Microsoft Edge is a web browser developed by Microsoft and included in the company’s Windows 10 operating system. It is designed to replace Internet Explorer as the default web browser on any device running Windows 10. Although Edge is designed to be a great web browser, some users may prefer to use a different browser instead. Fortunately, it is relatively easy to remove Microsoft Edge from your device, allowing you to use your preferred browser instead.
Uninstalling Microsoft Edge in Windows 10
If you are using Windows 10, you can uninstall Microsoft Edge by using the Settings app. To do this, open the Start menu, then click on the Settings cog icon. From the Settings window, click on “Apps”. In the Apps & features section of the window, scroll down until you find “Microsoft Edge”, then click on it and select “Uninstall”. This will remove the Microsoft Edge browser from your device.
Disabling Microsoft Edge in Windows 10
If you want to keep Microsoft Edge on your device, but don’t want to use it, you can disable it instead of uninstalling it. To do this, type “Turn Windows features on or off” into the search bar in the Start menu and press Enter. In the Windows Features window, scroll down until you find “Microsoft Edge”, then uncheck it and click “OK”. This will disable the Edge browser and prevent it from opening.
Uninstalling Microsoft Edge in Older Versions of Windows
If you are using an older version of Windows, such as Windows 8 or 7, you may not be able to uninstall Microsoft Edge using the Settings app. Instead, you will need to use the Programs and Features tool. To do this, open the Start menu, then type “Programs and Features” into the search bar and press Enter. In the Programs and Features window, scroll down until you find “Microsoft Edge”, then click on it and select “Uninstall”.
Preventing the Installation of Microsoft Edge
If you don’t want to use Microsoft Edge at all, you may want to prevent it from being installed in the first place. To do this, you will need to use the Group Policy Editor. To open the Group Policy Editor, type “gpedit.msc” into the search bar in the Start menu and press Enter. In the Group Policy Editor, expand “Computer Configuration”, then go to “Administrative Templates”, then “Windows Components” and finally “Microsoft Edge”. In the right pane, double-click on “Configure Microsoft Edge Updater”, then select “Disabled” and click “OK”.
Preventing Microsoft Edge from Automatically Opening
If you want to keep Microsoft Edge on your device, but don’t want it to open automatically, you can prevent it from doing so. To do this, open the Start menu, then type “Default Apps” into the search bar and press Enter. In the Default Apps window, scroll down until you find “Web browser”, then click on it and select your preferred browser from the list.
Removing Microsoft Edge from the Taskbar
If you want to remove the Microsoft Edge icon from the taskbar, you can do so by right-clicking on the icon and selecting “Unpin from taskbar”. This will remove the icon from the taskbar, but it will not uninstall Microsoft Edge from your device.
Removing Microsoft Edge from the Start Menu
If you want to remove the Microsoft Edge icon from the Start menu, you can do so by right-clicking on the icon and selecting “Unpin from Start”. This will remove the icon from the Start menu, but it will not uninstall Microsoft Edge from your device.
Conclusion
Removing Microsoft Edge from your device is relatively easy and can be done using the Settings app in Windows 10, the Programs and Features tool in older versions of Windows, or by using the Group Policy Editor. If you don’t want to use Microsoft Edge, but don’t want to uninstall it, you can disable it or prevent it from opening automatically. Additionally, you can remove the Microsoft Edge icon from the taskbar or the Start menu by right-clicking on it and selecting “Unpin from taskbar” or “Unpin from Start”.
