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HP PCs - Using Cortana Personal Digital Assistant (Windows 10)

This document applies to HP and Compaq computers with Windows 10.

Cortana personal digital assistant helps you manage your personal information, settings, and a variety of tasks. To use Cortana, your computer must be connected to an active Internet connection.

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Cortana is not available in all countries/regions and languages. Visit Microsoft's website Cortana's regions and languages (in English) for more information.

Use this document to learn how to:

Set up Cortana
Use Hey Cortana
Open programs, files, and apps
Add favorite places
Use reminders
Change Cortana settings
Use Cortana with Microsoft Edge

Set up Cortana for the first time

Before you can use the Cortana digital assistant, Microsoft needs permission to collect your personal information.

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Speech recognition is not available in all languages and does not work with all computers. For recommendations about what to do if this feature does not work with your computer, see What if the Cortana setup fails? in this document.

Make sure the computer is connected to a network with an active Internet connection.
In Windows, open Cortana by selecting the Cortana icon on the taskbar.

If the Cortana icon does not display, you can use the search box to search for and open Sign into Cortana.
On the Cortana window, click the Account icon , and then select Sign in.
On the Let's get you signed in window, click the account you want to use, or click Microsoft account to add or create another account. Then click Continue, and then follow the on-screen prompts to finish signing in.
After you sign in, click See all tips to review the types of tasks Cortana can perform.

What if the Cortana setup fails?

If you have a problem or received an error message during the Cortana setup, the speakers in your computer might not work with Cortana. If this is the case, try one of the following:

Use an external microphone with your computer.
Use a headset.
Continue to use Cortana without a microphone.

Enable the Hey Cortana feature

You can teach Cortana to recognize your voice and activate by saying, "Hey Cortana." This hands-free feature allows you to use voice commands to tell Cortana what you want. For example, you can say, "Hey Cortana, wake me up at 6 AM."

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Speech recognition is not available in all languages and does not work with all computers. For recommendations about what to do if this feature does not work with your computer, see What if the Cortana setup fails? in this document.

Make sure Cortana is set up. For more information, see Set up Cortana for the first time in this document.
Make sure the computer is connected to a network with an active Internet connection.
Open Cortana by selecting the Cortana icon on the taskbar.
Click the Settings icon , and then select Talk to Cortana.
Locate the Hey Cortana section, and then turn on the feature.

Use the Hey Cortana feature to find Windows programs, files, and apps

Cortana can help you quickly find Windows help. For example, you can ask Windows "How do I change text size?," "What is my IP address?," or say, "Open the Control Panel." You can also find Windows files and apps by saying or typing the file or app name.

Search for a Windows program

Use Cortana to search for a Windows program.

Open Cortana by selecting the Cortana icon on the taskbar.
Click the microphone icon , and then say, "Hey Cortana, open Device Manager."

Cortana opens the named program.

Search for a Windows file or app

Use Cortana to search for a Windows file or app.

Open Cortana by selecting the Cortana icon on the taskbar.
Click the microphone icon , and then say, "Hey Cortana, open music." If you have more than one app for playing music, Cortana asks you to specify the app you want to use.

Cortana opens the named app.

Use Cortana's Notebook

Use Cortana's Notebook to keep Cortana informed about your schedule or personal interests, add reminders, create tasks, or personalize your interests.

Open Cortana by selecting the Cortana icon on the taskbar.
Click the Notebook icon .

The Cortana Notebook opens.

Add Reminders

Add or change reminders in the Cortana Notebook.

In the Notebook window, under the Organizer tab, click Reminders.
On the Reminders screen, click the Add icon .
Complete the information in the boxes, depending on the reminder. For example, if you want to add a reminder for soccer practice every Thursday at 4:00 p.m.:
1. Type Soccer practice in the Remember to ... box, and then select the Time box.
2. Select Another time.
3. Click the pre-selected time, scroll and select 4:00 PM, and then click the Checkmark icon .
4. If the reminder date is for a future date, click Today, select the date for your reminder, and then click the Checkmark icon .
5. Click Only once to open the frequency drop-down menu.
6. Select Weekly in the drop-down menu.
7. If you want to add a photo to your reminder, click Add a photo, and then upload a photo from the computer or take a photo using the computer webcam.
8. In the Add your reminder window, make sure the settings are correct, and then click Remind.
  
  Cortana displays a Reminder saved window.
9. To view your reminders, click the Notebook icon , and then select Reminders.

Use Sticky Notes to create a reminder

You can create a reminder based on your typed or handwritten Sticky Notes.

Open Cortana by selecting the Cortana icon on the taskbar.
Click the microphone icon , and then say, "Hey Cortana, open Sticky Notes."

The Sticky Notes window and a new Sticky Note opens on the desktop.
Sticky Notes window

New Sticky Note
If prompted, select an account to synchronize your Sticky Notes or click Not now.
To use Sticky Notes, make sure to turn on Enable insights. On the Sticky Notes window, click the settings icon , and then click the toggle to turn on the feature.
On the Sticky Note, type or use a stylus to create a reminder on the Sticky Note.

The font on the Sticky Note turns blue when Cortana recognizes a date or time that can be used to create a reminder.
Click on the blue text in the Sticky Note.
Confirm that the date and time displayed is correct, and then click Add Reminder.

Cortana opens a reminder and prompts you to confirm if it is correct.
Change any of the information, and then click Remind to create the reminder.

Change Skills in an interest category

Skills are tasks that Cortana can perform, such as send a print job to your printer, play music, or provide traffic updates. Some Skills are turned on by default, but you can change Skills.

In the Notebook window, click Manage Skills.
Under Manage Skills, click the Skill you want to change. For example, if you want to change the settings in the weather category, click scroll down to Stay up to date, and then select Weather.
Change the available Skills to match your interests. For example, click Add a city, and then follow the on-screen instructions to get weather updates for the city you selected.

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The available options vary depending on the Skill you select.

Turn off Skills in an interest category

Use Cortana's Notebook to turn off Skills.

In the Notebook window, click Manage Skills.
Under Manage Skills, click the Skill you want to turn off. For example, click Weather.
Follow the on-screen instructions to turn off the Skill. For example, select the X to remove cities you do not want to track under the Weather skill.

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The available options vary depending on the Skill you select.

Add Favorite places

Use Cortana's Favorite places feature to store locations of your favorite places. Cortana also provides directions to get to your destination quickly. Open the Cortana Notebook to modify or add a favorite place.

In the Notebook window, click the pencil icon .
On the My Places window, click Add a place.
Type the name of your favorite place in the Add a favorite box. For example, if you want to add your favorite restaurant, type the restaurant name, and then select the restaurant from the search results.
If you want to give your favorite place a nickname, type the name in the Nickname box, then click the Save button.

The address and a link to a map, are added to your favorites.
To view your favorite places, select the Notebook icon , and then click the pencil icon .

A list of your favorite places displays.
To edit the favorite place, view a map, or remove a favorite place, click the menu icon , and then select Edit, Show in Maps, or Remove from the menu.

Change the name Cortana uses for you

Open Cortana to change the name Cortana uses for you.

Open Cortana by selecting the Cortana icon on the taskbar, and then say, "Change my name."

If Cortana does not respond, click the microphone icon , and then say, "Hey Cortana, change my name."
The Cortana Notebook opens. Type your name in the box, and then select Enter.
To hear how Cortana pronounces your name, click Hear how I'll say it.

Cortana says your name.
- If Cortana says your name correctly, click Sounds Good, and then click Done.
- If Cortana does not say your name correctly, click That's wrong, and follow the on-screen instructions.
A Great, thanks "..." message displays, where "..." represents the name you selected.

Change Cortana's settings

Use the settings in Cortana to change your name, teach Cortana your voice, change your privacy settings, and other settings.

Open Cortana by selecting the Cortana icon on the taskbar.
Click the Settings icon .

The Cortana settings window displays.

Enable the Hey Cortana feature

Turn on Cortana voice recognition in the Hey Cortana section.

Enable the Lock screen feature

Cortana can continue to interact with you even if the screen is locked. Click the toggle to turn on the feature in the Lock screen section.

Enable tips on the lock screen

Allow Cortana to display tips on the lock screen. Click Lock screen settings, and then select Picture or Slideshow as your background.

Location of Taskbar tidbits toggle button

Change the account Cortana uses

Change the account Cortana uses to personalize your experience and connect you to other devices.

To change your account, select Permissions, and then select your account. Follow the on-screen instructions to sign in with a different account.

Selecting your account to sign out of Cortana

Manage your privacy information

You can modify the information Cortana can know and share about you.

To change your privacy settings, select Permissions, and then choose an option under Permissions, depending on your privacy needs:

To clear your personal information from Cortana: Select Change what Cortana knows about me in the cloud. Scroll down the Personal Information window that opens in Cortana, and then click Clear.
To manage the information Cortana can access from other accounts: Select Manage the information Cortana can access from this device.
To manage the information Cortana can see and use: Select Manage the information Cortana can access from other services. Then modify or add the services that Cortana can access, such as LinkedIn and Skype.

Use Cortana in Microsoft Edge

When you perform a search in the Microsoft Edge address bar, Microsoft Edge uses personalized information that you have provided to Cortana to make your search results more relevant to you. For example, if you type local weather in the Bing search bar, the search results show weather information for your location. To change your location, click Change next to the location displayed on screen.

Example of Cortana displaying the local weather

In addition, if you find a topic that you would like to know more about, highlight the word or phrase in the webpage, right-click it, and then select what you want Cortana to do:

Highlighting and right-clicking a word on a webpage in Edge

Copy: Copies the highlighted word or phrase.
Select all: Selects the entire webpage.
Search the web for "...", where "..." represents the highlighted word or phrase: A new tab or window with more information and related links opens.
Ask Cortana about "...", where "..." represents the highlighted word or phrase: A Cortana window with more information and related links opens.
Read aloud: Cortana reads the page aloud. Use the Read aloud toolbar to exit, pause, rewind, fast forward, or change the voice of Cortana.