Switch 5 Cortana not working

nightowl00
nightowl00 Member Posts: 11

Tinkerer
edited November 2023 in 2018 Archives
I have this Switch 5 laptop for a few days and so far I'm NOT impressed with its functionalities, especially when it DOES NOT WORK!  So far I have these problems (Acer, if you are listening).

1. The laptop seem to stuck in tablet mode even when I have keyboard connected.  I have to detach the keyboard and reattach it to get it to see the keyboard and touchpad.

2. The bluetooth device will mysteriously disappear after sleep.  I have to uninstall the USB device and scan for hardware change for it to come back alive.  But, it sill happens after sleep (randomly).

3. Unable to customize the stylus buttons.  No one can tell me how to customize the buttons or it's anywhere on the Acer support on this topic.  One of the buttons apparently is erase and I kept hitting it inadvertently cause it's so close to my thumb.  It's very frustrating to write anything when it gets erased after you write.  Another words it's a useless function if I can't use it to write and spend more time re-writing.

4. The Windows Hello kept losing its fingerprint setting.  Sometimes it works and then all of sudden is seem to forget everything.  I'd have to remove it and re-add the fingerprints in.  And that last a while.  I think each time when Windows updates occurs this happens.  But, I'm not sure.  I have simply gave up on using fingerprint and use only typing the passcode.

5. Now I'm finding Cortana is not working.  I have the latest Windows 10 updates.  I go through the motion of training Cortana how I talk.  It comes up with 6 sentences for me to read.  I read, it listens and iterate to the next sentences.  That all seem work fine.  Except, it does not work.  I'd say simple thing like 'Hey Cortana, what time is it' and it take forever to figure it out and still can't (I eventually look at the clock).  When I say 'Hey, Cortana' it'd come up that round blue ring pulsating icon and shows waving lines as I speak, and then it just continue to pulsate and no respond comes to me.  It's like talking to my cat... 

I'm not sure what is wrong or how this can be fixed.  Anyone?

Answers

  • Jack22
    Jack22 ACE Posts: 4,169 Pathfinder

    Run the Start Menu Troubleshooter


    Microsoft offers the Windows 10 Start Menu Troubleshooter that  will look for and resolve known problems with the Start menu and Cortana. Often when Cortana isn’t working, the Start button is not working properly either, thus the name.

    Here’s how to use it:

    1. Navigate toMicrosoft’s Start Menu Troubleshooter page.
    2. Click Try the Troubleshooter and then click Start Menu Troubleshooter.
    3. Click on the downloaded file and click Next. How you find that file depends on the web browser you’re using.

    If issues arise, let the troubleshooter fix them, and then click Close.


    Restart the Cortana Process
    Figure 1-6 A screen shot of Taswk Manager

    You can stop and restart the Cortana Windows process if the previous options haven’t resolved your problem. To restart the service:

    1. Hold down the Ctrl key + Alt key + Del keys on the keyboard. Task Manager will open.
    2. If applicable, click More Details.
    3. From the Processes tab, scroll to locate Cortana and click it one time.
    4. Click End Task.
    5. Restart the device.

    Disable Antivirus Software
    Figure 1-7 A screen shot showing the Control Panel with the Uninstall a program windows showing
    Uninstall anti-virus software if it is incompatible with Cortana. 

    There are known incompatibilities with Cortana and some anti-virus software programs. If you use a third-party anti-virus or anti-malware application, disable it using the user interface offered with it. If the problem is resolved by disabling that software, consider uninstalling it and using Windows Defender instead. Windows Defender ships with Windows 10 and works with Cortana, not against it.

    To uninstall a third-party antivirus program:

    1. On the Taskbar, in the Searchwindow, type Control Panel.
    2. From Control Panel, click Uninstall a program.
    3. In the list of programs that appears, click the antivirus program one time, and click Uninstall.
    4. Work through the uninstall process.
    5. Restart the device.

    Reinstall Cortana
    Figure 1-8 A screen shot of a PowerShell window with the command to reset Cortana running
     Use an elevated PowerShell prompt to run the command to reset Cortana. 

    If none of the above options work, reinstall Cortana at an elevated PowerShell prompt:

    1. On the keyboard press Windows key + X, and then press A.
    2. Click Yes to allow PowerShell to open.
    3. Type the command below, all on one line: Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}. (Do not type a period at the end of the command.)
    4. Press Enter and wait while the process completes.
    Click on 'Yes' if the comment answers your question!
  • nightowl00
    nightowl00 Member Posts: 11

    Tinkerer
    I did the reinstall Cortana as suggested

    Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"})

    Reboot the computer.  It's still doing the same thing. Cortana starts to listen but it does not recognize into text and does not respond back.  However, when I created another test account I was able to get Cortana to work.  In the test account, as I speak 'what time is it' the waving lines comes up and as I speak I can see it does a speech recognition and translate to text next to the waving lines.  I think once the text is there it's able to do 'stuff'.  My normal account seem go through the motion but no text is recognize so as a result it does not know what to do next.  It seem Cortana maybe intact, it's just the speech recognition part not working.  I'm not sure how to fix that.
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 45,085 Trailblazer
    If you just got the machine, probably best to do a factory reset outside the Windows environment. Make sure the machine is completely, then turn it back on and immediately press and hold the ALT key while tapping F10 key till the recovery screen appears as shown below. If it still doesn't work correctly after a reset, I suggest that you return the machine to the vendor for a refund or exchange ASAP. Jack E/NJ

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpzLJRAZldA

    Jack E/NJ

  • nightowl00
    nightowl00 Member Posts: 11

    Tinkerer
    Well, today Cortana mysteriously starts to work.  Ask not what your computer can do for you, ask what you can do for your computer.

    Resetting is not an option cause I already have spent hours loading software and configuring it.  I can do without Cortana.  It's not that useful anyway.
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 45,085 Trailblazer
    >>> It's not that useful anyway. >>>

    Does this mean you actually found something even a little useful? 8^)  If it happens again, look for a battery reset pinhole on the screenback and gently press a paperclip in it for about a minute. Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • nightowl00
    nightowl00 Member Posts: 11

    Tinkerer
    It's useful when I need a timer.  But then again, every is got a smart phone these days.  So, yes, it's not that useful.

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