Update information Edit(Nov.27) Edit2(2016.Aug.10) Edit3(2017.Jun.13)
After installing Windows10, SearchUI.exe accesses the Internet frequently. I find it annoying and don’t need it. I found SearchUI.exe in the folder %windir%SystemAppsMicrosoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy. For killing SearchUI.exe, I wanted to change the folder name. So I did the following steps.
Hit [Windows] key + [R] key.Type ‘msconfig’ and click [OK].Select ‘Boot’ tag and check ‘Safe boot’. Click [OK].Reboot the PC.About SearchUI.exe on Windows10 1511, Safe boot doesn’t work well anymore.
Run cmd.exe as Administrator.
> taskkill /F /IM SearchUI.exe
Go to %windir%SystemApps and change the folder name, something like Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy.bak.
[Caution]: After doing the command above, rename the Cortana App folder immediately. You must have speed because SearchUI.exe respawns very quickly.
[Caution2]: On 2016.Aug.10 I updated to Redstone1, and I couldn’t change the Cortana folder name manually. SearchUI.exe respawns very very very quickly. You’d better use a batch file like this.Hit [Windows] key + [R] key.Type ‘msconfig’ and click [OK].Select ‘Boot’ tag and uncheck ‘Safe boot’. Click [OK].Reboot the PC.
At the time, SearchUI.exe doesn’t run anymore.- Next, edit registry.
Run regedit.exe. - Add the next key.
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsWindows Search]
"AllowCortana"=dword:00000000 - Now you cannot use ‘Search Box’ on the task bar but it is still visible.
So, right click on the task bar.
Select the ‘Cortana’ option.
Select ‘Hidden’.
I think the steps above kill all Cortana features.
I don’t use ‘OneDrive’. I changed its options, but it still remains the left pane of Explorer, annoying.
- Run a cmd.exe as Administrator.
- start /wait "" "C:WindowsSystem32OneDriveSetup.exe" /UNINSTALL
If you have 64-bit Windows10,
start /wait "" "C:WindowsSysWOW64OneDriveSetup.exe" /UNINSTALL - Go to C: and delete the folder OneDriveTemp, if it exists.
- Go to %USERPROFILE% and delete the folder OneDrive.
- Go to %LOCALAPPDATA%Microsoft and delete the folder OneDrive.
- Go to %PROGRAMDATA% and delete the folder Microsoft OneDrive.
- Next, edit registry.
Run regedit.exe. - Select the key HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTCLSID{018D5C66-4533-4307-9B53-224DE2ED1FE6}ShellFolder, and change Attributes data, default is f080004d.
"Attributes"=dword:00000000 - Add the followings.
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTWow6432nodeCLSID{018D5C66-4533-4307-9B53
-224DE2ED1FE6}ShellFolder]
"Attributes"=dword:00000000 - Reboot the PC.
OneDrive has gone from the left pane of Explorer.
Ref URL: Remove Bloat from Windows 10
Edit3(2017.Jun.13):
Today, I’ve found Cortana back after Windows Update. Besides, Start Menu is disabled if I kill Cortana, and Colrtana is back if I fix Start Menu malfunction. Umm. I give up against fighting for Cortana at this point.