is using it as an inspiration. You can access it in Windows Phone and Windows 10.

However, most people don't like this AI. You can find hundreds of negative reviews of Cortana on the internet. Most people think that Cortana is unnecessary. There is no real purpose for using this application. Also, many people think that it is collecting personal data. Thus, there were privacy issues also.

Cortana offers various features to its users. Some of these features are actually very useful. For example, you can use Cortana Home for checking all your important events of the day. This will ensure that you know about every important event. Also, you can reminders in Cortana. It will also allow you to save your flight timings. You can also store many other important details in this AI.

You can also use it for storing notes. Cortana can also set reminders for you. It can even search for things on the internet. You can even ask about some movies from Cortana. It will tell you every important detail about that movie. If you are feeling bored, then you can also talk about it. It is pretty much like Siri.

I think that Cortana is important for Windows. However, it doesn't have the potential to compete with other AI assistants. It is difficult to handle the Windows ecosystem. Thus, Microsoft has to still do a lot of work.

How to Turn Off / Disable Cortana in Windows 10?

Most people don't like Cortana. Thus, they want to remove it from their computer. Many people think that it is collecting their data. However, there are no cruel intentions behind collecting this data. Microsoft just wants to improve the user experience. Still, many people don't like this practice. MS did issue an apology after this incident. Also, now you can turn off or disable Cortana on your computer.

Microsoft has already issued an apology. Also, now you can disable or turn off Cortana if you don't like it. There are many different methods that you can use for disabling Cortana. Some people just want to disable it. However, some people just want to completely remove it. If you are thinking to delete Cortana permanently, then it is not possible. You can only disable it from your settings.

It is possible to disable Cortana completely from the settings. This will ensure that Cortana is not working in the background. However, it is difficult to disable Cortana. In this article, I am going to share simple methods. You can use these methods for disabling Cortana on your computer.

Method 1: Disable Cortana by using Local Group Policy

Step 1: First, you should open a local GP or Group Policy editor. Go to the search bar and type "gpedit.msc". After that, click on the first result.

Step 2: After that, you should navigate to your computer configuration. Click on the "Administrative Templates" option. Now, navigate to the windows components. After that, look for the search option and click on it.

Step 3: Now, you need to open the windows settings. Just double click on the Cortana. It will automatically open the Cortana configuration panel.

Step 4: Lastly, change your settings to Disabled. Click on Apply and close the application.

Now, you don't need to worry about Cortana. This is the easiest method. You can disable Cortana in a few seconds.

Method 2: Disable Cortana by using Registry Editor

It was very easy to disable Cortana in the past. However, now Microsoft is making it difficult to disable Cortana. They want users to use Cortana. Thus, they are complicating the process. But, people are always looking for ways to disable Cortana.

There are four methods that you can use for disabling Cortana. The first method is to use the local group policy editor. Now, we are going to talk about the second method. You can use the registry editor for disabling the Cortana. However, this method is difficult when compared to the first method.

There are many other easy methods to disable Cortana. We will talk about those methods in this article. However, first, we are going to talk about disabling Cortana from the registry editor.

Step 1: First press Windows + R keys. This will open the Run window.

Step 2: Now you need to type "Regedit" in the run search bar. After that, click on ok.

Step 3: This command will open the registry editor in your pc. Now, look for the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE in the registry editor. You can find it in the left pane. After that, click on the Software option. Now, you need to click on Policies.

Step 4: After that, click on the Microsoft option. After that, click on the Windows option. Finally, you need to click on the Windows Search.

You might not find the Windows Search folder on your computer. If you can't find it, then you should create a new folder. First, click on the windows folder. After that, click on the new option. Now, click on the "Key" option. Make sure that your folder name is Windows Search.

Step 5: Now, select this Windows search. You need to move this folder to the right side of the windows pane. Now, you need to right-click in the empty pane. Navigate to the menu and click on the new option. After that, select the DWORD (32-bit) Value.

Step 6: After doing this, a new window will open. The name of this window will be DWORD (32-bit) Value. Now, just type AllowCortana in this window. After that go the value data section. Set the value to 0.

Note: Don't change anything else in the registry editor. Registry editor is the most important part of your OS.

Step 7: Finally, you need to click on the OK button. This will save all the settings.

After doing all these steps, you need to restart your PC. This will disable Cortana from your PC. Also, the search menu will become much simpler. You can easily search for anything now.

Also, you won't even find a Cortana eye in your search bar. This is one of the best ways to remove Cortana. It will completely disable Cortana from your computer. However, it is not easy to execute. Thus, make sure that you are following the correct systems.

If you want to enable it again, then you need to repeat the starting 6 steps of this process. After that, change the value to 1. Make sure to restart your pc after doing this process. Now, you can again access Cortana on your PC.

Method 3: Disable Cortana from Window Settings

This is the simplest method to disable Cortana on your PC. However, these changes will not be prominent. Still, you can use it for disabling Cortana on your PC. This will ensure that Cortana is not collecting your personal data.

Cortana can collect various personal data from its users. It can collect the location of your device. Also, it can collect your browsing data. This is a breach of your privacy. Thus, it is important to disable Cortana on your PC.

There is an in-built feature in Windows that you can use for disabling it. This will ensure that Cortana is not stealing your data. However, this method is not the first method. It won't remove Cortana completely from your PC. Still, it will stop it from collecting your data.

Step 1: First, open the search bar and type "Settings". After that, you need to open the first result.

Step 2: Now, look for Privacy in the settings.

Step 3: Now, you will be in a new window. After that, navigate to the Speak, inking and typing option. You can find this option in the left window pane. Finally, you need to click on it.

Step 4: After that, you need to select the "Stop getting to know me" option. If you are using the latest version of Windows, then look for Turn off speech services suggestions.

Step 5: This is the most important step. You need to ensure that Cortana clears your old data. First, look for the Cortana icon and click on it. After that, look for the settings and click on it. Now, navigate to the "Clear my device history" option. Finally, you need to click on it.

This method will ensure that Cortana is not collecting your personal data. Thus, you can use it without any problems. However, now you can't communicate with it. But, you can still access it.

If you want to re-enable it, then you need to follow the same steps in the opposite order. This will re-enable the Cortana. If you don't want to share your data, then it is better to disable it.

Method 4: Disable Cortana by renaming it

This method is perfect for most users. Most people think that the second method is difficult. However, they also don't want to use the default method. There is one more method that you can use for disabling Cortana.

This method is also very easy to execute. You can easily execute it. If you want to disable Cortana, then follow below steps:

Step 1: First, task manager on your computer. You can open it by pressing Shift, Ctrl and Esc keys together.

Step 2: Now, tap on the more details for expanding the task manager.

Step 3: After that, tap on the Processes tab.

Step 4: Look for Cortana in this list.

Step 5: Click on the Cortana. After that, select the "open file location" option.

Step 6: Now, you will be in the SystemApps folder. Look for the folder that has Cortana in its name.

Step 7: Finally, Rename this folder and add .bak at the end of its name.

This might give you some error message. You need to again open the task manager. After that, look for Cortana. After that, click on "end this process". Now, you need to repeat the whole process. Also, you need to restart your PC after doing this. However, this will not remove Cortana completely from your pc.

This method is enough to disable Cortana on your PC. Now, Windows can't access Cortana during the startup. This will ensure that Windows can't run the Cortana application. It will try to run its .exe file. But, it won't find it.

If you want to re-enable it, then you need to repeat these steps. You can also directly navigate to C>Windows>systemapps. After that, look for the file with the name Cortana. Now, remove the .bak from its name.

This will enable the Cortana again in your pc. However, you need to restart your computer PC. After that, Windows can access the main file of Cortana. Thus, it will again start running.

Conclusion of Best Ways to Turn Off Cortana from Windows 10 in 2023

Cortana is actually a very good AI. But, it is still not up to the level of Microsoft. Windows is the best operating system in the world. Thus, users are always looking for the best services from Microsoft. MS is already working on Cortana.

Most users don't like Cortana. The main reason behind this is that people think it is collecting personal data. They don't want to share their personal data with Microsoft. If you are storing private data on your PC, then it is best to disable Cortana. This will ensure that no one is stealing your data.

Also, Cortana can eat your company's resources. Thus, it is best to disable it. If you have a slow internet connection, then Cortana is already useless for you. It is better to disable it. This will reduce your network traffic. Also, it will help you in saving your computer resources.

You can use the above methods for disabling Cortana. However, you can't completely remove it from your PC. Windows will never remove Cortana completely from its operating system. It is just like Google Assistant and Siri. Cortana is going to play a major role in connecting the MS ecosystem.

Thus, you can't permanently remove it from your PC. However, you can still disable it. This will ensure that Cortana is not stealing your sensitive data.