Microsoft ends Cortana’s default browser work-a-round, restricts results to Edge browser

[Batu69]

"Cortana, Microsoft Edge, and Bing – all designed to do more for you."

 

The Windows team appears to be clamping down on the extent to which users can tweak and circumvent the full extent of Cortana’s usefulness on the Windows 10 platform. As of today, Cortana on the desktop will be realigned to use with Windows 10’s Edge browser only.

 

For some users, Cortana’s link with the Edge browser seems as asynchronous as much as “Ok Google” and the Chrome browser are synonymous with one another. However, before today’s announcement, the Windows team offered certain SKU’s of Windows 10 to users (primarily businesses) that allowed a work-a-round that connected Cortana’s search results with a browser other than Edge.

 

Now it would seem that option is being removed from the table and for good reason, according to the Windows team.

Quote

Unfortunately, as Windows 10 has grown in adoption and usage, we have seen some software programs circumvent the design of Windows 10 and redirect you to search providers that were not designed to work with Cortana. The result is a compromised experience that is less reliable and predictable. The continuity of these types of task completion scenarios is disrupted if Cortana can’t depend on Bing as the search provider and Microsoft Edge as the browser. The only way we can confidently deliver this personalized, end-to-end search experience is through the integration of Cortana, Microsoft Edge, and Bing – all designed to do more for you.

 

Starting today, to ensure we can deliver the integrated search experience designed for Windows 10, Microsoft Edge will be the only browser that will launch when you search from the Cortana box.

 

Of course, you can continue to use your search engine and browser of choice on Windows 10.  They can be accessed and used as you always have.  You can easily use our centralized default manager to choose your preferred default program for everything from browsing to email, and you can configure the search default setting in Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer, which are available when you directly access those programs.”

 

The Windows team ends its pitch of the Edge browser with a promise that Windows 10 will provide users with great search results and a more personalized and reliable Cortana experience. In this catch-22, the Windows team ushering users to Edge will help them gather more search information from its users, but only if users find the current search results adequate to continuing using the Edge/Cortana solutions. With fewer users on utilizing Bing or the Edge browser, the Windows team has an uphill climb ahead of itself.

 

Article source

[heyyahblah]

Cortana disabled via group policy. Now an option to permanently delete big-brother-whoretana from the operating system I would definitely like to see.

[steven36]

So much  for them being friends with  Google , When you switch Cortana over to  something besides Bing  then the  ad revenue  moneys  goes to there competition .  Microsoft is not going have this you should of seen this coming .. Wonderful closed source software slowly taking away you're freedom of choices. 

 

10 hours ago, heyyahblah said:

Now an option to permanently delete big-brother-whoretana from the operating system I would definitely like to see.

There is a way to uninstall it  but it's not for N00bs

http://winaero.com/blog/how-to-uninstall-and-remove-cortana-in-windows-10/

 

But it  will come back on major updates  because its not really a update its a new version of windows .that puts things back to the way they were . But uninstalling it breaks native search . But  the search can easy be fixed by installing and using Classic Shell Start  Menu.instead of Windows Start  Menu  . If you use it you would need to uninstall  it now and then again when Redstone  comes out and then you want have to  bother with it for a year . When I used windows 10 I uninstalled  all the modern apps that's all Cortana is ...

 

When you keep installing new versions of windows how do you expect  anything to be permanent ?  Only way things well ever be permanent in Windows 10 is If they was to make Windows 11 .

 

If you turn Cortana off  and use a good firewall  like Windows 10 Firewall Control Plus you can block her from calling home and it becomes  native windows search and you dont need to fool with it at all  and this is permanent tell they choose to take you're choice away to use legacy  apps .

 

This extension   for Chrome now  it has real freedom  I can add any search i want.

 

Then I have another I can add any search i want. and  highlight  a word and right click  and search  that word on any search  that's freedom  .

 

 

[Jordan]

Microsoft blocks third-party search engines on Windows 10

 

Microsoft announced today that it made the decision to enforce the use of Microsoft Edge and Bing with Cortana on its Windows 10 operating system.

The introduction of the digital assistant Cortana on Windows 10 brought along with it major changes to the operating system's search functionality.

Windows 10 users can run web searches using Cortana, something that was not possible in previous versions of the operating sytem. While Windows users may disable the web search functionality on Windows 10, it is enabled by default and will use Bing and Microsoft Edge for that.

Web Search on Windows 10 works by querying Microsoft's Bing search engine when searches are made on the operating system.

Results are offered as web links which, when selected, open in the Microsoft Edge browser. These searches may use your location or other information for a personalized experience, or simply open a results page on Bing instead.

Examples that Microsoft provides to highlight web search on Windows 10 include searching for Pizza Hut to get the closest store next to you, or searching for Best Buy to get coupons for the site.

 

 

Depending on how the operating system and browsers are used, the search option may improve how users search for content on the Internet.

I make no use of it as I prefer to search directly in web browsers that are open anyway.

Programs like Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox could take over the search functionality on Windows 10 up until now.

This would deliver results from the browser's search engine instead which could be any search engine and not just Bing.

 

Additionally, and that is probably the main reason why companies like Google or Mozilla added the option, results were opened in the third-party browser and not Microsoft Edge.

This, according to Microsoft, is no longer possible with today's change. Microsoft's reason for doing so is that the changing of the search provider and browser compromises the search experience on the operating system.

Unfortunately, as Windows 10 has grown in adoption and usage, we have seen some software programs circumvent the design of Windows 10 and redirect you to search providers that were not designed to work with Cortana.

The result is a compromised experience that is less reliable and predictable. The continuity of these types of task completion scenarios is disrupted if Cortana can’t depend on Bing as the search provider and Microsoft Edge as the browser.

The only way we can confidently deliver this personalized, end-to-end search experience is through the integration of Cortana, Microsoft Edge and Bing – all designed to do more for you.

Windows 10 users are limited to using Bing and Microsoft Edge when using Cortana's web search functionality.

A side effect of this is that it will boost Microsoft Edge and Bing as users don't have any other option anymore when it comes to web searches on the Windows 10 operating system. Some might even argue that this is the main reason for Microsoft's decision to block third-party search engines and browsers from hijacking Cortana's search functionality.

The change does not affect the default browser or search engine used by that browser on the other hand as Microsoft notes.

 

SOURCE

[WALLONN7]

13 minutes ago, jordan4x said:

 

A side effect of this is that it will boost Microsoft Edge and Bing as users don't have any other option anymore when it comes to web searches on the Windows 10 operating system.

 

This is the Microsoft's desire... but we know... it is not always come true...

[Ballistic Gelatin]

Thank you, Microsoft, for yet another reason not to install Windows 10.

[Conley Powell]

     As far as I'm concerned, this would be ample reason even if there were nothing else.

[steven36]

1 hour ago, Conley Powell said:

     As far as I'm concerned, this would be ample reason even if there were nothing else.

Why would this be did you have Cortana  in XP  ?  It's just  a reason to remove Cortana  or block it with you're Firewall  so Microsoft cant  get no booty ($$$)  from Bing. Who in there right mind wants to talk to Bing ?. Google  sometimes  its hard to find relevant  results but Bing is much worse . You just install you're favorite browser and search  like you always have . If you think you need to  let them spy on you that bad  just  download Voice Search for chrome are something !

 

 

 

 

[Conley Powell]

     Apparently Steven36 didn't understand my message. I was agreeing with Ballistic Gelatin that this is another reason to not install Windows 10, and going on to say that this was ample reason by itself.

[steven36]

9 minutes ago, Conley Powell said:

     Apparently Steven36 didn't understand my message. I was agreeing with Ballistic Gelatin that this is another reason to not install Windows 10, and going on to say that this was ample reason by itself.

Already Cortana  was deemed  a spy long ago ..The O/S a long way from being unusable anyone with  a brain disabled ,removed  or blocked it.  in order for them to change windows 10 were  it defeats the point of having windows they would have to convince developers and end users to make and only use modern apps . If this ever happened  it would kill all versions of windows unless you stayed  on all old software  and you may well switch to Linux or Mac OSX  because they would have better apps

[Sylence]

8 minutes ago, steven36 said:

Already Cortana  was deemed  a spy long ago ..The O/S a long way from being unusable anyone with  a brain disabled ,removed  or blocked it.  in order for them to change windows 10 were  it defeats the point of having windows they would have to convince developers and end users to make and only use modern apps . If this ever happened  it would kill all versions of windows unless you stayed  on all old software  and you may well switch to Linux or Mac OSX  because they would have better apps

 

lol now you know better than Edward Snowden? just wow

 

let me give you an advice, never go to any trial without a very good lawyer. 

have you ever been in front of a judge? they carefully listen to every piece of information coming outta your mouth, whether it's good for you or against you, whether you have a proof for it or not, it will be recorded and used by them.

you see, in today's world there's no place for baseless speculations because every person sane or not can tell any stupid thing, (you don't pay taxes for talking) but only those with a proof backing them will change things and it's always been like that. I hope I've been clear enough  

[Karlston]

Woody Leonhard has an interesting take on this...

 

Cortana now restricted to Edge and Bing: It’s the clicks, stupid (InfoWorld - Woody Leonhard)

"There’s a reason Cortana will only work with Edge and Bing, and it isn’t quality of experience"

[steven36]

As long as people keep installing windows 10, Microsoft will do  what they please..  Just Like as long as people keep using Google services Google will do as they please .  Public opinion of  these tech giants must change for them too  ever change  for the good they only way  to beat  them is trough there pocket book..  .And with them both earning Billions  a year I dont never look for them too change anytime soon . That's why I do my own thing and not what the masses do.

 

  

 

 

People have been drinking too much Koolaid for them to change  for the better

 

 

[Batu69]

Thread has been merged.

[jkh334]

Microsoft is no worse than Google who makes you use OK Google Now to use its voice assistant. Microsoft did add Cortana to Android but Google can always break it as well just like M$ did.

 

BTW about all of the complaints about M$ pushing Win10 Upgrades on us....When is the last time you tried declining an upgrade to your Android Phone? If you like Kit Kat but your phones manufacturer wants to push Lollipop you will be harassed every day until you agree to upgrade and the same is true with IOS. Microsoft is no more evil than their counterparts. With that said, Windows 10 was released prematurely as it is full of bugs including security issues and requires frequent repairs if you are patient or re-installs if you want a quicker fix 

[steven36]

7 hours ago, jkh334 said:

Microsoft is no worse than Google who makes you use OK Google

I have a choice  do i want too use Google or not and already knew Google were spies  for years and years  . For some stuff to do my video editing   i have no choice but too use Microsoft . Google offers nothing that you cant replace  with something  else on Windows  because they dont own windows Microsoft does . If you choose  to use it  that's you're choice. But Microsoft owns windows and they will do what they please as long as people drink the KoolAid .  If someone sets a bad example  and does something wrong  does that mean its OK for everyone to do something wrong. No it dont  Comparing other big teach giants  wrongs to others does not justify  a wrong . That's making excuses because doing wrong is doing wrong period . It's Cortana today and something else tomorrow   tell they squeeze every last bit of freedom of choice from the end users, tell were you use windows as Microsoft sees fit.

 

[Holmes]

The browser wars continues and microsoft is going to get into trouble if they force users to use there edge browser they were in a legal battle before there going to have a legal battle again.  I personally dislike bing I wont use it and always use google maps on my phone for gps and cortana well I dont know im undecided with cortana.  I have decided that my browser of choice for the future is firefox I wont install opera again Ill use internet explorer for compatibility reasons and chrome and edge I am undecided.