Turn Off Cortana In Windows 10

When Windows 10 first released, turning off Cortana was as simple as flipping a switch in the digital assistant's settings, but Microsoft removed the option in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update. Now there's no obvious way to disable Cortana, but it is possible using not-so-obvious methods. To turn Cortana completely off, follow these steps:

1. Press Windows Key+R simultaneously to bring up the Run box
2. Type 'regedit' then press Enter
3. Search for the following key:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE->Software->Policies->Microsoft->
   Windows->Windows Search
4. If the Windows Search folder does not exist, right click on the
   Windows folder and select 'New->Key' then name it 'Windows Search'
5. Make sure the Windows Search folder is highlighted on the left pane
6. On the right pane, right-click on an empty space and and select
   'New->DWord (32-bit) Value'
7. Name the new value 'AllowCortana' then press Enter
8. Double-click on the new value and make sure the 'Value Data' is
   set to '0'
9. Sign out of Windows or restart your computer for the changes to
   take effect