How to remove Cortana (beta) app from Windows 10 May 2020 (20H1) update?

[SM03]

Hello,
Is there any way to remove /disable the new 'CORTANA (BETA)' app that's present in the Windows 10 May 2020 (20H1) update ISO without disabling the 'Shell Search' functionality?



I don't use CORTANA so need to remove that, & I know that CORTANA APP is locked by the Shell Search compatibility feature, but I don't wanna disable that 'Shell Search' as that 'd disable the searching functionality in START (tried & tested)

If there is any way to remove the app without disabling the ShellSearch, suggest me that, if not, then requesting nuhi to take a look in this case & if possible do something to make this happen.

 

[Clanger]

Hey, as you're saying this, so just want to know whether the dev has confirmed this from his side? Have you talked to him regarding this matter recently?

No, I didn't speak to nuhi, but surely a problem like this should be fixed.

 

[AeonX]

as the free version doesn't remove OD fully so I use my own way to remove that completely from the OS image.

What is OD? Delivery Optimization? You can use Settings > Windows Update > Delivery Optimization and choose the option "Bypass fully, use BITS service instead" then in Service disable the Delivery Optimization service. This disables Delivery Optimization entirely. However this breaks the Store.

 

[SM03]

What is OD? Delivery Optimization? You can use Settings > Windows Update> Delivery Optimization and choose the option "Bypass fully, use BITS service instead" then in Service disable the Delivery Optimization service. This disables Delivery Optimization entirely. However this breaks the Store.

OD=OneDrive (under components) which can't be removed fully with the free version of NTLite.
Delivery Optimization should've been abbreviated as DO

 

[AeonX]

OD=OneDrive (under components) which can't be removed fully with the free version of NTLite.
Delivery Optimization should've been abbreviated as DO

Ah yes my mistake I only realized after I wrote it. Anyway this is an example of how it is possible to disable things with NTLite free without removing them.

As for OneDrive it can be disabled with group policy (just a .reg file) or in Settings > System > OneDrive. Besides I'm not sure because I haven't tested it but I think it is enough to use a .reg to remove the value in the Run key in the registry that starts the OneDrive setup. Perhaps more steps are needed but I believe it is possible to disable OneDrive entirely using NTLite only.

The .reg would look something like this:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]
"OneDriveSetup"=-

 

[SM03]

Ah yes my mistake I only realized after I wrote it. Anyway this is an example of how it is possible to disable things with NTLite free without removing them.

As for OneDrive it can be disabled with group policy (just a .reg file) or in Settings > System > OneDrive. Besides I'm not sure because I haven't tested it but I think it is enough to use a .reg to remove the value in the Run key in the registry that starts the OneDrive setup. Perhaps more steps are needed but I believe it is possible to disable OneDrive entirely using NTLite only.

The .reg would look something like this:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]
"OneDriveSetup"=-

the ntlite option that you mentioned here i.e. Settings > System > OneDrive is basically for disabling the autosync feature only
I've personally tried & tested & can confirm that, moreover, spoke with nuhi about this, he also confirm that

& the reg tweak that you've shared here i.e.
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]
"OneDriveSetup"=-

is basically for opting out OD from the start-up files so that the Onedrive don't start automatically when windows boots up.

But here, I ain't taking about any of them, rather, I am talking about the complete removal of the OD from the Win ISO image
& that's the only way to stop OD automatically running & popping up into the TASKBAR since the first boot (clean installation) of Windows.

Had a discussion over this matter with Nuhi in PM, & he confirmed the fact that this OD removal feature is only for paid users which is located under components.

By the way, as I've said earlier, I've managed to remove the OD completely from the Windows image ISO by my own mechanism, so that's no longer an issue for me. Still, it would be nice if Nuhi considers to include that Onedrive removal option in the free version of NTLite so that many others can take the benefits.

 

[Windows 10 User]

If you have something (or many things) to ask, I'd suggest you to kindly open your separate OP and add /ask all of your questions & queries there. Don't clutter this OP with irrelevant subjects of yours, stay on topic instead.

I already did that.

talking about nuhi ,

He is definitely one of the rare admin & dev that I've seen rarely, he might be late in reply, but he read all of the comments/messages & reply to them all, once even I forgot about my own question which he tracked & replied months later. Also, he's very patience & always response nicely & positively, which is rare nowadays.

Yes, nuhi especially replies to me.

good god man is there anything else??? you really take the wee.

Not that I remember at the moment.

Cortana app will be fixed just wait and stay tuned for new versions of NTLite. However you can remove it with Powershell or Dism.
immersivecontrolpanel cannot be removed by NTLite.

What is Shell Services? Is this new in version 2004?

SmartScreen can be deactivated with tweaks and group policy and if that is not enough to prevent the app from running you can still disable the provisioning of this system app.

Everything else does not affect the performance of the PC and only reduces the size of the image which is not much if you keep Windows Update those that affect can be disabled with tweaks. The exception to that may be the Unified Telemetry Client about this I can't say for sure.

But as I said if you mind removing so many components why not pay for NTLite? It is the best tool for this since it deeply removes components like no other tool and still supports new versions of Windows 10 before the other tools. It is better to remove drivers for example allowing you to choose the drivers individually. The other tools are much slower to remove and always leave leftover components in the system or remove them in the wrong way. NTLite has its problems as well but it has evolved a lot over time.

Anyway the choice is yours, I'm just pointing out the pros and cons. You can only use free tools but this will require more knowledge and you will have more work and inconvenience.

It shows up in NTLite with that name in 2004. What about the immersivecontrolpanel and ShellExperienceHost System Apps?

But it's not only a question of reducing the image but also simply not wanting to have them because there's also some things I remove with NTLite and the image doesn't decrease much in size.

Well, NTLite screwed up a lot more than MSMG ToolKit. Maybe it's because it removes more files than it...

 

[nuhi]

dennisfong86, AeonX & Windows 10 User

Okay so I recently tested Win10 Stock ISO only remove the Cortana App from here
" Remove/Components/Windows Apps/Apps/Cortana "

By disabling (Unchecked) the Cortana only under the ShellSearch compatibility option, without unchecking the ShellSearch there

And here is my foundings & result about the test

1. Windows command like 'WINVER' & 'regedit' etc ain't working (showing) while typing is START
2. upon searching for any specific local files directly from & in START, while the local files are showing in START as the search result, but if you click, that didn't open

3. In Windows Settings, under the Search section, all the options (i.e. SafeSearch, search indexing etc ) are disabled & nothing selected there, even if you do select & set those options manually, after reboot, all those options are reset to the default i.e. nothing selected

My test is based on Win10 v2004 May 2020 ISO With latest NTLite BETA build v2.0.0.7490.

Again, when I made another ISO retaining the Cortana app by not unchecking /disabling anything under shellsearch compatibility option, all those three points mentioned above, are working correctly.

If you guys have to add anything in this regard, or have some different findings, opinion & result from your test, share your experience.

Meanwhile, I am tagging the dev nuhi here & requesting to look after this issue & discuss.

Removing Cortana and keeping Shell Search, as replied in the beginning, does not cause those issues for me in Win10 2004.
If you see otherwise, please attach the preset demonstrating that.
In Win10 1909 and earlier, yes, Cortana would break search in Start Menu (not Explorer though).

 

[SM03]

Removing Cortana and keeping Shell Search, as replied in the beginning, does not cause those issues for me in Win10 2004.
If you see otherwise, please attach the preset demonstrating that.
In Win10 1909 and earlier, yes, Cortana would break search in Start Menu (not Explorer though).

nuhi
I don't remember whether I have shared the earlier preset (where I disabled shell search & Cortana) here with you or not, but I will do that, but confirming that the issue does exist and some other members here also said & confirmed the same,

 

[nuhi]

nuhi
I don't remember whether I have shared the earlier preset (where I disabled shell search & Cortana) here with you or not, but I will do that, but confirming that the issue does exist and some other members here also said & confirmed the same,

I'm all eyes and ears, would gladly fix if replicated. I repeat up to 1909 yes, it was the norm/dependency.

 

[Windows 10 User]

SM03, Cortana is not locked out by Shell Search as it is under it:
Shell Search
-- Cortana

You can uncheck just Cortana compatibility, and the Cortana itself, Start search works in Win10 2004 without it (keep Shell Search of course).
If you see any different, please attach a preset.

Thanks.

Removing Cortana and keeping Shell Search, as replied in the beginning, does not cause those issues for me in Win10 2004.
If you see otherwise, please attach the preset demonstrating that.
In Win10 1909 and earlier, yes, Cortana would break search in Start Menu (not Explorer though).

I unchecked the Cortana compatibility, left the Shell Search compatibility checked, unchecked Cortana in the Apps tab and I still had the problems I was having, i. e., after typing "winver" in the Start Menu, it had no results, after typing "control panel" in the Start Menu, it showed up with a different icon, after searching for a local file in the Start Menu, it also had no results, and after searching anything in the Settings app, it had no results too.

 

[nuhi]

I unchecked the Cortana compatibility, left the Shell Search compatibility checked, unchecked Cortana in the Apps tab and I still had the problems I was having, i. e., after typing "winver" in the Start Menu, it had no results, after typing "control panel" in the Start Menu, it showed up with a different icon, after searching for a local file in the Start Menu, it also had no results, and after searching anything in the Settings app, it had no results too.

Cannot replicate, like 99% of your other reports. Try once in your life original intact ISO to start with, and you'll see why.

 

[Windows 10 User]

Cannot replicate, like 99% of your other reports. Try once in your life original intact ISO to start with, and you'll see why.

That's what I did like in most situations and I still had this issue. Try once in your life to read what I type to start with and you'll see.

EDIT: Also, after installing the latest CU Windows Security returned. I used NTLite's Remove Reinstalls feature and I still have it.

 

[SM03]

after installing a CU Windows Security returned. I used NTLite's Remove Reinstalls feature and I still have it.

nuhi I can confirm this one. I too have this issue, after installing every CU in every month's patch Tuesday, Windows Security returns, & I've to manually delete those files from the original DIR as well as from the START-UP entities (from registry) to get rid of them.

Can you investigate this & do something?

 

[Windows 10 User]

nuhi I can confirm this one. I too have this issue, after installing every CU in every month's patch Tuesday, Windows Security returns, & I've to manually delete those files from the original DIR as well as from the START-UP entities (from registry) to get rid of them.

Can you investigate this & do something?

Could you tell me where are those files and reg keys located?

EDIT: After installing the latest CU, not only Windows Security returns and NTLite's Remove Reinstalls doesn't remove it but also I no longer have the Magnifier and Narrator problems but Internet Explorer shows in the Accessories folder in the Start Menu (and I have an error when I click it since Windows can't find it), I have a new Accessories folder in the Start Menu but this one is in english and has Speech Recognition in it (also in english, so I have two Speech Recognition [the other being in my language]) and when I click it I have an error ("The referenced assembly is not installed on your system") and secpol and gpedit.msc have 4 and 8 error messages respectively after being run. NTLite's Remove Reinstalls also doesn't fix these problems.

 

[nuhi]

That's what I did like in most situations and I still had this issue. Try once in your life to read what I type to start with and you'll see.

EDIT: Also, after installing the latest CU Windows Security returned. I used NTLite's Remove Reinstalls feature and I still have it.

But I did try, yesterday again or I would not write this.
Once you have a preset demonstrating the Cortana breaking Search on an original ISO, please send, otherwise don't spam.

 

[nuhi]

nuhi I can confirm this one. I too have this issue, after installing every CU in every month's patch Tuesday, Windows Security returns, & I've to manually delete those files from the original DIR as well as from the START-UP entities (from registry) to get rid of them.

Can you investigate this & do something?

Sure, that's why Source - Tools - Remove Reinstalls was made - no need to do anything manually.
If you do, then that's news, and I need that preset which to update on top of and use remove reinstalls to see those leftovers.

Thanks.

 

[Windows 10 User]

But I did try, yesterday again or I would not write this.
Once you have a preset demonstrating the Cortana breaking Search on an original ISO, please send, otherwise don't spam.

I tried more than 20 times and showed you my preset (don't have it now but at the time did) at the time and you still said you didn't have this problem. Why would I say I have this issue even getting to the point of telling which settings and compatibilities I checked and unchecked (because I no longer have the preset which has this problem but I can easily create one if you really need it) even if not showing you the preset which has this problem? Speaking of that, why would I need to show you my preset after telling that just by unchecking compatibility X and component Y I had this (or other) problem? What about the other issues I mentioned in this thread and in the other ones (and in the other thread's cases my preset is there waiting for you unlike this case)? I'm not the only one complaining about the not removal of the Cortana app like you can see.

 

[nuhi]

I tried more than 20 times and showed you my preset (don't have it now but at the time did) at the time and you still said you didn't have this problem. Why would I write I have this issue even getting to the point of telling which settings and compatibilities I checked and unchecked (because I no longer have the preset which has this problem but I can easily have create one if you really need it) even if not showing you the preset which has this problem? Speaking of that, why would I need to show you my preset after telling that just by unchecking compatibility X and component Y I had this (or other) problem? What about the issues I mentioned in this thread and in the other ones? I'm not the only one complaining about the not removal of the Cortana app like you can see.

OK, then the only conclusion is that I need the image you use right before NTLite with the preset attached to that link.
You can prepare it as you like, just don't keep it at default state before NTLite, I tried that and it works fine.
Make sure it's Win10 2004, and that you tested on that which you will upload and confirmed that once preset is applied on it, search does not work.

Please upload the image to Google Drive or similar, and send me a PM, do not share publicly.
Thanks.

 

[Windows 10 User]

OK, then the only conclusion is that I need the image you use right before NTLite with the preset attached to that link.
You can prepare it as you like, just don't keep it at default state before NTLite, I tried that and it works fine.
Make sure it's Win10 2004, and that you tested on that which you will upload and confirmed that once preset is applied on it, search does not work.

Please upload the image to Google Drive or similar, and send me a PM, do not share publicly.
Thanks.

I even came to think it was caused by MSMG ToolKit or by a combination of MSMG ToolKit and NTLite or just by using NTLite but by messing with other settings too besides these ones when I had this and other problems just by unchecking one or certain compatibilities/components when using NTLite only after all.

Like I've told you, I have this problem (as well as others) even after using an untouched image (19041.1 Enterprise x64 pt-pt) downloaded from uupdump.ml and after integrating the latest updates to them only (and even without integrating them). Is it possible it only affects my language or non-en-us ones? Other users complain about this problem and I guess they use the en-us language so I don't think so. Anyway, my language has some settings which were poorly translated, which is surreal.

 

[nuhi]

I even came to think it was caused by MSMG ToolKit or by a combination of MSMG ToolKit and NTLite or just by using NTLite but by messing with other settings too besides these ones when I had this and other problems just by unchecking one or certain compatibilities/components when using NTLite only after all.

Like I've told you, I have this problem (as well as others) even after using an untouched image (19041.1 Enterprise x64 pt-pt) downloaded from uupdump.ml and after integrating the latest updates to them only (and even without integrating them). Is it possible it only affects my language or non-en-us ones? Other users complain about this problem and I guess they use the en-us language so I don't think so. Anyway, my language has some settings which were poorly translated, which is surreal.

Yeah, it could be due to non-English (be it Windows or NTLite).
Will now download that exact image and retest, only removing Cortana for this topic, no updates even. Then if it's replicated, will find all of your reports and retest them.

Side-question which also can influence this, did you use Windows Update before checking for results, was the machine online during setup? (it then does Windows dynamic updating by default)
I'll keep it online, to cover all grounds.