Here’s How to Fix the Personal Assistant “Cortana” If It Stops Working on Windows 10

Cortana, the digital assistant, was initially added to Windows phones, and later Microsoft included it in their Windows 10 system. This application can help you find any file, open an app, send an email, set a reminder, open a website, and more easily and quickly. If Cortana stops working properly after updating your computer or installing a new Windows 10 operating system, here are some solutions you can try to fix the issue. Test these solutions one by one to find the best one for you.

Ways to Fix “Cortana” Personal Assistant

1. Check Microphone Access

Regardless of clicking on the Cortana button on the taskbar, you can use voice command to access Cortana. Therefore, it’s best to check your microphone settings as if access is blocked or disabled, you cannot access Cortana using voice command. Open Windows settings by pressing Win + I together, then go to Privacy > Microphone, click on the “change” button, and activate the option associated with Cortana if it’s disabled.

Read also: How to Fix Missing Icons in Windows 10 Start Menu

2. Enable “Hey Cortana”

“Hey Cortana” is the command you need to access Cortana using your voice. Without saying this command, you cannot access Cortana on your Windows 10 computer. So, open settings, then go to Cortana > Talk to Cortana as shown in the image above, and make sure to enable the “Hey Cortana” option.

3. Sign Out of Microsoft Account

Sometimes the issue may be related to the account. It’s rare but it happens and is requested by many people in the official Microsoft forum. This generally occurs when you enable a Microsoft account on your computer and use it alongside Cortana. Therefore, if you sign out of your account, the problem may be resolved.

Read also: Windows 10 Settings App Not Working? Here’s How to Fix it

4. Change Microsoft Account

Cortana is linked to a Microsoft account, so if you made changes to the account recently and then the app stops working, there are two solutions: either revert the recent changes or create a new Microsoft account, which only takes a minute to try and restore Cortana to its main functionality.

5. Update the System

After installing a new Windows version, some errors may occur. For this purpose, Microsoft releases security and fixes updates for system errors. Therefore, it’s good to update your Windows version by going to settings, then update and security, and check for updates to download them directly.

6. Speech Troubleshooter

The “Speech Troubleshooter” is important when you can’t use voice command in Cortana. Open settings, go to update and security, then troubleshoot, click on the Speech tab, and finally run the Speech Troubleshooter to search for the problem and try to fix it.

7. Restart Cortana

If the issue persists, you can restart Cortana, which is very easy and doesn’t require any external software. Open Task Manager on your computer, go to the “Processes” tab, look for a process called Cortana, right-click on it, and choose End Task, then restart Cortana to try the app’s functionality again.

Read also: How to Fix Computer Stuck on “Shutting Down” During Windows Update

8. Disable Antivirus Program or Newly Installed Apps

Many people claim that Cortana stopped working after installing a security application like antivirus software or malware programs. On the other hand, some have added more apps. Based on this theory, if you recently installed any antivirus or program and then Cortana stopped working, try disabling it. If the problem disappears, it is suggested to uninstall this app immediately.

9. Finally, Re-register Cortana

If none of the previous solutions work, you must re-register the app through Windows PowerShell. Search for PowerShell and run it as an administrator, then copy the following command and paste it, wait a few moments for the app to re-register and resolve the issue:

Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.Windows.Cortana | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}