Windows Cortana is Microsoft’s virtual digital assistant. Most of the time, she’s online and a pleasure to work with. But sometimes, she stops working, often for what seems like no reason at all. Perhaps she’s not answering to 'Hey Cortana' like she used to. Maybe she’s gone completely AWOL from the Taskbar or Reminders are not working. Perhaps she never worked! Whatever has happened to Cortana, first simply try restarting your device, then, try these solutions.
of 08
Turn on Cortana and Reconfigure the Microphone
Cortana can only work if she’s enabled, and she can only hear your voice if there’s a microphone available. If she’s not enabled you might also find that the Windows button is not working. To verify Cortana is enabled in Cortana Settings:
- On the Taskbar, in the Search window, type Cortana.
- In the results click Cortana & Search Settings (in System Settings).
- Verify that the following options are enabled:
- Let Cortana respond to “Hey Cortana” to talk to Cortana.
- Respond when anyone says “Hey Cortana” to let anyone talk to Cortana.
- If desired, Use Cortana when my device is locked.
- Under Microphone and Make sure Cortana can hear me, click Get Started.
- Work through the wizard to set up the microphone.
- If there are problems, let Windows resolve them.
of 08
Fix Problems With Your Microsoft Account
If the Start menu is not working or if you’re seeing a Start menu critical error, it might be an issue with your Microsoft account. Resolving this issue by logging out and logging back on might resolve it. To see if your Microsoft Account is causing the problem:
- Click the Start button.
- Click the usericon.
- Click Sign Out.
- Sign in again, using your Microsoft account.
- If that doesn’t resolve the issue, restart your device.
of 08
Check for updates
Microsoft has updates available to fix known issues with Cortana. Installing these updates will resolve related problems immediately. To update Windows 10 using Windows Update:
- On the Taskbar, in the Search window, type Check for updates.
- Click Check for Updates (in System Settings) in the results.
- Click Check for Updates and wait for the process to complete.
- Restart your device, even if you aren’t prompted to.
Note
Cortana works with specific languages, like English or Spanish, but not every language. Your computer has to support and be configured with the regions offered in order for Cortana to work. Additional languages may be included through updates. To see the most recent list of languages that are supported, visit Microsoft.
of 08
Run the Start Menu Troubleshooter
Microsoft offers the Windows 10 Start Menu Troubleshooter that will look for and resolve known problems with the Start menu and Cortana. Often when Cortana isn’t working, the Start button is not working properly either, thus the name.
- Navigate to Microsoft’s 'Troubleshoot problems with the Start menu or Cortana' webpage.
- Click Try the Troubleshooter and then click Start Menu Troubleshooter.
- Click on the downloadedfile and click Next. How you find that file depends on the web browser you’re using.
If issues arise, let the troubleshooter fix them, and then click Close.
Start Menu And Cortana Not Working In Windows 10
of 08
Restart the Cortana Process
You can stop and restart the Cortana Windows process if the previous options haven’t resolved your problem. To restart the service:
- Hold down the Ctrl key + Alt key + Del keys on the keyboard. Task Manager will open.
- If applicable, click More Details.
- From the Processes tab, scroll to locate Cortana and click it one time.
- Click End Task.
- Restart the device.
of 08
Disable Antivirus Software
There are known incompatibilities with Cortana and some anti-virus software programs. If you use a third-party anti-virus or anti-malware application, disable it using the user interface offered with it. If the problem is resolved by disabling that software, consider uninstalling it and using Windows Defender instead. Windows Defender ships with Windows 10 and works with Cortana, not against it.
- On the Taskbar, in the Search window, type Control Panel.
- From Control Panel, click Uninstall a program.
- In the list of programs that appears, click the antivirus program one time, and click Uninstall.
- Work through the uninstall process.
- Restart the device.
of 08
Reinstall Cortana
If none of the above options work, reinstall Cortana at an elevated PowerShell prompt:
- On the keyboard press Windows key + X, and then press A.
- Click Yes to allow PowerShell to open.
- Type the command below, all on one line:
Press Enter and wait while the process completes.
of 08
Reset your PC
If none of the above options work to fix Cortana, you may have to reset your computer or take it to a technician. You can find the reset option in Start > Settings > Update & Security > Recovery. Just click Reset and follow the prompts. This will reset Cortana by reinstalling Windows. This is best used only as a last resort.
Cortana is Microsoft's digital assistant and if you want, she can always be at your fingertips, ready to help you find anything on your Windows 10 PC, give you the weather forecast, and make sure you don't miss any important dates.
By default, Cortana is not enabled on your Windows 10 PC, but it doesn't take long to get her up and running!
How to set up Cortana on Windows 10 PC
Cortana 'lives' in the taskbar, but before you can get her into her home you have to launch her for the first time.
- Click on the Start Menu button. It's the Windows icon in the bottom left corner of your screen.
- Click All apps.
- Click Cortana.
- Click on the Cortana button. It's the circle icon above the Windows icon.
- Click Use Cortana.
- Click Yes if you want speech, inking, and typing personalization turned on. This helps Cortana get to know you better and can help her complete various tasks. You can also choose No thanks if you don't want this feature turned on.
Now Cortana is all set up and ready for you to use. Simply type something into the search bar, and watch her do her magic.
How to pin Cortana to your taskbar on Windows 10 PC
Although Cortana 'lives' in your taskbar, she might not appear there by default. If you don't feel like opening the Cortana app every time you need her, pinning her to your taskbar will save you a little extra time.
- Right-click on the taskbar
- Click on Cortana.
- Click on the option you want:
- Hidden: This will hide Cortana from your taskbar.
- Show Cortana icon: This will show Cortana's circle icon in the taskbar.
- Show Search box: This will enable Cortana's search bar in your taskbar.
How to turn on Hey Cortana on Windows 10 PC
- Press the Windows key + S simultaneously to open Cortana.
- Click the Notebook button. It's the little notebook icon underneath the house icon on the left side of your screen.
- Click on Settings.
- Click on the On/Off switch underneath the Hey Cortana heading.
Now anytime you want to search the web, know the weather forecast, or get the baseball scores from last night, all you have to do is say 'Hey, Cortana,' and ask your question.
How to train Cortana to respond to your voice only on Windows 10
You can train Cortana to only respond to your voice, that way not just anyone passing by can shout out Hey Cortana in passing and accidentally her (or maliciously) on. To do this you need to train Cortana to listen to your voice. Make sure you are in a quiet place before you start these steps.
- Press the Windows key + S together to open Cortana.
- Click the Notebook button. It's the little notebook icon underneath the house icon on the left side of your screen.
- Click on Settings.
- Click on Learn my voice.
- Click on Start.
From here, Cortana will instruct you say six sentences out loud, so make sure you say them loudly and clearly. Once you're done, Cortana will know your voice and respond only to your commands.
Quite a few Windows 10 users are facing problems, and some of the inbuilt functions are also not functioning as expected, for many. The Start Menu, Cortana and the Taskbar Search functions in Windows 10 operating system have been one of the most useful features that let us search any file without leaving the desktop. However, there are chances that your Cortana might get broken or might not function as intended in Windows 10 – and you may or may not receive such an error message:
Critical Error Start Menu and Cortana aren’t working, We’ll try to fix it the next time you sign in
Or
Critical Error Your Start menu isn’t working, We’ll try to fix it the next time you sign in.
UPDATE: Microsoft has released Windows 10 Start Menu Troubleshooter which promises to fix the issue. Please try it first.
We will walk you through some of the ways by which you can fix the Start Menu, Cortana & Search problem.
NOTE: If Cortana is not working after you upgraded your PC to Windows 10 Anniversary Update, open your Registry Editor and ensure that the value of BingSearchEnabled, as well as CortanaEnabled is set to 1:
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionSearch
If this works for all great, else read on!
First of all, make sure that you have set up Cortana in Windows 10 correctly. If after upgrading to Windows 10, you find that Cortana is not available in your region, then this post titled Cortana not available on Windows 10 can help you get Cortana on your Windows 10 PC.
Go through this entire post first and then see which one or more of these suggestions may apply in your case.
Sign out and Sign in
Sign out and Sign in or restart your PC and see if the problem goes away.
Automatic Repairs
If your PC prompts for Automatic Repair, continue with it and let Windows carry it out.
Kill and restart the Cortana process
If you find that Cortana is not working properly, the best thing to do would be to kill Cortana process and restart the process via Task Manager. If it were a minor runtime error, Cortana would just take a restart to fix it.
Disable Antivirus software
Some security software are known to create this issue – Avast for instance. Disable it and see if it makes the problem go away. If your security software is the culprit, make sure you are using its latest version – else you may want to change it.
Windows Search Troubleshooter
Open Control Panel > All Control Panel Items and click on Find and fix problems with Windows Search to open the Windows Search Troubleshooter. Run it and follow the wizard.
Create a new User Account
The problem might be associated with your Microsoft credentials. Try creating a new username and password and see if you can fix the Cortana. We need to remember that Cortana will not be switched on automatically and needs to be enabled on by selecting Cortana button on the taskbar.
Re-register the Cortana app
After the November Update, if you use this method to fix this problem using the Appx PowerShell cmdlet, it caused problems with your Windows Store apps. But if you have installed Windows 10 Anniversary Update, it is working now – I have personally tried this – Admin. 1 July 2016.
Open an elevated Powershell prompt, type the following command and hit Enter:
You can also open Task Manager > File menu > Run new task. Type powershell and select the Create this task with administrative privileges check box and click OK to open a PowerShell prompt
If you feel, you may also try the other 2 of the 3 Windows 10 Support, Solutions & Universal fixes.
Rebuild the Windows Search Indexer in Windows 10
Rebuilding the Search Indexer may help in repairing the built-in search tool in Windows 10. To rebuild the Windows search index head to Control Panel > Indexing options. Click on Advanced and ensure that you are on the Index Settings tab in the Advanced Options window.
The rebuilding will take some time, and once it is done, you can start searching for the files you need, and the Search should work properly. If you need more details, you will get them at this post titled Windows Search Indexer tips. See this post if you need to troubleshoot and fix Windows Search or if Search Indexer is not working.
Uninstall programs which may affect with the taskbar
If you are using Dropbox, uninstall it and see if it makes the problem go away.
Tip: See this post if Cortana Ask Me Anything is not working.
PS: Please read the comments below. PeacefulArgument says, the problem went away after he re-enabled the Windows Firewall Service.
If you have followed the above suggestions, your Cortana and the Windows Taskbar Search should hopefully have been fixed.
Posts that offer additional suggestions:
TIP You need to activate windows to personalize. : This post will help you if your WinX Menu is not working in Windows 10.
Cortana Not In Windows 10
TIP: Download this tool to quickly find & fix Windows errors automatically
Related Posts: