Uninstalled Cortana, Anyway to just get the search bar back?

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  1. Posts : 5
    Windows 10
       #1

    [SOLVED] Uninstalled Cortana, Anyway to just get the search bar back?


    Hello tenforums, my name is Gunner. I need some help.

    I uninstalled cortana because I'm cleaning up my computer and Cortana uses alot of ram. I uninstalled it with software on Winaero. It worked, it's not running in the task manager anymore. However, I didn't know cortana was the search bar too. I thought it was similar to the xbox version with voice commands, which I never use.

    I need to:

    A: (Preferably) Install just the search bar without fully reinstalling cortana.
    B: Reinstall cortana.
    Last edited by gunnerrrrr; 01 Apr 2017 at 04:39.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 68,543
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
       #2

    Hello gunnerrrr, and welcome to Ten Forums. :)

    You could do a system restore using a restore point dated before you uninstalled Cortana to undo it.

    System Restore Windows 10 - Windows 10 Performance Maintenance Tutorials

    If you don't have an available restore point, then you could do a repair install of Windows to fix this.

    Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade - Windows 10 Installation Upgrade Tutorials

    Once you have everything fixed, you could use the method in the tutorial below to only disable Cortana without breaking Search.

    Enable or Disable Cortana in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Apps Features Tutorials
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 19
    WinXP/ Win7/ Win8.1, and WinX
       #3

    gunnerrrrr said:
    Hello tenforums, my name is Gunner. I need some help.

    I uninstalled cortana because I'm cleaning up my computer and Cortana uses alot of ram. I uninstalled it with software on Winaero. It worked, it's not running in the task manager anymore. However, I didn't know cortana was the search bar too. I thought it was similar to the xbox version with voice commands, which I never use.

    I need to:

    A: (Preferably) Install just the search bar without fully reinstalling cortana.
    B: Reinstall cortana.
    Heres how to disable Cortana with the ability to re-activate it:

    Rename the "C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy" folder with Unlocker.

    Unlocker will prompt you to REBOOT. Do so.

    Indeed! It completely deactivates Cortana... BUT, you lose your search function. You'll have to download and use IObit Start menu 8, or Classic Shell, to get the basic, Win7 search function back.

    If you disabled Cortana Via a third party software option, just go to the folder mentioned above, and see if it has been changed. Look in the folder first to make sure the files weren't removed/renamed.

    To re-enable it, just use unlocker to rename it back to what it's supposed to be.

    Hope this was helpful!




    Here's the link for those:

    Classic Shell

    http://classicshell.net/

    IOBit Start Menu 8

    http://www.iobit.com/en/iobitstartmenu8.php

    Here is the link to get "Unlocker":

    http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/unlocker.html


      My Computer


  4. Posts : 1,327
    Windows 10 Home x64
       #4

    Brink said:
    Hello gunnerrrr, and welcome to Ten Forums. :)

    You could do a system restore using a restore point dated before you uninstalled Cortana to undo it.

    System Restore Windows 10 - Windows 10 Performance Maintenance Tutorials

    If you don't have an available restore point, then you could do a repair install of Windows to fix this.

    Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade - Windows 10 Installation Upgrade Tutorials

    Once you have everything fixed, you could use the method in the tutorial below to only disable Cortana without breaking Search.

    Enable or Disable Cortana in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Apps Features Tutorials
    What he said!

    With the added bonus of not breaking your system!
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 5
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Brink said:
    Hello gunnerrrr, and welcome to Ten Forums. :)

    You could do a system restore using a restore point dated before you uninstalled Cortana to undo it.

    System Restore Windows 10 - Windows 10 Performance Maintenance Tutorials

    If you don't have an available restore point, then you could do a repair install of Windows to fix this.

    Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade - Windows 10 Installation Upgrade Tutorials

    Once you have everything fixed, you could use the method in the tutorial below to only disable Cortana without breaking Search.

    Enable or Disable Cortana in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Apps Features Tutorials
    Thanks for the advice. I "refreshed" my pc, not erasing the files, just downloaded apps and reinstalling the OS, but cortana is still not here. It's not running in the task manager or anything.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 68,543
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
       #6

    Test using the tutorial below to see if you may be able to turn on showing the Cortana icon on the taskbar.

    Hide or Show Search Box or Cortana Icon on Taskbar in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Customization Tutorials
      My Computers


  7. Posts : 42,638
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       #7

    Winaero gave a big warning in the article used to uninstall Cortana:

    Caution: Uninstalling Cortana breaks the Windows 10 Start Menu and probably Search so don't use this if you use the native menu. You will not be able to get it working back easily. You will not be able to-reinstall it quickly without using the genuine install.wim file. For most users, this means that Cortana will be removed from Windows 10 permanently. Think twice before you will continue.

    If you're concerned about the 3-70Mb or so Cortana may use, leave it uninstalled and instead use Classic Shell - better search bar, and a tiny amount of RAM, and a fully functional start menu.Interestingly I noted before I hit Win key + S to launch Cortana (no search bar in the taskbar, Cortana's RAM use was under 5Mb. I'm used to seeing it around 40Mb.
      My Computers


  8. Posts : 5,439
    Windows 11 Home
       #8

    Running "sfc /scannow" restores Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy's folder.

    But if you have un-installed it using wim tweaks, you need to use powershell to restore it.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 17,838
    Windows 10
       #9

    TairikuOkami said:
    Running "sfc /scannow" restores Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy's folder.

    But if you have un-installed it using wim tweaks, you need to use powershell to restore it.
    If you uninstalled Cortana the 'WinaeroWay', you're looking at re-installing Windows
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 5,439
    Windows 11 Home
       #10

    Edwin said:
    If you uninstalled Cortana the 'WinaeroWay', you're looking at re-installing Windows
    Good old days, when I used nlite to optimize, I used to reinstall Windows like 2-3 times a week.
    I have learnt, that disabling is the way to go, removing anything permanently is a way to reinstall.
    I love to cripple Windows, but only the way, it is restorable without too much effort, like sfc scanning.
    Like removing Cortana cripples Start, but sfc scan restores Cortana, so upon restart, it is all like new.
      My Computer


 

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