How to block the new Microsoft Edge on Windows 10 devices
Microsoft started the rollout of the new Microsoft Edge web browser that is based on Chromium via Windows Update this week. It is pushed to Windows 10 devices using Windows Update, but only if the new Edge is not installed already on the device.
The new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge web browser is seen as a big improvement by many as it uses the same core as Google Chrome; that means better web compatibility and that it is faster, that users may install Google Chrome extensions, and more.
The new browser does not replicate the full feature set of the classic Edge browser on the other hand; some organizations may want to keep on using the classic version of Microsoft Edge for a period of time.
Microsoft continues to support the classic Edge with security updates but it won't add any new features to it. It is therefore not a problem to keep the classic version of Microsoft Edge installed on a system for the time being.
Administrators may block the deployment of the Chromium-based Edge browser by adding a value to the Registry. If set correctly, Windows Update will not download and install the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser on the system.
Note: the value can only be set if the new Edge is not installed already on the device.
Here is how that is done:
- Tap on the Start key, type regedit.exe and hit the Enter-key to start the Registry Editor.
- Confirm the UAC prompt if it is displayed.
- Go to the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft.
- Find the key EdgeUpdate.
- Right-click on EdgeUpdate and select New > Dword (32-bit) Value.
- Name the value DoNotUpdateToEdgeWithChromium.
- Double-click on the newly generated Dword and set its data value to 1.
- Restart the computer.
A value of 1 means that the update to the Chromium-based Edge browser is blocked. Delete the newly created Dword at a later point in time to allow the update.
Now You: Classic or new Microsoft Edge, which do you favor, and why?
The new Edge Browser is a pretty solid choice, open source, fast updates, based on Chromium and combined with Windows Defender Application Guard feature can be the best Browser security wise on desktops.
Definitely better than Chrome security and privacy wise.
About privacy yes there are issues but it doesn’t defer from Firefox for example, the later has the same kind of telemetry build in. If you matter privacy more, you need to move away from the mainstream browsers. (try ungoogled chromium)
The only complain i see about Edge is that you need to pay $5 to get the source code. Other than that the new Edge is finally a Browser i can recommend to people and sadly this is the first time in the history of 25 years of Microsoft Browsers.
It’s worse than Chrome security and privacy wise.
Just have a look at the latest results from infographic.
Microsoft is the worst privacy offender after Facebook.
They managed to beat Google!!!, Google is 3rd now after Facebook and Microsoft.
https://i.pcmag.com/imagery/articles/00xZfDSOGvKfS9euP701qj5-2.png
Microsoft has a few key differences. They aren’t an ad driven company. They are a product driven company and much of their data is collected to improve said products.
Microsoft enacted GDPR regardless of country. Google didn’t. Privacy shouldn’t be based on where you are born. Microsoft was notably better here and that should be acknowledged whether you like or trust them or not.
Microsoft has promised to keep Google accountable and they are pushing for good changes like teaming up to rewrite elements of the browser in Rust. The more market share Microsoft has the more away. The catch being is your usage won’t be reported to market share trackers due to the use of adblockers.
I hope Microsoft takes a large bit out of Chrome market share. It’s good for everyone.
Microsoft has notable technical superiority. They automatically turn off telemetry without user interaction if they disable it in the OS. Edge also supports default integration with WDAG.
Edge Chromium also supports built in tracked blocking, data clearing on close (which has the nifty feature to save cookies per whitelisted sites).
tl;dr
Edge Chromium is far better than Chrome and it’s not close.
A thought just occurred to me, if an average Jo installs their own third part browser they’ll now have 4 internet browsers installed, Internet explorer, Old Edge, New Edge, and the browser they choose to install.
Who said Microsoft doesn’t let you choose. ;)
The old edge is replaced, so you cannot access it anymore.
For myself I’d rather have the new Edge on my PC as a alternative then Legacy Edge which is basically useless in everyday use. Even if its not a browser you car to use all the time it makes for a much better option. I’ve been using new Edge since beta testing it and its Chrome with a Microsoft touch. Don’t see any real reason to avoid installing it.
Ι don’t see any reason to use it. Microsoft touch = replace Google’s spyware with our spyware. They get enough from me on OS level. No thank you, there are many Chrome’s out there with no spyware at all.
Microsoft for deciding for me to install a new browser on my OS. Thanks Martin for passing on this info.
“Microsoft for deciding for me to install a new browser on my OS.”
And which OS is that?
Thought as much. My OS….. lol
Another site with too many idjits bitching and complaining.
Note to self – upon visiting this site, stick to reading the somewhat useful articles and ignore the comment section. Too many self-absorbed morons with way too much time on their hands.
Too many people like you, you mean?
Great! I had both the gpedit and registry entries and did updates through MS Update Catalog of just the early May updates removed both entries. ( I’m on Win10 Pro.)
WTF are all those freaking driver updates in the Update Catalog now? MS and drivers never mix well! The future is looking bleak…more Linux in my crystal ball.
So, using the registry tweaks (regedit is same as Martin’s) and gpedit entries from:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/how-to-block-windows-10-update-force-installing-the-new-edge-browser/
They’re both back. Even after a boot.
FMS! Somehow in all this (no surprise MS can’t even be evil correctly) Chredge was not installed! Yay!!!
Do folks who don’t care about dissecting Windows have installs that work? Or just wait and wait and wait for data scraping to finish before something happens?
Windows always downloaded and updated drivers via WU, at least ever since Vista that was the default behaviour. You can find them in WU catalog as well. That’s how I used to update the Realtek HDA driver, since MS was always faster to post the reference driver compared to Realtek’s official website – I’ve given up on this eventually as the generic driver almost always had worse latency compared to the motherboard manufacturer provided driver. This was back in the day when you could finally get fancy effects and a global equaliser, onwadays they are present in the manufacturer one; sometimes with added specific functionality, which the e=generic one lacks.
@Yulia
I know but take a look at today’s catalog, there’s almost an entire page of just drivers for each OS update, at least for 1909.
Very different than even a month ago. Weird.
There is no Edge on LTSC :3 And I disabled IE too :3
There’s no “EdgeUpdate”. Do I just create it?
Yes, if it does not exist, you need to create it.
Or use the Microsoft toolkit if uncomfortable with registry tweaks:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/how-to-block-windows-10-update-force-installing-the-new-edge-browser/
> Classic or new Microsoft Edge, which do you favor, and why?
Honestly, Martin, none of the two. MS Edge is even worse than Google Chrome for privacy:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/research-finds-microsoft-edge-has-privacy-invading-telemetry/
This doesn’t get hinted at on gHacks all too often, which is why I am hinting at the fact in the comments section. Unless I were forced to use it, e.g. at work, I wouldn’t use MS Edge under any circumstances.
If Chromium is the desired choice, then I can recommend Ungoogled Chromium or Brave. The rest are either spyware (Edge, Chrome, Opera) or only partially open source, with privacy as an afterthought (Vivaldi). Next to Brave, Bromite and Kiwi are good choices on Android.
Actually ghacks did report on that when the paper came out. However they don’t warn people that it’s not a good choice if you value privacy in any other article that I’ve seen.
does the transition of old to new edge also migrate all your settings? (bookmark, etc)
This is my question also. I have certain settings and extensions setup just the way I need them. If the new version simply removes everything, and just replaces it with a stock new version, I’m going to be really angry. I don’t mind if they install the new version, but don’t mess with my setup of the old version.
I would like to have the new Edge on my PC, but I would still use 3rd party browser.
It would be interesting what those tools for blocking crap on Windows 10 will devise to block/remove it.
It would be nice in time if IE also gets deprecated and removed from the OS, it will be a big step up.