A very similar digital assistant like Siri can be found in windows, especially in windows 10, which goes by the name of Cortana. Cortana is Microsoft’s digital assistant that listens and operates your every command, apart from searching your computer. It is very similar to Siri and helpful, but sometimes it’s just so much that you need to search ways to disable Cortana. Though it helps to set reminders, show up important emails and notifications, and everything you wish by just using your voice command sometimes you might just want to get rid of it. Now, this might be extremely useful for some, but to others, Cortana usually comes out as intrusive due to its constant pop-up reminders. Moreover, not everyone likes to be reminded about daily or even important tasks via pop-up messages. Due to this, it has become necessary for them to disable Cortana as it is not of much use to them.
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How To Disable Cortana On Your Laptop?
Now if you are tired of Cortana giving you commands, then the best thing is to turn it off. This where people get confused as there is no fixed and direct way to disable Cortana. Let us have a look at different ways in which we can disable Cortana.
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- Prevent Cortana from knowing you
The best way to disable Cortana is to start by preventing it from knowing your habits and works. Here is how you can disable Cortana from knowing your routine on your computer.
- Next to the start icon, click on the Cortana search box.
- You will see a gear icon. Click on it to open Cortana settings.
- In the settings screen, you will see a list of different toggle switches that would be turned on. Turn off every toggle switch from on.
- Now go up to the settings panel and click on the option of ‘Change what Cortana knows about me in the cloud.’
- You will be redirected to the new page from the internet called ‘Personal information.’
- Once the page is loaded completely, scroll down to the bottom and hit the clear button.
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If you would also like to turn off the data that Cortana collects from your typing and talking, as well, then follow the steps given below:
- Click on the start key.
- Go to the Cortana settings by clicking on the gear icon.
- Tap on privacy.
- On the left panel, there would be an option of speech, inking, and typing.
- Click on the ‘Stop getting to know me’ option.
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How To Disable Cortana Permanently?
Cortana is an integral part of Windows 10 and as the majority uses this operating system, therefore it is inevitable that people want to know how to disable Cortana in Windows 10.
- Disable Cortana permanently by using the windows registry method
Let us have a look at the steps to disable Cortana permanently with the help of the windows registry. Before we proceed with the steps, you must remember that this is an irreversible process and you can never go back to enable Cortana again.
- Tap on the windows icon and click on the run to open the command prompt.
- Type Regedit on the screen and press enter.
- A UAC window will appear, click yes and then proceed.
- Navigate to the: HKEY_Local_Machine > SOFTWARE > Policies > Microsoft > Windows, and then right-click on the Windows directory and select New > Key.
- Name the new folder as windows search
- Then right-click on the new folder named windows to search and click New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
- Name the new file as AllowCortana.
- Double click on the AllowCortana file that you have made and set its value to zero and press OK.
- Now close this registry editor and restart your computer and your Cortana is deleted permanently.
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- Disable Cortana permanently using the group policy editor
Another method to disable Cortana in Windows 10 is with the help of the group policy editor.
The group policy editor is safer than the windows registry method. Here is how to do it:
- Press the windows+R command prompt and type gpedit.msc in the screen that appears and press enter.
- If the UAC window appears, confirm it and then proceed.
- Navigate to the Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search. After this, double-click Allow Cortana in the right pane.
- Click on the disable option that will appear among the list of other options. Click on OK.
- Now, close the group policy editor and restart your computer.
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These were the easy methods through which you can easily disable Cortana.. And now when you open your computer, instead of finding Ask me anything it will just be a box that says search windows.
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