Windows Edge (browser) won't stay open

This afternoon Edge suddenly stopped staying open. i.e. I click on the Edge icon and an Edge window opens but closes silently about 5 seconds later. Edge worked fine earlier in the day and the only things that I did besides e-mail (Thunderbird) and browsing (Vivaldi and Edge) was (a) turn on Clipboard History, (b) turn off the background image on the Windows Log-on screen, and (c) use Windows Sandbox. I reverted (a) & (b) to previous settings, and I don't see how (c) would interfere, much less now how to undo anything the Sandbox might have done.

Next, I went to https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...ge-not-working:

Repair or reset Microsoft Edge
Repairing the browser won't affect anything, but resetting will remove your history, cookies, and any settings you might have changed. To find these options, select the Start button, then select Settings > Apps > Apps & features > Microsoft Edge > Advanced options.

I did both a repair and a reset.

Next, I did Reset Microsoft Edge to Default in Windows 10

Then, I did Reinstall and Re-register Microsoft Edge in Windows 10

Is my only remaining option to do a Windows Repair from installation media? I have an .ISO file for Windows 10 v.1903 that I used to fresh install Windows. If I use that to do a Windows Repair, will it wipe out all the Windows Updates that have been done and/or will it reset any/all Windows tweaks I have made?

Thanks!

I created a new user and Edge stays open a *little* longer before silently closing. It stays open about 9-10 seconds, versus 5-6 seconds on my primary user account.

I did a fresh Win10 installation (wiping the hard drive clean first) five days ago. I turned on System Restore, and as I progressed through installing apps and configuring Windows I made four System Restore points. Yesterday when this Edge weirdness began, I went to restore to the most recent point and -- voila! -- Windows Restore had no saved points. It was still active on the C: drive, but the restore points had vanished.

I haven't yet made a system image, so that's no option either.

So, anybody have any other options to restore Edge to full glory before I do a Windows Repair from the .ISO image?

I forgot to mention that I did a sfc /scannow, and it found no errors.

bro67 said:

The Edge App is being abandoned by Microsoft for the Chromium based version of Edge.

I'm inclined to wait for that. I can absolutely live without Edge browser, since I use Vivaldi as my main browser and also have Comodo's Dragon browser that got installed with their firewall. And, of course, in distant third place is Internet Explorer. It's just equal parts annoying and intriguing. Definitely not worth doing a Windows Repair, which is not without its own risks.

I used to develop and maintain web sites for which I wanted Edge to see how things rendered on it. Since I'm out of that business/hobby, it's not urgent that I fix Edge.

dalchina said:

You might try experimenting with the 2nd option here:
Restarting Edge browser in safe mode – mceworld.

and perhaps try disabling any extensions (although given what you've done you probably have none)

Thanks. I tried both options and no go. Copying and pasting the 2nd option, Edge still opens and closes after several seconds. And, you are right, I have no extensions installed in Edge. Oh, well.

I also ran some virus scans -- just to cover that possibility -- and came up clean.

dalchina said:

And before that run

chkdsk c: /scan
from an admin command or powershell prompt as a matter of course (checks only, doesn't fix).

if fix needed, then
chkdsk c: /f
- restart needed to complete.

"Windows has scanned the file system and found no problems.
No further action is required."

dalchina said:

Only remaining option would seem to be an in-place upgrade repair install... I suppose there's a chance that's not the only problem..

Yeah, something went astray a few days ago, and I just hope there are no other yet-unseen symptoms. Edge browser unusable and all System Restore points wiped out is slightly unsettling. At least the restore point I made two days ago is still there.

As long as the only two things messed up are (a) Edge and (b) those one-time missing restore points, maybe a future Windows Update will fix Edge. I can live with that. If something *else* pops up, then I'll do the in-place Windows Repair and hope that it doesn't cause other anomalies.

dalchina said:

There are plenty of reports of this- 'Restore points vanished' 'Restore points deleted' for example. One account indicates they are deleted after 90 days, and certainly and inevitably on any upgrade action.

I clean-installed Win10 on 20-June and on the same day made four manual restore points as I installed my apps. Five days later those four restore points were nowhere to be found...

An in-place Windows Repair is reckoned a robust and safe procedure.

Yes, of course. <snicker> What could *possibly* go wrong...? Hence, of course, your reminder of having a disk image is well taken.