Windows edge forced on us in the new update?

Etetherin · 14 Nov 2020

(time line is loose!)

about 2 weeks ago my pc updated, and forced installed edge on my computer, I uninstalled it because I do not want it.

Today it updated again I think, and now I have Edge again!!! Except this time I am unable to remove it as the "uninstall" option is faded out.

I did some googling around and Microsoft website says this: "Microsoft Edge is the web browser recommended by Microsoft and is the default web browser for Windows. Because Windows supports applications that rely on the web platform, our default web browser is an essential component of our operating system and can’t be uninstalled."

This is actually absurd! Like edge has never been on my windows 10 pc for like so long and im just having to keep it now?!

dalchina · 14 Nov 2020

Hi, forced install? Not really. It sounds as if it was simply delivered as part of a Windows Update you received. It's just one example of apps provided by MS, who have the right to keep changing the specification (albeit giving rise to new problems!)

How to remove the new Microsoft Edge if uninstallation is blocked - gHacks Tech News
- explains that it may be delivered with Windows Updates as part of the product.

Windows updates such as KB4541301, KB4541302 and KB4559309 replace the classic version of Microsoft Edge with the new version. While there are ways to prevent the installation of these updates, it is likely that the new Edge will be pushed via Windows Updates to the majority of Windows systems

I.e. if you remove it, you may well get it back with a subsequent update, and certainly with any upgrade.

That article also suggests a way to remove it.

But you then have to ask yourself, given the above, does that achieve anything?

Perhaps there is a way.

This tutorial (have you looked at the Tutorial section? Lots of helpful things there...) gives a way to stop the new Edge browser being installed:
Disable Installation of Microsoft Edge by Windows Update in Windows 10

Just consider it as yet another app provided with the O/S. For example, Speech Recognition is provided. If you don't want it, why haven't you tried to remove it? Or how about some of the apps now provided with Win 10- like, say, Microsoft Whiteboard. I bet you don't use it- has it ever bothered you it's there?

The same goes for IE - you probably don't use that, but it's there.

I suggest- just leave these things alone. If you don't use them, fine- just ignore them. They just take up some disk space. You can set your own default browser for your own use.

OldNavyGuy · 14 Nov 2020

The new Chromium-based Edge has officially replaced the original legacy Edge.

Windows 10: Microsoft begins automatically pushing Chromium Edge to users | ZDNet

swarfega · 14 Nov 2020

The new Edge is a huge improvement on the old Edge. Have you actually tried it?

Ghot · 14 Nov 2020

@Etetherin

How to remove Edge Chromium when uninstall is blocked...
How to remove the new Microsoft Edge if uninstallation is blocked - gHacks Tech News

Prevent Edge Chromium from downloading and re-installing...
I used the "Registry" method.
How to prevent new Microsoft Edge from installing automatically on Windows 10

I used both of these methods on Sep 06 2020. Edge Chromium hasn't been back, and I've had no issues since then.

Warning: Do not attempt to remove the OLD Edge browser. Doing so will break Windows Updates.

jimbo45 · 14 Nov 2020

Hi folks
I think the problem is edge like Internet Explorer before it is so intertwined with the file explorer system that untangling it means a whole re-write of file explorer - and the zillions of apps people use -- for example every time an app needs to install some where the file system can be browsed and the file explorer api is called.

I don't like - especially using very large monitors - apps without menus / menu toolbar -- the only reason I ever used edge for in the first place was for accessing and printing pdf files -- since Firefox handles these without problem I'll stick to Firefox -- browsers though are individual choices.

It's about time that the whole file explorer system was re-written --the current api still has the 266 char limitation on path/directory/filename limitation even though internally you can use the long file names . While 266 chars might seem more than enough - with some large HDD's these days on NAS servers with loads of music / other multi-media files over several TB this limitation can be reached quite easily.

Even if edge isn't "installed" the api is still there of course.

Cheers
jimbo

Ghot · 14 Nov 2020

jimbo45 said:

I don't like - especially using very large monitors - apps without menus / menu toolbar

That's a fact, Jack... er Jimbo.

Anytime a program takes over the whole screen, and resists being run in windowed mode, I start to wonder what's going on... behind it. I bought a 30" monitor just so I wouldn't have to run anything "full screen".
I definitely didn't like the NEW Edge Chromium taking over the whole screen.

Firefox is the way to fly, IMO.

Windows edge forced on us in the new update?-image1.png

jimbo45 · 14 Nov 2020

Ghot said:

That's a fact, Jack... er Jimbo.

Anytime a program takes over the whole screen, and resists being run in windowed mode, I start to wonder what's going on... behind it. I bought a 30" monitor just so I wouldn't have to run anything "full screen".
I definitely didn't like the NEW Edge Chromium taking over the whole screen.

Firefox is the way to fly, IMO.

Hi there
Imagine a 4 monitor set (> 48 ins each) !!! I use those for a decent Stock trading system - without menus and decent windowing mode the system would be unworkable !!

Cheers
jimbo

Ghot · 14 Nov 2020

jimbo45 said:

Hi there
Imagine a 4 monitor set (> 48 ins each) !!! I use those for a decent Stock trading system - without menus and decent windowing mode the system would be unworkable !!

Cheers
jimbo

I understand.

I don't really do much any more, other than surf and play Microsoft Links 2003. But I really detest when Microsoft starts getting "bossy" about things, like they did with Edge Chromium.

This is MY computer, and I think I should have control of how I use it. If Microsoft wants to splatter Edge Chromium all over THEIR computers, that's fine with me. MS probably uses Firefox as well.