Replace cortana icon with search icon in Windows 10 v1607

Question

I had the previous version of Windows 10 with Cortana disabled. Therefore, in the taskbar I had a loupe icon instead of the Cortana one.

Then I installed the Anniversary Update (v1607). For some reason, this replaced the loupe with the Cortana icon on all my computers.

Strangely, on my desktop PC, the icon was eventually automatically changed back to the loupe, like I want.

But my laptop still has the Cortana icon. I want to replace it with the loupe icon.

How can I do that manually?

magicandre1981 · Accepted Answer · 2018-05-04T14:49:35.637

15

To disable Cortana and get the old search icon back, start regedit.exe, go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search, create a new 32-bit DWORD value here named AllowCortana and leave its value data as 0.

After a reboot you see the Cortana Logo is gone and the local search opens:

Since Windows 10 v1803 (Build 17134) you also need to add the DWORD BingSearchEnabled and CortanaConsent to 0 under the mentioned key.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search]
"BingSearchEnabled"=dword:00000000
"CortanaConsent"=dword:00000000

edited May 04 '18 at 14:49

answered Aug 04 '16 at 15:07

magicandre1981

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I was going to test this, but when I turned on my laptop I already had the loupe, no idea why. Thanks anyway. – Oriol Aug 04 '16 at 15:25
have you used any tweaking tool, maybe it sets the same value – magicandre1981 Aug 05 '16 at 04:07
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For me the 'Windows Search' key was not yet present in the regedit Windows folder. Just creted the key and the AllowCortana value. – Marcel Wolterbeek Dec 14 '16 at 10:09
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When after the reboot the Search button is missing, right click the taskbar and choose Search > Show search icon. – Marcel Wolterbeek Dec 14 '16 at 10:11
I just saw this problem appear after an update, and now, I can't find the "Windows Search" folder at the end. Is it the end of normal search? – MrBrody Sep 21 '17 at 14:28
@MrBrody create the key if it is not there. – magicandre1981 Sep 21 '17 at 15:34

score -2 · Answer 2 · edited Mar 20 '17 at 10:04

-2

I have been able to test with another computer, and the solution is easy: restart the PC.

I have read Cortana is almost mandatory in the Anniversary Update. So probably this only worked because Cortana is not available for my language.

Otherwise, it seems I would have need to edit the registry as magicandre1981 explained.

edited Mar 20 '17 at 10:04

Community

1

answered Aug 11 '16 at 19:53

Oriol

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This would better serve the community as a comment. "I have read Cortana is almost mandatory in the Anniversary Update." - I don't know what you read but it isn't correct. – Ramhound Dec 09 '16 at 00:19
@Ramhound It's an answer because restarting the PC worked for me. With "almost mandatory" I meant it doesn't seem to be any easy way (e.g. without messing with the registry) to disable Cortana. – Oriol Dec 09 '16 at 00:21
You have never been able to disable Cortana, on Windows 10, without jumping through hoops though. Only the very early versions, of Windows 10, before July 2015 had ways to do it. – Ramhound Dec 09 '16 at 00:23
@Ramhound I believe there was a checkbox to disable Cortana before the anniversary update. But my case may be different because as I said Cortana is not available for my language. – Oriol Dec 09 '16 at 00:25

Replace cortana icon with search icon in Windows 10 v1607

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