You Can't Turn Off Cortana In The Windows 10 Anniversary Update

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Like many of you, the very first thing I did when I upgraded to Windows 10 was turn off Cortana. Apparently, that's not an option with the Windows 10 Anniversary Update. The good news, if you can call it that, is you can at least set limits on Cortana. Thanks to OEM for the heads up.

Microsoft made an interesting decision with Windows 10’s Anniversary Update, which is now in its final stages of development before it rolls out on August 2. Cortana, the personal digital assistant that replaced Windows 10’s search function and taps into Bing’s servers to answer your queries with contextual awareness, no longer has an off switch.
 
Jim Kim said:
Everything Search to the rescue Everything Search Engine
Microsoft is off their rocker.
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That has zero effect on the Anniversary Update since Cortana will still be there - you can choose to use some other search software like what you just linked to but, Cortana will always be there (until someone discovers that "secret off switch" at some point to disable it/her/whatever even in the Anniversary Update.
 
Microsoft needs to get spanked by the DOJ for anti trust violations again, methinks.
 
Well, I was going to install Win10 to an old HDD today and just keep it in the closet if I ever did decide to go to Win10 and have even made a Win10 USB stick to install it with but now I don't think I will even bother doing that and will stay with Win8.1 until end of life.
 
UnrealCpu said:
no thanks i need dx 12
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About as much as a bullet to the head. Vulkan will most certainly outrank DX12 with it only working on 2 ecosystems one not nearly as big as they think it is. Vulkan works on -everything-, including Linux. Having said that Linux isn't ready for the masses of gamer's, yet, but it's close.
 
Even if Cortana rats out what I type to Microsoft, all they'll get is me typing Wo, Exc, Ac, and cmd. I think I'll live. Oh, and ise.
 
So, what, there are some games available now that don't work with DX11, at all to any degrees? They are DX12 only?

That's about the only sufficient use of the word "need" in a statement like "i need dx 12" that I can see. :)

Nobody needs Windows 10.

There, that's a proper way to use the word "need." :D
 
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Jim Kim said:
Manjaro does sound interesting.
And finally Linux can tout that it has more games than DX12 (only or supported) Windows 10 games. List of games with DirectX 12 support - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
If DX12 is the reason to stay on 10, it's time to dual boot because Microsoft has gone batshit crazy.
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Manjaro is pretty darn solid. My favorite Distro right now. Its rolling which scares some people... but one touch update of EVERYTHING is pretty sweet. It also lets you swap kernals with one click, and it also has one click switching of GPU drivers (including closed source ones). I haven't had any issues with any steam games on Manjaro (although I admit my steam library isn't huge) The guys running it have done a good job of making sure all the updated Debian Libs steam and some of the better games have been using are all there. Really is a solid Distro. They have there own packages, but you can use the AUR (arch) library as well, Mint is a great option of course, but if you have tried linux before and just couldn't make the full switch Manjaro might be the way to go. Arch linux with out all the typing. ;)
 
Jim Kim said:
and then there's this Microsoft removes policies from Windows 10 Pro - gHacks Tech News
somebody said something about a knife
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These changes along with the ones you posted are pretty much the death knell for my Win10 deployment at a few of the sites I manage. Several are small medical facilities that cannot have any telemetry running without risking a HIPPA violation. Large enough to need a domain, not nearly big enough to justify (or willing to pay) the costs of Enterprise Edition, I have just been cleaning up and "de-spying" the OSes that come on the new workstations. With that option going away if I want to meet regulatory requirements, it looks like I need to find a source for Win 7 licenses (Linux/Other OS not an option due to the requirements of the software running these practices).
 
As the past has shown, a way will be found to undo everything the anniversary update will do. Its just a matter of time.
 
NeghVar said:
As the past has shown, a way will be found to undo everything the anniversary update will do. Its just a matter of time.
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The tail is tired of the chase. I have spent enough time waiting for the future to fix this OS, and its next update and next change and next anniversary.
 
BlakLanner said:
These changes along with the ones you posted are pretty much the death knell for my Win10 deployment at a few of the sites I manage. Several are small medical facilities that cannot have any telemetry running without risking a HIPPA violation. Large enough to need a domain, not nearly big enough to justify (or willing to pay) the costs of Enterprise Edition, I have just been cleaning up and "de-spying" the OSes that come on the new workstations. With that option going away if I want to meet regulatory requirements, it looks like I need to find a source for Win 7 licenses (Linux/Other OS not an option due to the requirements of the software running these practices).
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I am sure downgrading might be the easiest solution, you would think MS would have been thinking about these types of things with their changes to Pro. Its one thing to mess with the home versions but their policy changes for Pro seem pretty out of bounds.

Just for yourself though... might be a good time to look up and explore some of the Linux options for that field. Its not an area I have a lot of experience with, but I know there is a handful of good Open source options that are used around the world. Some like Open EMR are starting to see more and more us in NA.

OpenEMR Project OpenEMR
 
I'm sure there will be a way to stop the service or reg hack.

Or leave it on and entertain yourself by heckling it with comments like "Hey Cortana, lick my balls!" and see what it says...
 
That explains why I can't figure out a way to turn her off in the tech preview branch.

I had a bug briefly where she'd pop up if I held CTRL. So all of my Photoshop/Fusion360 keyboard shortcuts would make her pop up.

"What can I do for you?"
- "You could start by not taking over my CTRL key, you stupid B..."

Burticus said:
I'm sure there will be a way to stop the service or reg hack.

Or leave it on and entertain yourself by heckling it with comments like "Hey Cortana, lick my balls!" and see what it says...
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I gave up. From what I was reading is that it's almost malware level at this point. Apparently the service respawns even if you delete the support files. Not sure how true that is as I haven't tested it myself.
 
illram said:
Microsoft needs to get spanked by the DOJ for anti trust violations again, methinks.
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The DOJ isn't so big on enforcing the law these days.

Tiberian said:
So, what, there are some games available now that don't work with DX11, at all to any degrees? They are DX12 only?

That's about the only sufficient use of the word "need" in a statement like "i need dx 12" that I can see. :)

Nobody needs Windows 10.
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Yes, Quantum Break, Gears of War remake, and Forza 6 Apex. In the future, Forza Horizon 3, Crackdown 3, and Gears of War 4 will also require it. I doubt we'll see mandatory DX12 games that aren't published by Microsoft anytime soon, but anyone wanting to play any of those will need to have Windows 10.
 
Windows 10 build 14393.5 was just pushed out and that's the Anniversary Update by all accounts so, now all hell breaks loose. :)
 
ChadD said:
Manjaro is pretty darn solid. My favorite Distro right now. Its rolling which scares some people... but one touch update of EVERYTHING is pretty sweet. It also lets you swap kernals with one click, and it also has one click switching of GPU drivers (including closed source ones). I haven't had any issues with any steam games on Manjaro (although I admit my steam library isn't huge) The guys running it have done a good job of making sure all the updated Debian Libs steam and some of the better games have been using are all there. Really is a solid Distro. They have there own packages, but you can use the AUR (arch) library as well, Mint is a great option of course, but if you have tried linux before and just couldn't make the full switch Manjaro might be the way to go. Arch linux with out all the typing. ;)
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Last time I did a linux round-up I ended up with Xubuntu, as it always happens. Solid performance, great interface that everyone can use pretty fast out-of-the-box.

But that doesn't mean I don't try something else every now and then... Never heard of Manjaro, does it work nicely on everything or is it just like Mint (or was it Arch?) that doesn't like a lower-end machine?

I don't have any issues with Windows 10, and being an Android user that doesn't do anything important on PC or Smartphone I don't really care about being monitored, but surely I want to know how to avoid if it ever becomes a concern.
 
I don't get the reason for disabling group policies in W10Pro nor the reason for forcing Cortana. Why do it?
 
To force companies into using Enterprise on the new subscription model, obviously (and Education on the volume licensing).

It's always about making money, that should be quite clear by now.
 
Tiberian said:
To force companies into using Enterprise on the new subscription model, obviously (and Education on the volume licensing).

It's always about making money, that should be quite clear by now.
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After Apple (and Google) was (very) successful doing thinks like this, Microsoft decided to have some fun too. It's unfortunate, but it makes total business sense.
 
I just don't understand. They have the capacity to create a great OS that everyone would like, that wouldn't rot, and could be customized to each individual. It would sell easily. But instead, they go about using all kinds of marketing tricks to manipulate and screw over their customers, and make us all hate them. Why? Gates clearly must have enough money by now; why can't he pull an even better move than Carnagie and do the right thing? Make the greatest OS. Stop doing sneaky things. Sell other software and hardware. Be the company that people will praise, instead of curse at. You're not fooling anyone with Bing, or Cortana, or your 'rent an app' subscriptions to software.

Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door to buy it, instead of charging there with pitchforks and torches to lynch you. Wake up, Microsoft, and stop being such a dick to everyone else. Nobody wants software that spies on us. NOBODY.

You've had a virtual lock on operating systems now for about 20 years. You could have built something great. Instead, you build predatory, sneaky software that self destructs over time.

BTW, MS, my thumbnails still don't show up as the photos they're supposed to be mini pictures of. You ever going to fix that, or what?
 
cdr_74_premium said:
Last time I did a linux round-up I ended up with Xubuntu, as it always happens. Solid performance, great interface that everyone can use pretty fast out-of-the-box.

But that doesn't mean I don't try something else every now and then... Never heard of Manjaro, does it work nicely on everything or is it just like Mint (or was it Arch?) that doesn't like a lower-end machine?

I don't have any issues with Windows 10, and being an Android user that doesn't do anything important on PC or Smartphone I don't really care about being monitored, but surely I want to know how to avoid if it ever becomes a concern.
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Manjaro is based on Arch... Arch is very lightweight but its a stripped down distro. (Arch isn't really for a Linux first timer) As it doesn't have a default desktop or GUI installer, you install everything yourself by hand which some linux heads love. Manjaro takes arch and lets you start with a desktop interface. Its a rolling release meaning you don't really wait for anything new, good or bad. I have never had any issues running rolling releases and prefer being able to one click install things the day new versions drop. Arch is a very well built and popular distro... Manjaro just makes getting into it a lot easier. IMO its easier for new users then Even the mints and other ubuntu spins. Much of the stuff that trips people up like installing closed source drivers are as simple as one click in Manjaro, I think it should be a more popular spin for new comers as I believe it does one of the best jobs of balancing ease of use with all the power of an advanced distro of Arch. As for system requirements... you can download Manjaro with pretty much all the major linux desktops... so you can go high end Gnome or KDE, the default desktop is XFCE which is very lightweight and still very powerful. If you have a favorite desktop though there is no issue downloading that distro... or installing the other desktops after. (you can run as many GUIs as you like... some software is written for specific GUI Libs but most don't care if you switch) Manjaro makes installing multiples pretty painless if you wanna take a few out for a spin. (unlike windows getting ride of unused ones after doesn't leave behind a ton of crap)
 
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