Manage interests button not working in new News & Interests taskbar


  1. Posts : 740
    Windows 10 x64 Pro
       #1

    Manage interests button not working in new News & Interests taskbar


    So I finally got around to messing with this after it was just pushed to my device a few days back. I clicked the manage interests button and it was opening my browser but I was unable to manage my interests anywhere I could see. Turns out you can only manage them if you use the Edge browser. Good ole microsoft...

    Either way, the odd part is that link was only opening in Brave for me when on my other pc it asks me where to open it and gives edge as the ONLY option I cant even choose brave if i wanted to.

    So maaaany moons ago i installed a small app called edgedeflector which redirects links to your default browser instead of forcing edge/bing.

    I surmised this was related and uninstalled it to test as it was evident I was going to have to open that particular link in edge or not have it available to use at all.

    Well after removing and restarting, its now a dead button.

    Manage interests button not working in new News & Interests taskbar-image.png

    does nothing.

    I assume this is somehow somewhere set in the default apps/protocols/filetypes section but I have no idea what/where it would be listed as so i can assign it to something. Or a simple switch or registry string i can delete to simply reset the "widget?" would work all the same i imagine.

    Anyone got anything for me?
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 56,806
    Multi-boot Windows 10/11 - RTM, RP, Beta, and Insider
       #2

    Long shot. Try to toggle these settings from Shawn's tut. Also mess with the Related Tuts at the bottom. Sometimes that will jiggle things loose.

    Enable or Disable Open News and Interests on Hover in Windows 10
    Last edited by f14tomcat; 13 May 2021 at 07:29.
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 56,806
    Multi-boot Windows 10/11 - RTM, RP, Beta, and Insider
       #3

    Ran across this while I was updating a VM with Insider build. Check your Edge browser settings to make sure the Interests category is there as shown in my pic. If not, that may be the "dead-end" for the Manage Interests button. When I click Manage Interests in the task bar pop-up, it took me here. I don't use Edge, not familiar with all the setttings.

    Manage interests button not working in new News & Interests taskbar-2021-05-13_08h38_22.png
      My Computers


  4. Posts : 740
    Windows 10 x64 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #4

    so i tracked this down after some deduction as well as speaking to the developer of edgedeflector.

    Apparently apps are no longer able to modify user registry keys or some such. At the point you install edgedeflector and check the "always open using" box which points to it and its written as such to the "openwith" string in fileexts under the registry root (i think, too lazy to look atm) its stuck. Its there till you remove it yourself even after uninstalling edgedeflector.

    As such, without it installed its trying to open with it and hence the dead link. I imagine this is solvable via the gui (or should be) by identifying what type of link or protocol it "identifies" as (yep, i totally used that word) and changing it under default apps/protocols and such. Since I dont know, and cant be bothered to scroll through what appears to be hundreds in each section when a simple fix ala registry is possible. It is what it is.

    Thank you for the input f14tomcat, you are always very helpful <3
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 1
    Windows 10
       #5

    klepp0906 said:
    I imagine this is solvable via the gui (or should be) by identifying what type of link or protocol it "identifies" as...and changing it under default apps/protocols.
    Yes! Go to Windows Start > Settings (gear icon) > Default Apps, then click on "Choose default apps by protocol" at the bottom. Then, scroll to "MICROSOFT-EDGE" (the protocol names are listed alphabetically). Find the MICROSOFT-EDGE protocol item that is subtitled "URL: Microsoft Edge Protocol Deflector". Click the "+" sign next to this item. Choose a browser and you are done!*

    Manage interests button not working in new News &amp; Interests taskbar-protocol-notes.png

    * I have only tested this choosing Microsoft Edge; this solution may not work if you want to use a different browser. You might have to reinstall edge deflector in that case.

    --
    Long version with backstory:

    So, I had this same issue of once having used edge deflector and now being unable to open "Manage interests" in the new News & Interests taskbar item. Actually, none of the links in News & Interests opened for me. In addition, the links on the Windows lock screen that tell you more about the lock screen image etc. did not open for me.

    I had an inkling that edge deflector was to blame but hadn't really seen any other mention of this until now.

    After reading klepp0906's last post, I went to edge deflector's github page to try and solve the problem. I was going to file a bug report and get help from the developer. I also found a troubleshooting page there, which led me to some registry addresses which, alas, had already been scrubbed of any mention of edge deflector. But, that same troublehshooting page made mention of the Default Apps page in Windows System settings, which klepp0906 had also mentioned.

    So, I went there (Windows Start > Settings (gear icon) > Default Apps) and then to "Choose default apps by protocol." There, I found a URL-related protocol that was blank. The protocol in question is "MICROSOFT-EDGE" "URL: Microsoft Edge Protocol Deflector." This protocol had no default app. I clicked on the "+" next to this protocol and selected Microsoft Edge (the browser I prefer now, ironically), and voila! everything now works.

    It was actually quite easy to find the protocol, because very few protocols didn't already have a default application, and the list is sorted alphabetically.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 740
    Windows 10 x64 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #6

    ah, very good information thank you! In my case, I ultimately want to use edgedeflector, at least for now. I just wanted to know how to recover should I change my mind and now I do :)

    The one issue it created as I mentioned was surrounding brave. I cant manage my interests without it opening in edge so having my cake and eating it too seemed impossible.

    Something that was suggested to me (that I admittedly havent gotten around to yet as its small potatoes but "should" potentially work) is disguising brave (or your preferred browser) user agent as edge for msn.com or whatever the url is that manage news & interests calls for.
      My Computer


 

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