How to Turn Off Microsoft Edge

Quick Tips

• Microsoft Edge cannot be uninstalled from Windows but can be disabled.
• You can switch out Edge as your default browser.
• You can also change system files to temporarily or permanently disable Edge, although this requires caution.

Microsoft Edge is the tech giant’s attempt to distance itself from its former browser, Internet Explorer. That said, you might not want the Chromium-based browser on your machine at all, or at least not running in the background.

Whatever your reason, this article has several different ways how to turn off Microsoft Edge temporarily or permanently.

How to Turn Off Microsoft Edge in Different Ways

Microsoft Edge is the default browser in Windows. As a Chromium-based browser, it also uses quite a bit of memory when running. Regardless of whether or not Edge is your default browser, its processes are constantly running in Task Manager, helping to provide services to Windows and various apps from the Microsoft Store. To top it all off, the browser cannot be uninstalled either.

As you can see, there are many potential reasons why you might not want to use this browser. Let’s look at a few ways of disabling it.

Change Your Default Browser

If you simply want to disable Edge as your default browser, then the process is quite easy. In fact, browsers like Google Chrome will offer you the option upon startup. Here’s how to do it with Windows:

1. Open your Search Bar and type in “Default apps.” Click on the option as it appears.

2. In the Default Apps window that opens, scroll down to “Web Browser” and click on the icon.

3. Choose another browser from the list to replace Edge.

Now, whenever you click on a hyperlink or an app that takes you to a site, it’ll be through your newly selected browser rather than Edge.

Properly Shut Down Microsoft Edge

Some users report that exiting Edge completely is one way to stop its background tasks from running. Here’s what to do:

1. Click the Hamburger Menu (the three dots) in the top right of your Edge browser window.

2. Navigate down to “Close Microsoft Edge” and click it. This will properly close Edge.

3. Open up Task Manager once you’re done (Ctrl + Alt + Esc) to see if all Edge processes have stopped.

Hiding Windows Edge

While you can’t uninstall Windows Edge, you can disable access to it by renaming its system files. This is an unorthodox solution, but can get the job done:

1. Right-click your Microsoft Edge shortcut (or the icon in the Start Menu) and choose “Open file location” from the Context menu.

2. In the Explorer window, repeat the process with the Edge icon.

3. You’ll then be taken to Edge’s application files. Rename the version folder at the top and confirm with Administrator privileges. Any name will work.

4. Once this is done, you’ll receive an error whenever you start Microsoft Edge. To undo, this change, simply return the folder to its original name.

Disable Edge via the Registry

Tampering with the Registry can be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing, but you can easily disable Edge in a few steps. Here’s how:

1. Open the Run dialog box (Win + R) and type in “regedit” before hitting “OK.”

2. In the Registry Editor, navigate to “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft.”

3. You’ll need to create a new key. Right-click “Microsoft,” then “New,” then “Key,” from the context menu.

4. Name the key “MicrosoftEdge.”

5. Inside this Key, create a new DWORD value by right-clicking the Key Folder and selecting “New” and “DWORD (32-bit) Value.”

6. Name the DWORD value “PreventLaunchEdge” and change its data to “1.”

7. Edge should now be disabled from starting.

Repairing Edge via Settings

If Edge is causing problems for you, then you can repair the app via your Windows Settings. Here’s what to do:

1. Open ‘Settings” (Win + I) and select “Apps.”

2. A list of all currently installed apps will appear. Navigate to Microsoft Edge and click it.

3. Choose “Modify” and you’ll be taken to the Edge repair wizard. Click “Repair” and follow the listed steps. You may need to restart your browser.