We explain what are the steps you must follow to remove Microsoft Edge from Windows 11 or change it to another browser.
Among the alternatives to Google Chrome that we offer you is Microsoft Edge . Since adopting the technology provided by the Chromium project , the Redmond web browser has only gotten better. For example, its developers have included more information about the web pages you visit or a price comparator , among many other features. Perhaps for this reason, on the desktop, it has become the second most used browser . But what if you’ve tried it and you’re not convinced? Is there no way to remove Microsoft Edge from Windows 11 ?
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In this article we answer this last question. We will explain what are the steps to remove Microsoft Edge from Windows 11 in different ways. On the one hand, we talked about how to change the default browser in the operating system and how to prevent it from opening when using Windows search. Also, we give you the steps to remove Microsoft Edge from Windows 11 completely.
Index of contents
- If you don’t want to remove Microsoft Edge from Windows 11, here’s how to limit it
- Remove Microsoft browser from the taskbar
- Prevent Edge from running in the background
- Change default browser
- Prevent Edge from being the default browser for Windows searches
- How to remove Microsoft Edge from Windows 11 completely
- Force uninstall Microsoft Edge
- Recover Microsoft Edge
If you don’t want to remove Microsoft Edge from Windows 11, here’s how to limit it
Chances are, even if you don’t want to use Microsoft Edge, its presence on your system doesn’t bother you . Actually, it is enough to make a few changes in the settings and the browser practically becomes invisible. However, if your intention is to unceremoniously remove Microsoft Edge from Windows 11, jump to the next section of this guide.
Remove Microsoft browser from the taskbar
The first thing you should do is unpin Edge from the taskbar .
It’s as simple as right-clicking on its icon and then clicking Unpin from taskbar . Do the same in the start menu, if the browser is in the section of pinned applications. As you can see, in just a few clicks you will have significantly reduced the presence of the browser on your computer.
Prevent Edge from running in the background
Some browser extensions and apps cause Edge to run in the background . If you are not interested in this browser, there is no point in keeping it open, as it consumes resources that you could spend on other applications.
To prevent Microsoft Edge from running in the background, do the following:
- Open Edge and go into settings.
- Click System and Performance.
- In the list of options, turn off Fast Startupand the Keep extensions and apps running in the background when Microsoft Edge is closed setting .
- Close the browser so that all processes associated with it are stopped.
You can check that this is the case with the Windows 11 task manager .
Change default browser
We continue to take small steps to reduce the presence of Microsoft Edge by modifying the default browser in Windows 11. How is it done?
- Go into settings and go to Apps > Default apps.
- In the upper text field write the name of your browser. We have introduced the term Chrome.
- Click on the browser and, at the top, click on Set as default.
The HTTP and HTTPS protocols, as well as the HTM and HTML documents, will be associated with the browser you have chosen. All of them will open, by default, with the browser you have selected.
Prevent Edge from being the default browser for Windows searches
Now that you’ve set your favorite browser as your default, it stands to reason that it will open when you make a query in system search . But the truth is that Microsoft Edge continues to be the default browser in this section of Windows 11. Why does that happen?
As we showed you in the previous screenshot, Edge is the browser that loads the search results . This is so because the request is not carried out with the HTTPS protocol, which is common in Internet queries, but rather an alternative one called MICROSOFT-EDGE .
To change this behavior, visit the MSEdgeRedirect page on GitHub. This tool is capable of redirecting all Edge proprietary protocol bindings to the default browser.
How to remove Microsoft Edge from Windows 11 completely
In the applications section of the Windows 11 settings, there is a list of all the software installed on the computer. This is the place to go to uninstall programs from your computer. However, if you follow this method with Microsoft Edge , you will see that there is no option to remove it.
In view of this, what can you do? Does this mean there is no way to clear the browser from the system? Absolutely.
Force uninstall Microsoft Edge
Even though the company does not allow you to remove Microsoft Edge from Windows 11 by following ordinary steps, there is a way to force uninstall it. Thanks to the following commands, executed in a CMD window with administrator privileges , you will make the Microsoft browser disappear completely.
- cd C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\[installed_version]\Installer
- exe –uninstall –system-level –verbose-logging –force-uninstall
Obviously, where it says “ installed_version” you must enter the version number of Microsoft Edge. You find that information in your browser settings, in the About Microsoft Edge section . Here is an example with the version available at the time of writing this guide:
- cd C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\106.0.1370.47\Installer
Recover Microsoft Edge
Do you regret removing Microsoft Edge? So, you should know that you can recover it in two different ways:
- Downloading its installed from the official page of the project.
- Looking for it in the Microsoft Store.
