Cortana memory use

bjm · 17 Jul 2016

I've searched TenForums and read TenForums Tutorial and ran Disable_Cortana along with turning off 100 switches.
And Task Manager still reports Cortana holding 75MB.
I'm using the wrong search terms since "why does Cortana use memory" ain't getting me anywhere.
What is Cortana doing. I understand I'm probably looking at Cortana Search UI since Cortana is toggled Off.
What is holding 75MB when I'm not searching and even after I End task and cycle Task Manager.
Cortana is back holding 75MB's.
Is there a way to kill Cortana and still retain Search. Maybe, I've done that but, then why 75MB's...?

W10 may not be for me since I've turned off all the features regarding W10 marketing ecosystem.
And Cortana bugs me holding too much memory.

Thanks

Ztruker · 17 Jul 2016

This sounds hokey but may work.

Is there a way to completely disable Cortana? - Windows 10 Forums

But for 75MB (mine sits at 39MB) is it really worth the effort? If it's not being used it gets swapped out anyway so the memory is really available for use by other programs if needed. You have 6GB so it's unlikely to be needed though.

bjm · 17 Jul 2016

Well, here's an odd happenstance. After posting. I manual toggled DWORD 0 to 1 to 0 and restarted. Now, Cortana is 32MB.
I've bookmarked sounds "hokey" just in case.

bjm · 19 Jul 2016

bjm said:

Well, here's an odd happenstance. After posting. I manual toggled DWORD 0 to 1 to 0 and restarted. Now, Cortana is 32MB.
I've bookmarked sounds "hokey" just in case.

Just realized my odd happenstance. When I End Task, Cortana at >60MB. Cortana re-appears at >30MB. Guess, Cortana is coded to run background at >30MB. Thanks

LMiller7 · 19 Jul 2016

The memory usage of a process can vary widely, far more than you have noticed. It depends on how much memory is available and the requirements of it and other processes. This is all controlled by the system memory manager, not the process itself. If available memory is plentiful the memory manager will impose few limits on memory usage. This is as it should be. Memory was meant to be used, not sit idle. But if memory demands rise, such as running a large program, then the memory usage of other processes will be automatically trimmed back as necessary. This is all very complex, but usually works very well.

bjm · 19 Jul 2016

LMiller7 said:

The memory usage of a process can vary widely, far more than you have noticed. It depends on how much memory is available and the requirements of it and other processes. This is all controlled by the system memory manager, not the process itself. If available memory is plentiful the memory manager will impose few limits on memory usage. This is as it should be. Memory was meant to be used, not sit idle. But if memory demands rise, such as running a large program, then the memory usage of other processes will be automatically trimmed back as necessary. This is all very complex, but usually works very well.

Memory use is not my (main) focus with Cortana. I thought thru Cortana interface and reg tweaks that I had turned Cortana Off.
I'm not privy to how Cortana and Search share memory. I imagined Search as discrete. Appears and please correct, that Search (Search riding in Cortana) is whats holding approx 30MB at assumed Cortana disabled. And with search activity Cortana holds approx 60MB. Again, I imagined Cortana and Search as discrete and I imagine my reg tweaks disabled Cortana. So, I was not expecting to see Cortana regardless of memory use in Task Manager. Thanks

Probe · 20 Jul 2016

She is a sneaky gal....hard to "break up" with.

bjm · 20 Jul 2016

Probe said:

She is a sneaky gal....hard to "break up" with.

Yes, sneaky and persistent. I've Off'd / disabled Cortana (Personal Assistant) thru interface, reg tweak and third party tool. Cortana Icon still rides as background process.
So, darn Cortana Icon must be Search. I guess, maybe, head scratch.....

Great Briton · 25 Apr 2020

Just a note to say that renaming the Cortana exe works - can't rememember the name of it tho