Microsoft Edge Browser

[BobH]

I use Firefox as my preferred browser. On some websites I have to have a chrome-based browser due to the way those sites work. On occasion, when I'm searching, clicking causes Edge to open. I don't like Edge; I don't want to use Edge; I would uninstall it from by system if I could, but it seems that is not possible. Is it like IE and so deeply entwined in Windows that it cannot be removed? Is there any way that I can prevent it from ever opening?

[JoeP]

Have you set FF as your default browser?

[BobH]

Yes, Fx is my default browser. It seems that certain sites select the Edge browser. I haven't detected a pattern yet. I thought that if I could simply block it from loading, I wouldn't have the problem.

[stuck]

...Fx is my default browser. It seems that certain sites select the Edge browser...

'Interesting'. FF is my default browser (has been since FF v1) but I've never seen Edge open a site unless I'm actually using Edge.

Perhaps it's something to do with the search you are starting from? I can imagine that if your search is a list of hits from Bing that clicking on those links in FF would invoke Edge rather than obeying your default and staying within FF. It's the sort of irritating thing MS would do. Or are you not searching in FF but using the search box on your Taskbar. As far as I know those results come from Bing so again I could imagine they would open in Edge.

Can you give an example of a link that you find opens in Edge and not FF, to see if any of us here can recreate the effect?

Ken

[BobH]

Thanks, Ken!

I don't have an example at hand but will get one the next time I see it happen.

I never choose Bing as my search engine. By default, I use duckduckgo but sometimes resort to google if my hits are too few with ddg.

[JoeP]

It could be you accidentally selected Edge to always open a certain file type such as a PDF.

[BobH]

I have more information about my Edge issue.

CCleaner requires that browsers and my Thunderbird client be closed in order to run. I routinely close Firefox and Thunderbird before launching CCleaner. What happens is that CCleaner displays a message saying that Edge must be closed. When I last got that response, I looked at Task Manager to see if it showed Edge running. It did not! I looked under Apps, Background Processes and Windows Processes but did not find it. I suppose it is possible that something is running that Task Manager does not report. I don't know.

I went back to CCleaner and responded to its query to close Edge telling it to close. CCleaner then ran properly.

I've now experienced this exact sequence on 3 occasions that I recall . . . and probably more.

I am yet to discover how Edge is launched, if, in fact it is. What I do know is that CCleaner thinks it is open and requires me to affirm the request to close it before proceeding. I will continue to check Task Manager before launching CCleaner. If the message occurs again despite no evidence in Task Manager, I will report it.

[StuartR]

Try turning off these two options in Microsoft Edge settings

[BobH]

Thank you, Stuart!

It's done and Edge restarted to have the changes take effect. We shall see if the issue repeats.