How to get rid of all the tips and cortana garbage on search toolbar?

I have 3 computers, some behave ok, and some don't...all same settings and fresh installs.

When I search for something on the taskbar, this blue bubble shows up with a whole buch of spam suggestions, like sports, news and crap from microsoft...it's really annoying.

I'm signed in with hotmail account, this is a genuine Windows 10 pro 64 bit.

How to I get rid of that damn thing once and for all? Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!

If you want search, but do not want Cortana open a command prompt as administrator, and run these commands, then restart your computer.

Code:

reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search" /v "AllowCortana" /t REG_DWORD /d "0" /f
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search" /v "AllowCortanaAboveLock" /t REG_DWORD /d "0" /f
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search" /v "DisableWebSearch" /t REG_DWORD /d "1" /f
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search" /v "AllowSearchToUseLocation" /t REG_DWORD /d "0" /f
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search" /v "ConnectedSearchPrivacy" /t REG_DWORD /d "3" /f
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search" /v "ConnectedSearchSafeSearch" /t REG_DWORD /d "3" /f
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search" /v "ConnectedSearchUseWeb" /t REG_DWORD /d "0" /f
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search" /v "ConnectedSearchUseWebOverMeteredConnections" /t REG_DWORD /d "0" /f
reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\FirewallRules" /v "Block Cortana ActionUriServer.exe" /t REG_SZ /d "v2.26|Action=Block|Active=TRUE|Dir=Out|RA42=IntErnet|RA62=IntErnet|App=C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy\ActionUriServer.exe|Name=Block Cortana ActionUriServer.exe|Desc=Block Cortana Outbound UDP/TCP Traffic|" /f >nul 2>&1
reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\FirewallRules" /v "Block Cortana PlacesServer.exe" /t REG_SZ /d "v2.26|Action=Block|Active=TRUE|Dir=Out|RA42=IntErnet|RA62=IntErnet|App=C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy\PlacesServer.exe|Name=Block Cortana PlacesServer.exe|Desc=Block Cortana Outbound UDP/TCP Traffic|" /f >nul 2>&1reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\FirewallRules" /v "Block Cortana RemindersServer.exe" /t REG_SZ /d "v2.26|Action=Block|Active=TRUE|Dir=Out|RA42=IntErnet|RA62=IntErnet|App=C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy\RemindersServer.exe|Name=Block Cortana RemindersServer.exe|Desc=Block Cortana Outbound UDP/TCP Traffic|" /f >nul 2>&1reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\FirewallRules" /v "Block Cortana RemindersShareTargetApp.exe" /t REG_SZ /d "v2.26|Action=Block|Active=TRUE|Dir=Out|RA42=IntErnet|RA62=IntErnet|App=C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy\RemindersShareTargetApp.exe|Name=Block Cortana RemindersShareTargetApp.exe|Desc=Block Cortana Outbound UDP/TCP Traffic|" /f >nul 2>&1reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\FirewallRules" /v "Block Cortana SearchUI.exe" /t REG_SZ /d "v2.26|Action=Block|Active=TRUE|Dir=Out|RA42=IntErnet|RA62=IntErnet|App=C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy\SearchUI.exe|Name=Block Cortana SearchUI.exe|Desc=Block Cortana Outbound UDP/TCP Traffic|" /f >nul 2>&1reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\FirewallRules" /v "Block Cortana Package" /t REG_SZ /d "v2.26|Action=Block|Active=TRUE|Dir=Out|RA42=IntErnet|RA62=IntErnet|Name=Block Cortana Package|Desc=Block Cortana Outbound UDP/TCP Traffic|AppPkgId=S-1-15-2-1861897761-1695161497-2927542615-642690995-327840285-2659745135-2630312742|Platform=2:6:2|Platform2=GTEQ|" /f >nul 2>&1reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search" /v "SearchboxTaskbarMode" /t REG_DWORD /d "1" /f >nul 2>&1

flybynite said:

If you want search, but do not want Cortana open a command prompt as administrator, and run these commands, then restart your computer.

Code:

reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search" /v "AllowCortana" /t REG_DWORD /d "0" /f
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search" /v "AllowCortanaAboveLock" /t REG_DWORD /d "0" /f
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search" /v "DisableWebSearch" /t REG_DWORD /d "1" /f
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search" /v "AllowSearchToUseLocation" /t REG_DWORD /d "0" /f
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search" /v "ConnectedSearchPrivacy" /t REG_DWORD /d "3" /f
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search" /v "ConnectedSearchSafeSearch" /t REG_DWORD /d "3" /f
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search" /v "ConnectedSearchUseWeb" /t REG_DWORD /d "0" /f
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search" /v "ConnectedSearchUseWebOverMeteredConnections" /t REG_DWORD /d "0" /f
reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\FirewallRules" /v "Block Cortana ActionUriServer.exe" /t REG_SZ /d "v2.26|Action=Block|Active=TRUE|Dir=Out|RA42=IntErnet|RA62=IntErnet|App=C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy\ActionUriServer.exe|Name=Block Cortana ActionUriServer.exe|Desc=Block Cortana Outbound UDP/TCP Traffic|" /f >nul 2>&1
reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\FirewallRules" /v "Block Cortana PlacesServer.exe" /t REG_SZ /d "v2.26|Action=Block|Active=TRUE|Dir=Out|RA42=IntErnet|RA62=IntErnet|App=C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy\PlacesServer.exe|Name=Block Cortana PlacesServer.exe|Desc=Block Cortana Outbound UDP/TCP Traffic|" /f >nul 2>&1reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\FirewallRules" /v "Block Cortana RemindersServer.exe" /t REG_SZ /d "v2.26|Action=Block|Active=TRUE|Dir=Out|RA42=IntErnet|RA62=IntErnet|App=C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy\RemindersServer.exe|Name=Block Cortana RemindersServer.exe|Desc=Block Cortana Outbound UDP/TCP Traffic|" /f >nul 2>&1reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\FirewallRules" /v "Block Cortana RemindersShareTargetApp.exe" /t REG_SZ /d "v2.26|Action=Block|Active=TRUE|Dir=Out|RA42=IntErnet|RA62=IntErnet|App=C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy\RemindersShareTargetApp.exe|Name=Block Cortana RemindersShareTargetApp.exe|Desc=Block Cortana Outbound UDP/TCP Traffic|" /f >nul 2>&1reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\FirewallRules" /v "Block Cortana SearchUI.exe" /t REG_SZ /d "v2.26|Action=Block|Active=TRUE|Dir=Out|RA42=IntErnet|RA62=IntErnet|App=C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy\SearchUI.exe|Name=Block Cortana SearchUI.exe|Desc=Block Cortana Outbound UDP/TCP Traffic|" /f >nul 2>&1reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\FirewallRules" /v "Block Cortana Package" /t REG_SZ /d "v2.26|Action=Block|Active=TRUE|Dir=Out|RA42=IntErnet|RA62=IntErnet|Name=Block Cortana Package|Desc=Block Cortana Outbound UDP/TCP Traffic|AppPkgId=S-1-15-2-1861897761-1695161497-2927542615-642690995-327840285-2659745135-2630312742|Platform=2:6:2|Platform2=GTEQ|" /f >nul 2>&1reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search" /v "SearchboxTaskbarMode" /t REG_DWORD /d "1" /f >nul 2>&1

That sounds pretty insane, not saying I don't trust you...but are you sure I won't brick my system with this?

You mean I run the command line and paste that in?

What if it fries things up? Can I revert this somehow if for some reason I wanted Cortana back later?

From mine, which does a much more thorough job, to re-enable you would use this:

Code:

reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search" /freg delete "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\FirewallRules" /v "Block Cortana ActionUriServer.exe" /f
reg delete "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\FirewallRules" /v "Block Cortana PlacesServer.exe" /f
reg delete "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\FirewallRules" /v "Block Cortana RemindersServer.exe" /f
reg delete "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\FirewallRules" /v "Block Cortana RemindersShareTargetApp.exe" /f
reg delete "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\FirewallRules" /v "Block Cortana SearchUI.exe" /f
reg delete "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\FirewallRules" /v "Block Cortana SearchUI.exe" /f
reg delete "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\FirewallRules" /v "Block Cortana Package" /f

margrave55 said:

I have this one set:

Code:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search
AllowCortana = 0

That's all I needed to disable Cortana.

My PC doesn't have the Windows Search folder..!

xuzo said:

My PC doesn't have the Windows Search folder..!

???

xuzo said:

My PC doesn't have the Windows Search folder..!

In that case ... just create it.