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[Various] Cortana can no longer be turned off after Anniversary Update

16K views 238 replies 122 participants last post by  prjindigo 
#1 ·
Just when you thought things can't get any worse, Microsoft decides to do another stunt aimed at crippling user choice.

[PCWorld] You can't turn off Cortana in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update
Quote:
Cortana, the personal digital assistant that replaced Windows 10's search function and taps into Bing's servers to answer your queries with contextual awareness, no longer has an off switch.
[gHacks] You will use Cortana, Microsoft says
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If you compare the start menu settings of Cortana of the current version of Windows (version 1511) with those of the Anniversary Update (version 1607) you will notice that Cortana's off switch is no longer available
Workarounds to disable it via GPE and RegEdit still work, but as Microsoft already set a precedent in April this year to remove some of the configuration options from Windows 10 Pro, it is to be expected that they will at some point aggressively remove even these workarounds.

L.E. Microsoft's statement on BusinessInsider:
Quote:
With the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, the search box is now Cortana. Customers can expect the same great search experience powered by Bing and Microsoft Edge with the added benefit of Cortana's personality.

We know consumers want choice and we make it easy to customize Cortana's personalization or opt-out of Cortana's suite of personalized services. Cortana works best when you sign in, but if you choose not to, you can still use her to chat, search the web and your Windows device. If you like, you can also easily hide Cortana and the search box in the taskbar altogether.
Because that's how you react when users want to have a choice? You remove it?!
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#4 ·
More proof of what is the real purpose of Win 10.
 
#7 ·
You can't even call this an OS at this point, and they dare use the word "choice", what's going on on earth ? In the future, this age will be called the moronic age
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I forgot: Happy birthday Windows 10 moron edition !
 
#9 ·
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Originally Posted by Angry-Hermit View Post

So where is a good place to start for linux?
Just downoad Linux Mint and put it on a USB stick with rufus then try it out. Its very similar to windows so i dont think you will have any problems with it.
 
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#11 ·
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Originally Posted by kylzer View Post

Its good that this feature is always on

it always give you choice if you want to use it

$0.50 was deposited into your account.
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#12 ·
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Originally Posted by jagdtigger View Post

Just downoad Linux Mint and put it on a USB stick with rufus then try it out. Its very similar to windows so i dont think you will have any problems with it.
+Rep, thanks, im going into comp security here so I figured i'd be on it sooner than later, but Microsoft really seems to want to push me away quicker.
 
#13 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by TriWheel View Post

More proof of what is the real purpose of Win 10.
Exactly. Windows 10 is becoming one giant piece of spyware. And now there's talk about allowing people to upgrade after the July 29 deadline, but needing a Microsoft account. So then what's next, forcing users to have a OneDrive account and automatically uploading the entire contents of their pictures and documents folder to it?
 
#14 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by aweir View Post

Quote:
Originally Posted by TriWheel View Post

More proof of what is the real purpose of Win 10.
Exactly. Windows 10 is becoming one giant piece of spyware.
Vulkan can't be adopted quickly enough.
 
#15 ·
I don't even use that search box. Useless at searching on my PC and useless at searching online. I just use Start10; works fine so far.
 
#16 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by ToTheSun! View Post

Vulkan can't be adopted quickly enough.
Users with a large game collection probably feel like their backs are to the wall. They can't just abandon Windows entirely, and Linux has driver support issues. Wine can't run everything well.

Why can't MS see that people want control over their PCs?
 
#17 ·
#21 ·
"Cortana, how do I turn you off?"

"You can't. I'm always here...waiting...watching. Have a nice day!"

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#23 ·
Don't care about it, if there are no annoying pop ups and notifications that you should ask Cortana about anything I don't see what the big deal is, just ignore it. If Microsoft wants anything from your PC will access it whether you have Cortana enabled/disabled. And I'm sure people will find ways to disable it, I know I will look for it.

I recently tried Peppermint on an older PC, works great.
 
#24 ·
If someone wants to really have a field trip with Linux, try Slackware.
I used it for about a week, man alive I never used command prompt so much anywhere else. I still consider installing a desktop shortcut entirely through command prompt somewhat of an achievement, no matter how mundane it sounds.
When I think back, those tutorials felt like a bit of an adventure, or maybe I just have masochist tendencies, either way it's certainly "an experience".
And I like Slackware because it's totally separate from all the big distrios, one of the last "small" and totally independent strains of Linux (if you're looking for something more obscure than the regular obscurity of using Linux to begin with).
 
#25 ·
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Originally Posted by TUFinside View Post

You can't even call this an OS at this point,
Right,Microsoft calls it a"service"

That is exactly my thoughts as well.It is hard to call it an operating system when it is actually way different than that.

It's an info gathering "system"designed to generate money for Microsoft.

That is the difference between an os and windows.Windows is designed to earn money,an os is to make a computer usable.
 
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