Digital Assistants are supposed to make our lives easier, which is why several tech companies are integrating them into every kind of device. You might already be familiar with popular voice activated personal assistants like Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant & Cortana. Ever since Windows have released personal productivity assistant Cortana, PC users have been able to issue voice commands to ease daily operations. But it has been under intense scrutiny for a long time. That’s why people are looking for ways to completely Uninstall Cortana from Windows PC!
Uncovering Disadvantages That Comes With Cortana
Like every digital assistant, Cortana is always listening. Although it helps to make your life easier, but it has some major bugs:
- Cortana cannot be forced into downloading malicious content from the Internet, but it can be used to run scripts & other executable files from a USB drive. Hence, the voice assistant can be tricked into installing malware & other threats.
- Enabling the ‘Hey Cortana’ feature allows you to access the personal assistant by simply saying ‘Hey Cortana’. It’s a pretty cool feature like Siri or Google Assistant, but it only works about half of the time I tried it. Still a bit buggy!
- During the Digital Assistant IQ Test, Cortana delivered embarrassing results. When it was compared against leading digital assistants, Cortana was found to be dead last in its ability to answer queries.
Sure, Microsoft makes strong claims about Windows 10 top-notch security and the Operating System being the safest of all, but keeping in mind all the vulnerabilities found in Windows 10, we certainly don’t feel safe at all!
How To Remove Cortana Safely From Your Windows PC?
With no latest major improvements in Cortana, it feels like Microsoft is leaving the battlefield to popular voice assistants. So, you can follow the step-by-step instructions to uninstall Cortana completely.
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STEP 1- Using the Windows Search Bar, look for PowerShell and click on the very first result that appears on your screen.
STEP 2- Right-click on the result and select the option Run as Administrator.
STEP 3- On the PowerShell window, type the following command:
(Remove the ' marks): 'Get-AppxPackage -allusers Microsoft.549981C3F5F10 | Remove-AppxPackage'
Execute the command to click the Enter button. The button on the Taskbar will remain, but you can right-click on the Taskbar and clear the Show Cortana button option permanently. This is probably the easiest way to turn off Cortana on Windows PC. You can try other workarounds discussed below!
Remove Cortana Using Group Policy Editor
Well, alternatively you can uninstall Cortana using the Local Group Policy Editor. Follow the instructions below to start making alterations:
STEP 1- Press the shortcut keys – Windows key + R button to launch Run dialog box.
STEP 2- Type gpedit.msc in the Run window and hit the OK button to launch Local Group Policy Editor on your computer.
STEP 3- From the new window that appears on your screen, follow the below path:
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search
STEP 4- Now you need to look for the entry that says “Allow Cortana” from the right-hand side section. Once you find it, double-click on the same and choose Disabled option on the new pop-up.
STEP 5- Hit the OK button to save the changes.
Simply close the Local Group Policy Editor and restart your computer to implement the changes successfully. As soon as your computer restarts, Cortana will be uninstalled from your PC!
Uninstall Cortana Via Windows Registry
Cortana is heavily integrated into the Windows 10 Search functionality. So, you need to create a System Restore Point, to ensure if anything hampers your PC you can quickly restore your computer to the previous state. New to System Restore feature? Follow the guides mentioned below for help~
STEP 1- Press the shortcut keys – Windows key + R button to launch Run dialog box.
STEP 2- From the Run window, type regedit command and press the Enter button.
STEP 3- Navigate to the following path:
HKEY_Local_Machine > SOFTWARE > Policies > Microsoft > Window
STEP 4- Right-click on the Windows directory and select New > Key.
STEP 5- Now name the newly created folder as Windows Search. Right-click on it and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
STEP 6- At this point, you need to name the new file as AllowCortana. Double-click on it and set its value to 0. Click the OK button to complete the process. This command will permanently uninstall Cortana from your PC!
Now close the Registry Editor and restart your Windows computer to successfully implement the changes and uninstall Cortana on your PC.
Completely Remove Cortana Using This Easy Hack
Here’s another crazy hack to easily turn off Cortana permanently on your Windows PC.
STEP 1- Download the zip file Uninstall Cortana.
STEP 2- Simply extract all the files from the ZIP archive. Now locate the file Uninstall Cortana.cmd
STEP 3- Once located, right-click on it to Run as Administrator.
Keep patience and let the entire process get completed. As soon as it’s done, restart your computer to remove Cortana on your Windows 10 PC.
Frequently Asked Questions: Removing & Disabling Cortana Personal Assistant
Q1. How To Reinstall Cortana?
Want to install Cortana again on your PC, follow the instructions below:
- Launch Microsoft Store & Search for Cortana App. Click here to navigate to the Store!
- Hit the Get button!
- Click on the Open button and start installing the digital assistant for your Windows PC.
Q2. How To Disable Cortana In Windows 10?
Follow the steps below to temporarily disable Cortana safely:
- Press the shortcut keys: CTRL + SHIFT + ESC
- From the Task Manager, click on the Startup option.
- Locate and select Cortana.
- Hit the Disable button.
- Now open the Start menu and Find Cortana under the All Apps section.
- Once found, right-click on Cortana and navigate to More option.
- Hit the App Settings and toggle off the option next to Run at log-in
Q3. How Do I Limit Cortana Data Collection?
Want to limit the data collected by Cortana? Follow the steps below:
- Click on the Start > Settings.
- Navigate to the Cortana Settings Panel.
- Simply turn off every toggle.
- On the same page, navigate to Change what Cortana knows about me in the cloud.
- Once you click on it, a Personal Information section will appear.
- On the same page, you need to scroll now and click the option Clear!
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