Windows 10 Cortana Not Working Please Help!

[Skyler Anderson]

Ok so I upgraded to Windows 10 from Windows 7 Home premium yesterday. Everything works fine except for Cortana. When I first set it up it asked me for a name. I told it my name (Skyler) when I clicked next nothing happened. I continuously clicked next with nothing happening. So I waited on the same screen for about half an hour until I gave up and clicked out of it. I reopened it and it Cortana said - "Hey let's start up where we left off" So I went to settings. when I clicked the settings icon it highlighted but the entire thing froze. So I waited... nothing. So I clicked out and my search stopped working for about 5-10 minutes before it continues the cycle. I have no clue why I cant open the settings and I have tried to get to the settings in other ways with the same result and making new accounts and trying it on there with also the same result. Please help as all my friends and family can use it but me..

Thanks and please help!

- Skyler

 

[Neemobeer]

Do you have location services running? It will be under settings Win Key + i > Privacy

 

[Skyler Anderson]

Do you have location services running? It will be under settings Win Key + i > Privacy

Yes I do. It just wont let me go to the settings and freezes up!

 

[Saltgrass]

You are signed in and verified with a Microsoft account? I never told it a name, but typed one in.

Did it ask you for permission to access your system, probably never got that far. Did it ever set up your microphone?

 

[Skyler Anderson]

You are signed in and verified with a Microsoft account? I never told it a name, but typed one in.

Did it ask you for permission to access your system, probably never got that far. Did it ever set up your microphone?

I did set up my microphone in the windows 10 settings separately but I cant do anything with Cortana. like I said whenever I clikc settings it freezes. and I am signed in with a Microsoft account

 

[Saltgrass]

OK, no Verify option on your account page... got it.

I am getting ready to set up Cortana on this new install so I will follow you process to see what happens. Just a note, there have been problems with audio drivers in some of the Windows 10 installs. But I suppose clicking and typing in a question also does not work.

For now, you might try opening Task Manager and looking at the Processes tab. Find Cortana and right click and select "End Task". It will restart, if it doesn't just reboot, or just reboot in the first place.

Edit: I could not tell it a name, I had to type it.

 

[Skyler Anderson]

OK, no Verify option on your account page... got it.

I am getting ready to set up Cortana on this new install so I will follow you process to see what happens. Just a note, there have been problems with audio drivers in some of the Windows 10 installs. But I suppose clicking and typing in a question also does not work.

For now, you might try opening Task Manager and looking at the Processes tab. Find Cortana and right click and select "End Task". It will restart, if it doesn't just reboot, or just reboot in the first place.

Edit: I could not tell it a name, I had to type it.

My account is verified with Microsoft. the issue is just Cortana freezes when I try to go to settings and I cant use the search for another 5-10 minutes. I've tried ending the process and I get the same result.. :/

 

[Saltgrass]

Cortana had a hard time hearing me. I had not noticed but a separate window had opened to set up the microphone. It was hard to see, but did show on the Task Bar.

Otherwise, things are fairly normal.

 

[Skyler Anderson]

Cortana had a hard time hearing me. I had not noticed but a separate window had opened to set up the microphone. It was hard to see, but did show on the Task Bar.

Otherwise, things are fairly normal.

But its not that it doesn't hear me its that its not set up yet. And that whenever I try to set it up it freezes and crashes.

 

[Saltgrass]

The best advice I can give right now is to reboot.

Do you have any other software related to voice activation or search? Is Edge closed while you are setting up Cortana? Did you ever see the voice training window with the yellow, red and green levels you are supposed to read?

 

[Skyler Anderson]

The best advice I can give right now is to reboot.

Do you have any other software related to voice activation or search? Is Edge closed while you are setting up Cortana? Did you ever see the voice training window with the yellow, red and green levels you are supposed to read?

I don't have any software and as I said I have rebooted and tried making even a new account with no programs open

 

[ussnorway]

Is your system set to English (us)?

 

[Ralph Bromley]

Cortana is quite deaf, if you have any way to increase your mic volume do so.
Makes me think all the privacy concerns over cortana are unwarranted, I could probably yell "I want to blow up Bill Gates!" as loud as I can and the stupid thing wont hear me

 

[Skyler Anderson]

Cortana is quite deaf, if you have any way to increase your mic volume do so.
Makes me think all the privacy concerns over cortana are unwarranted, I could probably yell "I want to blow up Bill Gates!" as loud as I can and the stupid thing wont hear me

Its not a hearing problem I cant set it up in the first place! It freezes when I go to settings and when I make a new user account it wont let me go past it asking for my name :/

 

[Ralph Bromley]

yeah I noticed the jitter too.
I would not worry about it, cortana is quite inept and is optional

 

[Saltgrass]

In regard to ussnorway's question, there have been reports of Cortana having problems with some language packs... Do you have one installed?