Turn off Cortana by policy
Applies the 'Allow Cortana' policy set to off.
Applying it needs Nexus Standard or Pro. Every plan can read it here and undo it in Restore Center. Compare plans
What it changes
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search\AllowCortana = 0
Before anything is written, the review screen shows this setting's current value on your PC next to the new one.
Why it helps
Cortana can't run or collect data.
Trade-offs
None.
Evidence
Strong evidence means: documented by microsoft or consistently measurable. Expected impact is small (1 of 3): how much it can matter when this is actually the bottleneck on your PC, not a promised gain.
Is it in a pack?
No. It isn't hand-picked as recommended, so you apply it on its own, after reading the trade-offs.
How to undo
Switch the tweak off in Nexus, or open Restore Center and restore this change (or choose Undo last change). Nexus writes back the original value it recorded before applying, not a generic default, then reads it back to confirm.
More in Search
- Turn off search history on this deviceStops Windows Search keeping your search history.SafePrivacy
- Don't search your Microsoft account contentStops Windows Search including OneDrive and Outlook.com results.SafePrivacy
- Don't search work or school account contentStops Windows Search including Microsoft 365 work content.SafePrivacy
- Turn off Cortana above the lock screenStops Cortana answering on the lock screen.SafePrivacy
- Block cloud search for all usersApplies the policy that disables cloud content in Windows Search.SafePrivacy
- Block web results in Windows Search (policy)Applies the policies that keep Windows Search off the web.SafePrivacy