Cortana is the voice assistant provided with Microsoft Windows 10 and up until build number 1809 it was integrated within the Search as well. That means you could search for any kind of file or internet query without leaving your desktop.
Cortana can be used to perform a lot of functions with a simple voice command if configured correctly. After updating Windows, some users are reporting that Cortana isn’t working as usual and shows up errors like “Critical Error Cortana isn’t working. We’ll try to fix it the next time you sign in.”
Why Cortana Isn’t Working? Problems With Cortana?
Although Cortana and the Search are one of the most useful features on Windows 10, there can be many causes for this error to occur.
The most usual reason is a problem with Microsoft Credentials. Faulty credentials can interfere with Cortana running properly, thereby causing the error.
It is also seen that the registry values can sometimes be changed that leads to Cortana not working like it used to. A recent application that you installed may have changed the values and be causing this error.
How To Fix: “Hey Cortana” Not Working?
There are some fixes you can apply that will help you resolve the error Hey Cortana not working.
# Fix 1 (Enable Cortana)
After you install an app or update your Windows to the latest version, the permissions required to access Cortana may be changed. To review these changes, do the following:
- In Search, type Cortana. Click on the Cortana and Search settings.
- In the Cortana settings, make sure the checkboxes next to Let Cortana respond to “Hey Cortana” and Use Cortana on Lock Screen is checked.
- Set up the Microphone again by clicking Get Started under Make sure Cortana can hear me.
# Fix 2 (Review Credentials)
Your username and password play a major role in integrating the software experience in Windows 10. Faulty credentials can lead to the Cortana app not working as it is supposed to work.
Sign out of your Microsoft account and log in again to your system to reset the Microsoft credentials to its new values.
# Fix 3 (Kill And Restart Cortana)
Some minor runtime errors can conflict with Cortana effectively prevent it from performing normally.
A simple restart of the Cortana process should be enough to fix a small runtime error.
- Open Task manager from the WinX Menu.
- Locate the Cortana process and end the task by selecting it from the right-click menu.
- Click on the Cortana icon from the taskbar to relaunch the process.
# Fix 4 (Reinstall Cortana)
Since Cortana is deeply built into the Microsoft Windows 10, it is impossible to simply uninstall Cortana. You can, however, re-register the Cortana into your Microsoft Inventories to reset it.
To re-register Cortana you need to input a command into PowerShell that will reinstall and re-register Cortana for the available users.
First, open an elevated PowerShell window. You can open from the WinX menu (Press Win + X) and select PowerShell (Admin). Or you can type PowerShell in search and right-click to select Run as Administrator.
To reinstall Cortana for the Current User:
Type the following command into the PowerShell input field and press Enter:
Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.Windows.Cortana | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}
To reinstall Cortana for all Users:
Type the following command into the PowerShell input field and press Enter:
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers Microsoft.Windows.Cortana | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}
After you press Enter, you will see a Deployment Operation Progress message. Once the process finishes, you should be good to go.
# FIX 5 (Check For Updates)
With every new update, Microsoft adds new features and languages to be compatible with Cortana. In case you might have missed an update, install the latest versions of Windows provided through the ‘Update’ portal.
# Fix 6 (Check Registry Values)
Every new update brings certain changes to the Registry keys and values that may change the way certain apps work.
Open Registry Editor. Type regedit in Command Prompt and press Enter.
Navigate to the following path and check the registry values to eliminate the possibility of a registry error:
Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search
In older versions:
- Locate the entries titled BingSearchEnabled and CortanaEnabled.
- Double click on these values to Modify them.
- Set their Value data to 1.
In v1809 and later:
These keys have been removed as part of the update and the new keys responsible for the error hasn’t been tested out yet. But make sure these following values are set to the mentioned values:
|
Name |
Value Data |
|
CortanaConsent |
1 |
|
CortanalsReplaceable |
0 |
|
IsMicrophoneAvailable |
1 |
|
VoiceShortcut |
1 |
We will update this post when the exact registry keys causing the error are identified. Till then confirm these values are set to the mentioned value as these are required to run Cortana efficiently.
Wrapping Up
Cortana and Search are very useful features that can let you navigate to any part of the Windows without leaving the Desktop. However, Cortana not Running can be annoying as it hampers the usability of the Search. Now you know what fixes you can apply to the ‘Cortana not working’ error to resolve it. Comment below to further discuss the problem and if you have any queries.
