Internet Explorer wasn’t Microsoft’s best product on the market. Fortunately, the tech company realized this and launched Microsoft Edge to compete with browser giants like Chrome and Firefox.
We must admit that the new kid on the block is quite advanced in comparison to IE. However, people still avoid it because of the many bugs it’s susceptible to. This tendency leads us to our next question: Can you disable Microsoft Edge?
Ways to Disable Microsoft Edge On Your PC
The short answer is yes. You can easily disable this browser. Still, you may need to change a couple of other things on your PC after you kick the program out of the game. In this article, we explain how you can make Microsoft Edge part of your browsing past.
Renaming Microsoft Edge’s Core Files
Microsoft Edge has to access its installation folder to open and let you surf the web properly. Since you don’t want that to happen, you’ll need to stop the browser from launching by renaming the directory. Here’s how to do it:
- Open This PC.
- Click C-disk.
- Open the Windows folder.
- Click on SystemApps.
- Find the “Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe” folder.
- Right-click on it and select Properties.
- Enable the Read-Only option and click Apply.
- Open the folder and click on View.
- Enable the File name extensions option.
- Find the “MicrosoftEdge.exe” and “MicrosoftEdgeCP.exe” files and rename them.
Once you’ve finished, restart the PC and try launching the browser. If it doesn’t open, congratulations. You’ve successfully disabled it! If it does show up, then you’ll need to get administrator-level privileges on Command Prompt. You can achieve this by following these simple steps:
- Type in “command prompt” in Search.
- Right-click the Command Prompt result.
- Select Run as administrator.
- Type in the following commands: “takeown /f C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe” “icacls C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe /grant administrators:f”
- Press enter and repeat the steps to rename the core files.
Choose a Different Default Browser
As we said, you might need to make other changes to your computer to avoid Microsoft Edge from occasionally taking over your browsing experience. The first thing you’ll have to do is to set a different default browser. Follow the next easy steps to complete this quick task:
- Open the Start menu.
- Click on Settings.
- Select System.
- Choose Default apps from the menu.
- Under Web browser, pick a new default application.
Prevent Microsoft Edge From Automatically Launching on Restart
The next method involves your computer’s registry editor, so we’ll have to ask you to be cautious. This process is risky and can cause permanent damage to your installation when done incorrectly. Remember to make a full backup before proceeding to avoid losing your files and data if things go south. Then, follow these instructions carefully:
- Hold the Windows and R buttons on your keyboard.
- Click on the dialogue box and type “regedit.”
- Press OK.
- Browse the following path: “Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NlaSvc\Parameters\Internet”
- Find the EnableActiveProbing key in the list on the right pane.
- In the Value data box, type in 0.
- Reboot your PC and see if Microsoft Edge still automatically opens upon restart.
Remove Microsoft Edge From the List of Background Apps
You can also prevent the application from running in the background by removing it from the Windows background app list. This way, the browser won’t be secretly active when you don’t want to use it. To do this, follow the next few steps:
- Go to your Start menu.
- In the search bar, type “background apps.”
- Press Enter.
- If you find Microsoft Edge on the list, switch the toggle next to it to Off.
Make Changes to Microsoft Edge’s Settings
There’s a setting in the browser that keeps it running in the background by default. You can change it in less than a minute and restrict the browser’s activity on your computer. Here’s how to do it:
- Open Microsoft Edge.
- Select the three dots at the top right corner.
- Click Settings.
- Open System.
- Set the “Continue running background apps when Microsoft Edge is closed” setting to off.
Prevent Updates
Disabling future upgrades for Microsoft Edge can also help you have more control over your experience with it. Here’s how to stop the browser’s update tasks in four easy steps.
- Open the Start menu.
- Type “task scheduler” in the search bar.
- Press Enter.
- Find the “MicrosoftEdgeUpdateTaskMachineUA” and “MicrosoftEdgeUpdateTaskMachineCore” tasks.
- Right-click on them and choose the Disable option from the menu.
Enable JavaScript For Stressless Browsing
No matter which internet browser you decide to use instead of Microsoft Edge, your time online should be exciting and fulfilling. JavaScript is a programming language that can help you have that flawless browsing experience. You can watch videos, listen to music, and enjoy other interactive content online by enabling it. To learn more, go to enablejavascript.io/