Since the Windows ‘Anniversary Update’ to version 1607, there is no easy way to disable the dreaded Cortana.
Instead, a registry update is required. Add the following key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search\AllowCortana
with DWORD value 0. You may need to create the Windows Search key first.
For full details, see the item on winaero.com.
Lots of people seem to have problems with internet access after upgrading to Windows 10, according to all sorts of discussions on the web.
Here’s one possible cause: the firewall.
I was working on a Dell laptop recently which had these symptoms, i.e. finding and connecting to the network (wifi or wired), but not getting as far as the internet.
It turned out that Comodo Internet Security’s firewall was getting in the way. I disabled the CIS firewall, and the connection instantly worked. After rebooting, I restored the firewall, and the connection still worked.