Cortana Anamoly

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I have two computers running Windows 10 Pro. Both show Ver 1607 Build 14393.693 and have apparent different versions of Cortana. Both computers are up to date according to windows update search. My main setup is a new Kaby Lake i7 7700 that I just put together Jan12. I have scoured the Cortana install trying to find any settings that will set it up like the older computer build but once again available settings are different and it appears I have two different versions and the new one does not have an option to exclude internet searches as the old one does. I've included a couple of pictures. Note that the top picture which is on the older machine does not have a notebook icon, music notes or round icon in the top center. Any ideas what might be going on? I'd like to remove Cortana completely but apparently that cannot be done. Also Windows 10 Pro was purchased at the same time as the other components for the new machine. The Windows install on the older machine is also a retail version.




cortana1.jpg



cortana2.jpg
 

Regedit32

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Click on Cortana > Notebook > permissions then turn off Browsing history
 
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Good morning Reg. Everything that can be turned off has been turned off. That's one of the first things I do when I do a Windows install. Something seems to have made this installation of Cortana different than the older one. The new install even has a different task bar icon which shows in the pictures. The older version looks like a magnifying glass and the newer one is just a circle.
 
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I think it is possible that the one with the circle is the home edition instead of Pro? Maybe a bad or wrong update??
 

Trouble

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The "circle" is the "Cortana" icon (if you've check "Show Cortana Icon" in taskbar properties. Otherwise it's a big giant text like box.
The one that looks like a magnifying glass is Windows Search, which is what you end up with if you disable (turn off) Cortana.
 
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I think it is possible that the one with the circle is the home edition instead of Pro? Maybe a bad or wrong update??
Hi Dave. I wonder if it is possible that a different version of Cortana could have found it's way into the install. I can't find anything that shows the version number or any other information for Cortana on either machine.
 
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The "circle" is the "Cortana" icon (if you've check "Show Cortana Icon" in taskbar properties. Otherwise it's a big giant text like box.
The one that looks like a magnifying glass is Windows Search, which is what you end up with if you disable (turn off) Cortana.
The only option for the Cortana icon is either hide or show. If I hide it there is no icon at all in the task bar for a search option.
 
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Well, it is useful to use the icon, but not needed. Just right click the start orb and "Search"
Trouble: I have Cortana "On" But I do have the magnifying Glass.
 

Trouble

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Trouble: I have Cortana "On" But I do have the magnifying Glass.
Thanks davehc.
I'm just going by my personal experience.
When I have Cortana Off I see this

CortanaOff.PNG


When I have Cortana On I see this

CortanaOn.PNG
 
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Same as Trouble, I have Cortana OFF and see Windows search magnifying glass. If you right click the icon it gives you 3 options:
Hidden,
show Search Icon,
Show Search box.
 
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It looks like one PC is signed into Microsoft via NoteBook and the other not.

Where my laptop normally starts without any sign-on/log-in etc, to desktop. Then I made a grave error and signed-in to NoteBook with Cortana using my Microsoft sign-in.
From there every time my laptop was started, I had sign-in to Microsoft to get my desktop etc.

But since I have got rid of Cortana totally and back to a normal 'Search Windows'.
 
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Finally got it figured out. Looking in the group policy options there is one to turn off Cortana which changes the taskbar icon to a magnifying glass and the notebook option and all the ads and hints that were popping up are now gone. I vaguely now recall doing the same on my older computer. All is well.
 
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Same as Trouble, I have Cortana OFF and see Windows search magnifying glass. If you right click the icon it gives you 3 options:
Hidden,
show Search Icon,
Show Search box.
The comment has been repeated a couple of times. We are not discussing whether it is hidden, icon or box., but its appearance.
However, the thread has led to an investigation on my part.

Since, I remember(?) Windows XP, there has always been a problem for Expatriates who want their own language/region, but possibly keep the local language, or vice versa. In my case, I live in Denmark, I speak the language inadequately, so, I have to reach a compromise in region and input etc, in the setup.
When I examine Cortana, I find that it is objecting to my particular compromise, and tells me that it cannot operate with the chosen region. So I guess it is only partially operative, hence the anomaly. It doesn't worry me too much, as I use a superior search engine.

See here for a lengthy explanation:
https://www.howtogeek.com/223259/how-to-enable-cortana-anywhere-in-the-world-on-windows-10/
 
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OK. Changed my region to UK, for the test, and the icon changed to a ctrcle. Now I've hidden it again. A bug or ..?
 

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