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Question
Wednesday, June 12, 2019 1:25 PM | 1 vote
In my previous deployment builds of Windows 10, I've been able to insert a "Windows Search" registry key at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\ and simply add a DWORD "AllowCortana" and set it to 0 to disable the search box that is embedded in the taskbar for *ALL* users and any future created user.
It seems with the rolling out of Windows 10 1903 and the separation of the Search Box/Cortana, this registry key no longer does this job. (EDIT: It does actually do the job of disabling the new Cortana icon from the taskbar for all users, but the new search box remains)
I will say, in 1903 the search box is heaps more useful, but it still takes up quite a bit of real estate on my user's taskbars. In this new version of Windows 10 1903, how can I either force the new taskbar search box to be just the search icon (magnifying glass symbol) on the taksbar instead for *ALL* users or disable it entirely for *ALL* users?
Thank you!
All replies (18)
Tuesday, July 2, 2019 3:25 PM ✅Answered | 2 votes
Another solution that I have been doing through SCCM and MDT deployments is by adding this registry key:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\Seachbox Taskbar Mode]
@="Seachbox Taskbar Mode"
"Version"="1"
"StubPath"="reg add \"HKCU\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Search\" /v \"SearchboxTaskbarMode\" /d \"0\" /f"
By adding it in the active setup portion of the registry it will run for every new profile that signs into the computer. Been doing it this way for a few years now without any issues. It also works in a fresh 1903 load and it will stick if you are doing an in-place upgrade from a previous build.
Wednesday, June 12, 2019 2:46 PM
Kindly go through the following link:
https://superuser.com/questions/949569/can-i-completely-disable-cortana-on-windows-10
S.Sengupta,Microsoft MVP Windows and Devices for IT, Windows Insider MVP
Wednesday, June 12, 2019 6:37 PM | 1 vote
Kindly go through the following link:
https://superuser.com/questions/949569/can-i-completely-disable-cortana-on-windows-10
S.Sengupta,Microsoft MVP Windows and Devices for IT, Windows Insider MVP
That appears to be older information (previous to version 1903, the last post is April of last year) and is only about disabling Cortana completely.
As of Windows 10 version 1903 Cortana and the Search Box on the taskbar are completely separated, meaning they are no longer intertwined so disabling or making any changes to Cortana will not make any changes to the Search Box on the taskbar.
Thursday, June 13, 2019 2:04 AM | 11 votes
Hi,
If you want the search box to appears as follows, just right-click on the taskbar and click Search, then select show search icon.
Best regards,
Yilia
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Thursday, June 13, 2019 7:47 AM | 1 vote
As mhubb89 already mentioned he (and so am I) is interested in a way to disable the searchbar for all users on a system. Clicking manually won't do the job.
I am aware that it can be done by modifying the users registry as shown here: (https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/ie/en-US/af677b8e-f30d-4fbc-a3b7-cd70c001c89f/windows-10-remove-cortanasearch-box-from-task-bar-via-gpo-for-osd?forum=win10itprosetup)
But I'm searching for a system-wide solution.
Friday, June 14, 2019 7:48 PM
As mhubb89 already mentioned he (and so am I) is interested in a way to disable the searchbar for all users on a system. Clicking manually won't do the job.
I am aware that it can be done by modifying the users registry as shown here: (https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/ie/en-US/af677b8e-f30d-4fbc-a3b7-cd70c001c89f/windows-10-remove-cortanasearch-box-from-task-bar-via-gpo-for-osd?forum=win10itprosetup)
But I'm searching for a system-wide solution.
Yes exactly this, a comprehensive all-users and any newly created users solution for this please!
Monday, June 17, 2019 8:36 PM
Still flailing in the wind on this one unfortunately.
Has anyone found a way to modify (make viewable or not, change to search icon instead, etc) the taskbar Search Box or Cortana icon for *all users* as a standard, and not just the current logged in user in Win 10 v1903?
Wednesday, June 19, 2019 3:41 PM
Personally, I bake that into my image.
When I was using jank USB installers I did the below. You'd have to mount the WIM first
- Set Cortana Search to Hidden
- Mount Default User's Registry Hive
REG LOAD "hku\default" "C:\WIM_Servicing\Users\Default\NTUSER.DAT"
- Add the registry value
REG ADD HKU\Default\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search /v SearchboxTaskbarMode /t REG_Dword /d 0
- Unload the registry hiue
REG UNLOAD "hku\Default"
If you're doing a traditional capture just set it to your preference and use an autoattend.xml with copyprofile=true.
Else, group policy would be your best bet.
Thursday, June 20, 2019 1:38 PM
Personally, I bake that into my image.
When I was using jank USB installers I did the below. You'd have to mount the WIM first
- Set Cortana Search to Hidden
- Mount Default User's Registry Hive
REG LOAD "hku\default" "C:\WIM_Servicing\Users\Default\NTUSER.DAT"
- Add the registry value
REG ADD HKU\Default\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search /v SearchboxTaskbarMode /t REG_Dword /d 0
- Unload the registry hiue
REG UNLOAD "hku\Default"
If you're doing a traditional capture just set it to your preference and use an autoattend.xml with copyprofile=true.
Else, group policy would be your best bet.
Unfortunately that solution no longer seems to work as well and copyprofile has been broken since 1703 AFAIK
Friday, June 21, 2019 3:21 PM
It worked to keep Cortana hidden in 1803 at the last job, though that was using SCCM. Doing the same thing now on 1903 with MDT I'm having issues.
I tried a few things today and ended up with the following:
#default user setup
reg load "hku\Default" "C:\Users\Default\NTUSER.DAT"
#set search bar to icon
reg add "hkey_users\default\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search" /v SearchboxTaskbarMode /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
reg unload "hku\Default"
I've added that to the end of my customization powershell script that removes default apps. It runs after windows is installed so it doesn't work for my Administrator account, but works fine for any account signed in after.
Monday, June 24, 2019 8:33 AM
It worked to keep Cortana hidden in 1803 at the last job, though that was using SCCM. Doing the same thing now on 1903 with MDT I'm having issues.
I tried a few things today and ended up with the following:
#default user setup
reg load "hku\Default" "C:\Users\Default\NTUSER.DAT"
#set search bar to icon
reg add "hkey_users\default\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search" /v SearchboxTaskbarMode /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
reg unload "hku\Default"I've added that to the end of my customization powershell script that removes default apps. It runs after windows is installed so it doesn't work for my Administrator account, but works fine for any account signed in after.
Since there is no other way of doing this to already existing users without GPOs, I came up with this ugly script:
#Default User for newly created profiles
$Regpath = $Env:SystemDrive + "\Users\Default\NTUSER.DAT"
& REG LOAD HKLM\DEFAULT_USER $Regpath
New-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\DEFAULT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search" -PropertyType DWord -Name "SearchboxTaskbarMode" -Value 0
& REG UNLOAD HKLM\DEFAULT_USER
#All users for existing profiles
New-PSDrive -PSProvider Registry -Name HKU -Root HKEY_USERS
$Profiles = Get-ChildItem -Path HKU:\
foreach($Profile in $Profiles){
if((($Profile.PSChildName).Length -gt 8) -and ($Profile.Name -notlike "*_Classes")){
$UserRegPath = "HKU:\" + $Profile.PSChildName + "\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search"
New-ItemProperty -Path $UserRegPath -PropertyType DWord -Name "SearchboxTaskbarMode" -Value 0 -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
}
}
Remove-PSDrive -Name HKU
If run with Admin privileges it does the job. Thou a registry path for a global setting would be much better.
Tuesday, June 25, 2019 6:08 PM
Thankfully (maybe?) most of the users are still on Windows 7 so every 10 box will be new with no users. Hopefully feature upgrades don't break these settings like they did in the past...
Friday, July 19, 2019 11:58 AM
Hi guys, not exactly the same solutions, but Google returns this thread as first, so I put it in here as well.
If you need to fix search bar via GPO in domain enviroment, the registry key SearchboxTaskbarMode works. BUT I've found out the issue with permissions. So via GPO deployment of this you need to use users account context!
When creating registry key, the second TAB "Common" and check "Run in logged-on user's security context"
(sorry I'm not allowed to put image in here)
Martin
Thursday, July 25, 2019 9:45 PM
Hi guys, I'm looking how to setup only "search icon" on taskbar and disable Cortana on Win 1903 before to sysprep or for TS on MDT deployment or 1903 in-place fresh load? The script above actually it's come back with error. I appreciate any help.
Thursday, July 25, 2019 11:29 PM
Hi Kokich
Try to find this registry key,
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\default\Experience\AllowCortana
and set it to 0
Friday, July 26, 2019 6:00 AM
Did you run it with admin privileges? What kind of error do you get?
Friday, August 2, 2019 7:28 PM
Another solution that I have been doing through SCCM and MDT deployments is by adding this registry key:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\Seachbox Taskbar Mode] @="Seachbox Taskbar Mode" "Version"="1" "StubPath"="reg add \"HKCU\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Search\" /v \"SearchboxTaskbarMode\" /d \"0\" /f"By adding it in the active setup portion of the registry it will run for every new profile that signs into the computer. Been doing it this way for a few years now without any issues. It also works in a fresh 1903 load and it will stick if you are doing an in-place upgrade from a previous build.
Interesting...
I definitely had this already in place at the time of posting my original post here, but it still didn't seem to work across profiles then.
I haven't changed anything in my image (so this reg key is still there) and it appears to be enforcing this for all users now.
Not sure where the discrepancy was there, but thank you!
Friday, August 30, 2019 8:28 AM
I just came here for the same issue, and this reg change is a blast :)
It worked on the MDT deployment placed in the State Restore phase after the application installation.