Removing Cortana in W10 Pro for good, help.

[CreamyCornCob]

So on W10 Pro, did the kill Cortana in group policy and disabled, no more Contana in the bar, just simple system search.

I don't need or want to speak, need to show movie times, weather, nothing from her, zero. But after disabling, knowing she ain't gone, she still sits eating bandwidth.

 

Read too many ways to rid her but they all vary.

So, can someone tell me how to safely, completely rid this useless little hog? 

Thank You. (screen is from after killer her in group policy). Notice the magnifying glass in the bar, no more Cortana, but she stays like a bad liver spot on the skin.)

 

 

 

 

[Princess Luna]

Yes it's pretty simple to completely kill Cortana's process.

 

You have to right click it there and "open file folder" it should redirect you to here:

Once you're here on Cortana's native folder is the only tricky part, you must rename this folder to anything (usually I add a letter to the end of it) on the 2 seconds window between you killing the whole process on task manager and Windows restarting the process.

 

If you successfully manage to rename it on this 2 seconds window the process is dead Windows will no longer be able to find Cortana to restart it but the core files are still present on the system so Windows Update and what not won't restore it either effectively killing it for good.

[CreamyCornCob]

10 hours ago, Princess Luna said:

Yes it's pretty simple to completely kill Cortana's process.

 

You have to right click it there and "open file folder" it should redirect you to here:

 

Once you're here on Cortana's native folder is the only tricky part.....

Ahh there we go, took a few times with that narrow 2 second window and 'cant close, being used by another program'. Put a # on the end and - Cortona is worm food.

Little bugger!

 

Thanks for that help @Princess Luna 

[Princess Luna]

16 minutes ago, CreamyCornCob said:

Thanks for that help @Princess Luna 

Heheh you're welcome! It can be tricky yes but hey at least we still have this way around right? ^^

 

Cheers!

[CreamyCornCob]

10 hours ago, Princess Luna said:

Heheh you're welcome! It can be tricky yes but hey at least we still have this way around right? ^^

 

Cheers!

@Princess Luna it was tricky... but.

Now the search mag glass is still there but when tapping it, no search option, as though its dead. So changing adding a character to the end (to rename it) did kill Cortona. So might have to change it back...

 

[jfernendo]

This will not only remove cortona will allow you uninstall much more junk.

 

https://github.com/Sycnex/Windows10Debloater
https://www.christitus.com/2018/09/09/debloat-windows-10/
 
https://wpd.app/

 

Hope this helps.

[CreamyCornCob]

Just an update for anyone that may see this down the road or Googles it.

The step I took of killing the process is fine.

 

Then after that and renaming as above (put 33 on the end of the file), I lost all search function (glass was there but dead click no search)

So to fix, removed '33', rebooted and the search is back. AND there is NO cortona (movies, weather BS). Just a clean search.

 

Cheers.