How can I install Cortana on Windows 10 again?

Question

I uninstalled Cortana because I found it was an annoying feature that bothered me more than it helped me. After uninstalling it though I realized that some other windows features such as the search option disappeared with it, which is why I want it back.

I used this method to uninstall it - http://winaero.com/blog/how-to-uninstall-and-remove-cortana-in-windows-10/

It seems to have completely removed all Cortana files, which is why all other options of installing/re-installing it that I have found don't seem to work. If instead of adding it there were a way of just getting the search option back I would appreciate that also.

Solution

You have managed to completely break your Windows installation, and this might not be fixable without reinstalling windows from media.

However, you may be able to fix this without a reinstall if you have another Windows 10 computer with Cortana installed.

1. Download sxsextract
2. Run cscript.exe sxsextract.vbs /online ""C:\Windows\servicing\Packages\Microsoft-Windows-Cortana-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~en-US~10.0.14393.0.mum" Cortana.cab on a computer with Cortana installed. The path may be different, just look around.
3. On the broken machine, run dism.exe /Online /Add-Package "/PackagePath:/path/to/cortana.cab" as admin.
4. Hopefully, your computer is now functional. If not, repeat steps 2-3 with any other file in the \Windows\servicing\Packages directory with "Microsoft-Windows-Cortana" in the name. You can also try adding the command line switch /vicioushacks to the command used in step 2.

Good luck!

Comments

[Ramhound]

This would require the author to reinstall every application he has installed on the system.

[Toma]

No, I tried it myself and it did not remove any application or data.

[Ramhound]

Only your application data, settings, and personal data will be kept. You will still have to reinstall any application that requires a registry key to function, (i.e. Malwarebytes Pro), otherwise in my example Malwarebytes won't be registered. I have literally written a books worth of Superuser answers on the Refresh and Reset features in Windows 8 and Windows 10. I know how they work.

[Toma]

Oh, sorry, didn't know that

[Run5k]

We always appreciate the contributions from our community members, but can you please cite your source?

[Cheese Lover]

The action that the "Uninstall Cortana" bundle takes is completely removing all SXS packages starting with "Microsoft-Windows-Cortana." from the system. The tool sxsextract essentially rips packages out of the SXS store of another system into a format in which they can be installed onto another system. Legitimate uses of this tool include restoring Cortana, but the tool can also be used to, say, rip BitLocker out of a Pro install and install it in a Home install.