You cannot uninstall Cortana but you can disable it - google it, there is tons of info telling you how.
The page linked to below provides a couple of handy Registry files. One for disabling Cortana and another one for enabling it again. Read the page and scroll down a bit to find the downloads.
The page linked to below provides two more handy Registry files. One for turning off the inclusion of online results when using the search box. Another Registry file for turning the function back on again.
Warnings are given when using files that change the Registry. If you want to use them, the warnings have to be ignored and just carry on.
The site is a reliable source of information but we all make our choices. I never recommend anything I haven’t tried myself but results can always vary. The computer will need rebooting for the changes to take place.
Thanks Bruce and Mart.
As soon as I turned on my computer Cortana was offering her services to assist in the startup proceedure, but seeing as Mrs Fox is the only woman that can override computer activity I set about disabling her (sorry Cortana nothing personal) I managed to take away her voice, and later made a more thorough dismantling of all aspects of her interference, including losing the question box at the bottom of the page in the toolbar.
Thanks Mart, I will study your link and contemplate any further action.
Following links is something I’ve tried to avoid on previous computers due to the time it takes to load them, sometimes even freezing the screen for ages…
I’m amazed at the speed in which this computer displays a page and gets on with anything I ask of it…:surprised:
One of the first tasks was to attach a little radio thingy into one of the USB ports to enable a mouse, I find the little pad totally impracticle…
Thank God the mouse works…
Half of the work I perform on a computer is offline, and I’m not keen on someone looking over my shoulder all the time, I don’t play games either (I spend enough time staring at the screen and I don’t want to get hooked…
) so after Cortana, all the games were kicked into the long grass, and as I mentioned before, out went Macafee and the months trial of Office 360. You think they are doing you a favour, but when they asked for my card details ‘just in case’ I realised there is no such thing as a free lunch, so as soon as I logout of the forum I will attempt to load Microsoft office home/student contained on a disc from sometime back in 2007…
I managed to load ‘Paint Shop Pro 5’ successfully which is my preffered paint package, and after a few trial runs it seems to be working perfectly. So I’m off to see if I can delete some more usless inclusions and will report back later…
I’m not finding Windows 10 too bad to work with, one or two little gripes but sometimes us old timers don’t like change, and once we get used to something it can turn out to be better than the old one.
What I don’t like though is the thought that I’ve only rented windows 10 off microsoft and they have total control of my computer…:shock:
I found a form in the settings last night that actually asks me note the times I will be using the computer so they can schedule the updates around me…WHAT!
I also don’t seem to be able to access the ‘Bios’ perhaps Mart, Omah, JB or Bruce could enlighten me…
And how hard would it be to reformat this computer with windows 7?..
PS:- Microsoft office home & student loaded up perfectly so all of my previous files can be displayed…:-D:-D:-D
I’ve never done it but here’s how:
How to access BIOS in Windows 10
Excellent … :!:
So what version (year) is that MS Office … :?:
I have spent some time going through and listing my Desktop PC Windows 10 Settings - there are 13 sections containing a total of 95 primary screens (pages) - I am now going to sift through the secondary screens … 
Thanks Omah, the office software is 2007 and is working perfectly, however, I’ve noticed that it’s been ‘Got At’ with an upgrade…Naughty microsoft…
I’ve tampered about with the bios in earlier computers with some success, but the stakes are a little higher on this jobby…But If I get cheesed off enough with windows 10 it may leave me with no alternative…Perhaps I could reboot from a USB or Disk Drive with an earlier edition?
I’m finding the storage and viewing of photos quite complex to what I’m used to, and it isn’t downloading from my camera properly…Heaven knows where it’s put my recent photos…
If the worst comes to the worst, I will only use this computer for offline work…and microsoft can shove their upgrades…
Look in “C:\Users[I]your username[/I]\Pictures”
BIOS (or UEFI) is not a function of the operating system. It’s a function of the motherboard. The screens and options will look the same on your computer regardless of the type of operating system installed.
UEFI has superseded BIOS on modern computers but it performs more or less the same function. It tells the computer to start looking for an operating system and enables it to boot up.
For instance, I have a Laptop computer where the motherboard uses UEFI and not the earlier BIOS system. I have installed Linux on this computer in the past but the UEFI (BIOS) isn’t affected at all. The look of screens and options remain the same regardless.
It’s clear that you don’t like or trust Windows 10 and would prefer to go back to Windows 7. It should be possible to do this by purchasing a Windows 7 installation disk from somewhere. Boot up using the disk and follow the installation procedure to overwrite Windows 10. However, a worry would be that the new hardware in your computer might not work with Windows 7. The article linked to below offers solutions to those who might want to try this. If Windows 7 doesn’t work straightaway, the fixes don’t look easy.
If you do try it and it seems too much trouble, you would be able to reinstall Windows 10 by making a Media Creation Tool.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/Windows10
This is basically a USB stick with the Windows 10 installation files on it. Boot up with this, delete existing partitions and continue with the instructions for installing Windows 10. There shouldn’t be any activation problems because Microsoft’s servers will know that your individual computer has been licensed to run Windows 10.
All in all, I’d say to carry on using Windows 10 but far be it from me to say what a person should believe or do. If you decide you can’t live with it, I only make suggestions on what could be done. There won’t much (if any) difference in the look and behaviour of the BIOS/UEFI screens whatever though. 
That’s what I’d say, too … 
Then we’re all reading from the same hymn sheet … 
Okay guys I’ll persevere with windows 10 for the moment, but I’ve just run into another snag…I downloaded a PDF file, it refused to open and windows wanted me to open it in Edge…I downloaded Acrobat Reader for free and it’s alright now, but windows keeps suggesting that the edge is faster than google chrome. I don’t care because I’ve got chrome over three computers now and I like how it works. But the constant interference by windows is doing my head in…
Thanks for the advice by the way…but if you can find a way of releasing my computer from it’s dependance on windows I would appreciate it. I’ve already suffered from numorous downloads already, and quite frankly; they’re a pain in the arse…
I feel the same way. If I buy a new vacuum cleaner it becomes mine. I do not receive incessant messages from the manufacturer informing me that they are about to ‘update’ it, whether I want that or not.
As I said before, I have successfully avoided Windows Updates for a few weeks now by simply stating that my internet connection is metered, and Microsoft have the decency not to send any updates whilst I am on a metered connection. They do keep sending me helpful ‘warnings’, though, that they are unable to provide my much needed updates.
You give me an undeserved compliment, OGF! I assure you I am no expert and I doubt that I know any more than you do about computers! But thanks anyway.
Microsoft are really pushing Edge.
If I ever use Cortana to search for something, it invariably points me to a web page which, by default, opens in Edge.
I ignore the suggestion and prefer to open the same web site in Chrome.
I think someone posted a solution to overcome this use of Edge by Cortana. I use it simply to search for files, etc. on my computer. If I want to search the internet, I use Google in my Chrome browser.
We must stand together JB against world domination by big business…
I always will.
Same here JB, perhaps the edge is better but I will remain defient as long as they pressure me. We will show them who is the boss!..
I find there’s no need to use Acrobat Reader or similar. Chrome, Firefox, Edge and probably some other browsers can all open PDFs.
Edge is as good as any for that purpose but to use Chrome to open them, all that has to be done is right-click on a PDF, go to ‘Open with’ and then choose ‘Chrome’ from the list. The computer can be made to always open PDFs in Chrome by default.
Using a browser to open PDFs saves a build-up of installing possibly unnecessary programs on the SSD …unless you need to edit PDFs. A browser can only open and read PDFs but cannot edit them.
Have a look at Settings/Apps/Default Apps to set your email/browser/photo-viewer/audio-video players …
I download a lot of timetables Mart, and they are usually in PDF form and I also edit them. I have also saved some race results in PDF…
The reason I mentioned ‘bios’ was because in the past I have changed the way my computer has loaded (from disk or USB) and which operating system to load it with. I was aware that the computer would still operate in the same way.