Disable Cortana but not search

silk186

[H]ard|Gawd
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Feb 26, 2008
Messages
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I have been annoyed by certain system processes with high CPU usage ramping up my CPU fan. I disabled Cortana, lots of different tracking, location, reporting, hints, ect.

This includes Microsoft Compatibility Telemetry and Cortana runtime broker.

How much can I disable without losing Windows search?
 
Windows 10 LTSC comes without Cortana. Might be worth looking into that if you want to remove that and all the rest of the garbage W10 comes with.
 
I've wondered this as well. Even though I hit "No" to use Cortana in the initial Windows setup. It's still there hogging resources.

Thanks Microsoft for the "bouncy circle". I can't believe that's the best they could come up with.:mad:
 
I've wondered this as well. Even though I hit "No" to use Cortana in the initial Windows setup. It's still there hogging resources.

Thanks Microsoft for the "bouncy circle". I can't believe that's the best they could come up with.:mad:

Wasting resources? I see 0% CPU, 0MB Memory, 0% Disk usage, 0% Network usage from Cortana and 0% GPU usage. So, what resouces are being hogged again? I looked right at my task manager just now. I have not actual select Cortana for it to be use anything at all.
 
I read starting with 1903 that the search and Cortana are now separate.
Windows 10 LTSC comes without Cortana. Might be worth looking into that if you want to remove that and all the rest of the garbage W10 comes with.
Why bother making that recommendation when the legal way for a typical end user to have access to that requires many hoops that most users are not going to do? Pretty obvious we're talking about a personal computer issue and not a business environment issue here.
 
I read starting with 1903 that the search and Cortana are now separate.
Why bother making that recommendation when the legal way for a typical end user to have access to that requires many hoops that most users are not going to do? Pretty obvious we're talking about a personal computer issue and not a business environment issue here.

There aren’t a bunch of hoops to jump through. I talked to a rep from the company we use for our licenses. To have a 100% legitimate and legal license for LTSC without a volume license agreement, you need 4 open business Microsoft identity manager CALs and an open business enterprise Windows 10 LTSC license. This sounds complicated but you can get all 5 things from Provantage (a legal Microsoft licensing partner) for under $300. This is available to everyone. Go to their website, add 4 Microsoft Identity Manager CALs and a single LTSC single business upgrade license to your cart. Check out. Done.
 
Just install Shutup10. There is an option to disable it and leave the basic search icon (magnifying glass). You can also disable a bunch of other junk.
 
There aren’t a bunch of hoops to jump through. I talked to a rep from the company we use for our licenses. To have a 100% legitimate and legal license for LTSC without a volume license agreement, you need 4 open business Microsoft identity manager CALs and an open business enterprise Windows 10 LTSC license. This sounds complicated but you can get all 5 things from Provantage (a legal Microsoft licensing partner) for under $300. This is available to everyone. Go to their website, add 4 Microsoft Identity Manager CALs and a single LTSC single business upgrade license to your cart. Check out. Done.

Right, because that makes so much sense to do for one computer, that already has a legal license of Windows.

I just hide the Cortana icon and forget she's there lol. If cortana is using enough CPU that it's making your fans spin up, well I'd say you have more issues that go beyond Cortana being annoying.
 
Right, because that makes so much sense to do for one computer, that already has a legal license of Windows.

I just hide the Cortana icon and forget she's there lol. If cortana is using enough CPU that it's making your fans spin up, well I'd say you have more issues that go beyond Cortana being annoying.

Great solution. Does absolutely nothing for OP who wanted to know how to disable Cortana completely.

Just install Shutup10. There is an option to disable it and leave the basic search icon (magnifying glass). You can also disable a bunch of other junk.

This is probably the closest OP can get to removing it. In 1903, cortana is going to be split from search. I don't know if its completely disabled or just set aside though, I have 1903 installed on my desktop, I'll check it later.
 
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Just install Shutup10. There is an option to disable it and leave the basic search icon (magnifying glass). You can also disable a bunch of other junk.
I've been a but busy so I didn't check back.
This looks like exactly what I'm looking for, something that can perform a number of tweaks to a fresh install.
I re-enabled the Cortana runtime broker in the registry so that I can use the search function again.

I read that windows is separating search and Cortana we may have more options in the future.
 
Just install Shutup10. There is an option to disable it and leave the basic search icon (magnifying glass). You can also disable a bunch of other junk.
I've been a but busy so I didn't check back.
This looks like exactly what I'm looking for, something that can perform a number of tweaks to a fresh install.
I re-enabled the Cortana runtime broker in the registry so that I can use the search function again.

I read that windows is separating search and Cortana we may have more options in the future.
 
I've been a but busy so I didn't check back.
This looks like exactly what I'm looking for, something that can perform a number of tweaks to a fresh install.
I re-enabled the Cortana runtime broker in the registry so that I can use the search function again.

I read that windows is separating search and Cortana we may have more options in the future.

Not separating but have already separated, if you are on the 19H1 build.
 
There aren’t a bunch of hoops to jump through. I talked to a rep from the company we use for our licenses. To have a 100% legitimate and legal license for LTSC without a volume license agreement, you need 4 open business Microsoft identity manager CALs and an open business enterprise Windows 10 LTSC license. This sounds complicated but you can get all 5 things from Provantage (a legal Microsoft licensing partner) for under $300. This is available to everyone. Go to their website, add 4 Microsoft Identity Manager CALs and a single LTSC single business upgrade license to your cart. Check out. Done.
I just have a folder with a few tools, and spend about 20 minutes setting up windows 10 how I want it. No way I’d go through all of that. That’s not a simple process by any means. And a waste of money for most non business users.
 
Holy shit has nobody bought 2 things at the same time on the internet? This isn’t rocket science. Put one thing in your cart. Put the other thing in your cart. “Checkout”. Install your legal copy of LTSC. I don’t know how some of you have survived this long.

I mentioned that solution because someone said there was no legal way of using LTSC. If you want a much easier solution, buy a key off ebay for $10. I have bought a few using this method and never had a single issue. It might not fit your personal morals, but I justify it from the fact that Microsoft is mining my data (which isn't morally sound either).
 
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I just use Task manager to find the location of and switch off the Cortana service, rename the active Cortana directory to old, it then says no cos the service comes back in that time but just cancel it again and hit return and bingo, Cortana service no longer running and old Search still runs.

Just have to repeat that step when any new major release gets installed.
 
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