Cortana: Microsoft’s Virtual Assistant

Cortana is Microsoft's virtual digital assistant for Windows laptops and PCs, plus Android phones and Tab. Cortana can set reminders, recognize the natural voice, and can answer all the questions using information from the Bing Search engine.

Guide to Use Cortana

Method 1.  Setting Cortana on your Home Screen or Taskbar

1. Right-press on the computer's taskbar, or find Cortana in the Application Store or Play Store. Below the screen, the taskbar will be visible. Right press on it will prompt a pop-up list to get open.

In case if there is no right press button on your mouse, then press the mouse from the right, or you may use two fingers to press the mouse.

In case if the computer has a trackpad in place of a mouse, you may use your two fingers to hit the trackpad or click the below-right side of the trackpad.

2. Choose Cortana. It is visible next to the pop-up list. It will prompt a pop-out list to get open near to the original list.
3. Choose a Cortana option. In the pop-out menu, press on Show Cortana icon or on the Show search box. It will allow the circular Cortana icon or a full search box to get open to the right of the Start icon.

Method 2. Setting up "Hey Cortana"

1. Launch Start. Press the Windows logo to the below-left corner of the screen.
2. Launch Settings. Press the gear-shaped icon to the below-left side of the Start window.
3. Press Cortana. To the below of the Setting page, it is available as a circular icon.
4. Press the Talk to Cortana button. It is visible to the above-left side of the page.
5. You have to Hit the grey "Let Cortana respond to 'Hey Cortana' button. It changes its color. Cortana will get active when you say "Hey Cortana" close to your computer.

You can give some other vocal command to Cortana instead just "Hey Cortana", by pressing on the microphone tab to the below-right corner of the Cortana window when it's launched.

If you want Cortana to respond to only your voice then press on the Learn how I say "Hey Cortana" URL and then following Cortana's prompts.

Method 3. Looking up Information and Carry out Tasks

1. Launch the Cortana Window. Press the Cortana icon or search box in the taskbar to launch Cortana's window.
2. Press ellipsis. It is available to the above-left corner of the window. A pop-out list will get visible to left above side of the window.
3. Press Notebook. You will find this option to the above-left side of the window. It will launch a menu of categories.
4. Choose a category. You will find more than 20 categories of option available here, so press on the desired one. For example, to get the detail of any scheduled reminder, press on Reminders.
5. Review your chosen category. If there is a task or setting in your selected category, you may find it in here below:

There are some categories which have options to add things, example, service or enable and disable features.

Press the "Back" tab to the above-left corner of the window to go back to the menu of categories.

John Smith is a self -professed security expert; he has been making the people aware of the security threats. His passion is to write about Cyber security, cryptography, malware, social engineering, internet and new media. He writes for Norton security products at www.norton.com/setup.

Source - Cortana