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Cortana Not Working? 8 Ways to Fix It Fast

What to do when your Windows 10 PC won't respond to “Hey Cortana”

By Joli Ballew Joli Ballew Writer University of Texas Joli Ballew is a former freelance contributor to Lifewire and Microsoft MVP, Lynda.com trainer, Microsoft Press author, and college professor. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on December 31, 2020 Reviewed by Christine Baker Reviewed by Christine Baker Christine Baker is a marketing consultant with experience working for a variety of clients. Her expertise includes social media, web development, and graphic design. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Windows The Ultimate Laptop Buying Guide Cortana is the Microsoft virtual assistant that comes built-in to Windows 10. Cortana users have periodically reported having issues with Cortana not responding to "Hey Cortana," Cortana going missing from the taskbar, and Cortana reminders not working. Whatever the reason, there are a few fixes you can try when Cortana is not working. Instructions in this article apply to Windows 10.

Causes of Cortana Not Working in Windows

Reasons why Cortana won't work in Windows might include: Cortana is disabled in the Windows settings. The microphone is disabled. Interference from an antivirus program or another process. Cortana cannot yet recognize all languages, and your PC can only recognize languages it is configured to support.

How to Fix Cortana Not Working in Windows 10

Try these steps in the order presented until Cortana operates normally: Turn on Cortana and configure the microphone. Make sure Cortana is enabled and configured correctly in the system settings. Test the microphone. Cortana can't respond to commands if your mic isn't working, so make sure the audio input is connected, enabled, and unmuted. Reboot Windows. If you recently started having problems with the smart assistant, restarting your PC might fix the problem by closing any processes that could be interfering with Cortana. Check for Windows updates. Microsoft has updates available to fix known issues with Cortana. Use Windows Update to make sure you have the latest version of the operating system. Disable antivirus software. There are known incompatibilities with Cortana and some antivirus programs. If the problem is resolved by disabling the software, consider uninstalling it and using Windows Defender instead. Fix the Windows Start menu. Often when Cortana isn't working, the Windows 10 Start menu is not working properly either. Therefore, addressing one problem will likely resolve the other. Reinstall Cortana. If none of the above options work, reinstall Cortana using an elevated PowerShell prompt. Enter the following command and wait for the process to finish: Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers Microsoft.Windows.Cortana Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}

Reset the PC. Windows 10 has a reset feature that allows you to keep your personal files while restoring Windows to its original state. If none of the above options work, try a clean install of Windows. Reinstalling Windows will cause you to lose all the files and software installed on your computer, so back up the files you want to keep. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Fix It When the Snipping Tool Isn't Working in Windows 11 How to Disable Cortana in Windows 10 How to Fix It When Windows Spotlight Is Not Working on Windows 10 How to Fix It When a Laptop Microphone is Not Working How to Fix a Frozen Windows 10 Taskbar How to Install Cortana in Windows 11 How to Fix Windows 10 Mouse Lag How to Fix It When the Cursor Disappears in Windows 10 How to Fix It When Your iPhone Microphone Isn't Working How to Use Alexa and Cortana Together How to Use Cortana Notebook and Settings Features How to Fix It When Windows 11 Is Slow Windows 11 Search Not Working? Try These Fixes 8 Ways to Fix It When an iPhone Speaker Is Not Working 10 Ways to Fix a Wireless Adapter or Access Point Error Message How to Fix It When a Zoom Microphone Is Not Working Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies