Replace cortana icon with search icon in Windows 10 v1607

windows-10 search icons cortana windows-10-v1607

34,425

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

34,425

Oriol

What happened with https://meta.stackoverflow.com/q/342440/1529630 made me stop contributing to the Stack Overflow community. I explained my feelings here. Eventually the issue was solved correctly and the question was locked with the proper message. I don't hold a grudge, but at the moment I have other projects at hands, so I don't plan to become actively involved again. And thanks for the 100k cup, I don't like coffee but since it's so big I use it to make crêpes :) § Quotes I like: Java is to JavaScript what Car is to Carpet The argument of speed in JS engines is only dead in the mind of people who can't function without jQuery, since it's an argument they can't win. — by Blue Skies, posted here. § Funny: jQuery is taking over the world! Zalgo is coming!

Updated on September 18, 2022

Comments

Oriol almost 2 years

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?
Oriol almost 8 years

I was going to test this, but when I turned on my laptop I already had the loupe, no idea why. Thanks anyway.
magicandre1981 almost 8 years

have you used any tweaking tool, maybe it sets the same value
Ramhound over 7 years

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.
Oriol over 7 years

@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.
Ramhound over 7 years

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.
Oriol over 7 years

@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.
Marcel W over 7 years

For me the 'Windows Search' key was not yet present in the regedit Windows folder. Just creted the key and the AllowCortana value.
Marcel W over 7 years

When after the reboot the Search button is missing, right click the taskbar and choose Search > Show search icon.
MrBrody almost 7 years

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?
magicandre1981 almost 7 years

@MrBrody create the key if it is not there.