How to Uninstall or Disable Microsoft Edge on Windows 10/11 | Windows OS Hub (2025)

The Microsoft Edge browser is installed by default on Windows 11 and all new Windows 10 builds (and Windows Server 2022/2019). If you have another browser installed on the computers in your organization, you can uninstall or disable the Microsoft Edge browser on Windows.

Contents:

  • Uninstalling Microsoft Edge in Windows 10 and 11
  • How to Disable Microsoft Edge in Windows?

The main problem is that you cannot remove the MS Edge browser from your computer using the common Windows removal tools. It is also deeply integrated into the operating system, just like Internet Explorer, which it replaces (see how to Uninstall Internet Explorer on Windows). If you open the Apps and Features section in the Settings panel (use the ms-settings URI command ms-settings:appsfeatures ), you will see that the Uninstall button for the Microsoft Edge browser is inactive (grayed out).

How to Uninstall or Disable Microsoft Edge on Windows 10/11 | Windows OS Hub (1)

Note that you can only uninstall Edge through Control Panel if you installed it manually (not through Windows Update).

Also, you can’t use the Uninstall-Package PowerShell cmdlet to remove MS Edge on Windows.

Get-Package -name "*Microsoft Edge*" | Uninstall-Package

You run the command, but nothing seems to happen.

How to Uninstall or Disable Microsoft Edge on Windows 10/11 | Windows OS Hub (2)

Uninstalling Microsoft Edge in Windows 10 and 11

The only way to uninstall MS Edge on Windows is from the command line. First, you need to find out the build number of the latest version of the MS Edge browser installed on your computer. Open the elevated PowerShell console and run the command below:

$EdgeVersion = (Get-AppxPackage "Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge.Stable" -AllUsers).Version

There may be different versions of Edge installed on the computer. The one we’re looking for is the most recent one:

$EdgeLstVersion=$EdgeVersion[-1]

How to Uninstall or Disable Microsoft Edge on Windows 10/11 | Windows OS Hub (3)

Now get the path to the Edge installation directory:

$EdgeSetupPath = ${env:ProgramFiles(x86)} + '\Microsoft\Edge\Application\' + $EdgeLstVersion

In our case, it’s C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\103.0.1264.37

Next, go to the directory:

cd "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\103.0.1264.37"

And run the command to remove Microsoft Edge:

.\Installer\setup.exe --uninstall --system-level --verbose-logging --force-uninstall

A window should then appear asking you to confirm the removal of Edge (in my case, it did appear in Windows Server 2022 and Windows 10, but not on Windows 11). Just click Uninstall.

How to Uninstall or Disable Microsoft Edge on Windows 10/11 | Windows OS Hub (4)

You can also remove the Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime feature, which is used to embed Web content in desktop applications using the Chromium engine in Microsoft Edge. Change the directory:

cd "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\EdgeWebView\Application\103.0.1204.37\Installer\

Run the removal command:

setup.exe --uninstall --msedgewebview --system-level --verbose-logging

How to Uninstall or Disable Microsoft Edge on Windows 10/11 | Windows OS Hub (5)

This removal command no longer works in the new build of Windows 10 and 11 22H2.

To uninstall MS Edge in new versions, you need to copy the old version of the setup.exe file (92.0.902.67) from the previous build of Windows 10 21H1 and use it to delete Edge:

setup.exe --uninstall --msedgewebview --system-level --verbose-logging

Check that the Microsoft Edge shortcut disappears from the taskbar and Start Menu.

Be sure to set a different default browser in Windows and configure file associations for *.HTML and *.HTM. Don’t forget to install an alternative PDF viewer if you used Edge to view PDF files.

To disable the automatic installation and updating of Microsoft Edge through Windows Update, you must create the DoNotUpdateToEdgeWithChromium registry parameter. You can create this registry key and parameter using PowerShell:

Set-item -Path "HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate"
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate" -Name DoNotUpdateToEdgeWithChromium -Type "DWORD" -Value 1 –Force

How to Uninstall or Disable Microsoft Edge on Windows 10/11 | Windows OS Hub (6)

I have also tried to uninstall built-in MS Edge as a regular Microsoft Store app (UWP/APPX):

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers "*edge*"|select Name,PackageFullName
Get-AppxPackage -allusers –Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge.Stable_103.0.1264.37_neutral__8wekyb3d8bbwe | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers

But I ran into the error HRESULT: 0x80073CFA when trying to uninstall the built-in app. And while you can fix this error by following the instructions in the link, I still recommend using the first method because it’s much easier.

How to Disable Microsoft Edge in Windows?

If you don’t want to completely uninstall MS Edge from your Windows device, but just want to prevent users from using it, you can disable it. Unfortunately, I was unable to find a simple GPO or registry setting that would disable the Edge browser launch.

Therefore, you can simply prevent the msedge.exe executable from running on Windows using the Applocker, Software Restriction Policy, or Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC). But it can be done more easily:

  1. First, disable MS Edge’s autostart on Windows sign-in;
  2. Then open the Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc);
  3. Go to User Configuration -> Policies -> Administrative Templates -> System;
  4. Enable the parameter Don’t run specified Windows applications, and click Show;
  5. Specify the name of the msedge.exe executable file that you want to prevent from running; How to Uninstall or Disable Microsoft Edge on Windows 10/11 | Windows OS Hub (7)
  6. Save the changes and update the Group Policy settings with the gpupdate /force command;
  7. Users will no longer be able to run Microsoft Edge on this computer. If you try to open Edge, an error will appear:
This operation has been cancelled due to restrictions in effect on this computer. Please contact your system administrator.

How to Uninstall or Disable Microsoft Edge on Windows 10/11 | Windows OS Hub (8)

How to Uninstall or Disable Microsoft Edge on Windows 10/11 | Windows OS Hub (2025)

FAQs

How do I permanently remove Microsoft Edge from Windows 11? ›

Choose Installed Apps.

Find Microsoft Edge in the list choose the three dots and then Uninstall. If the Uninstall button is greyed out, restart your PC again to make sure all the changes have kicked in. If it's not working after a couple of reboots, recheck your steps.

How do I completely disable Microsoft Edge? ›

Here are the steps to disable Microsoft Edge:
  1. Open the Start menu and type "PowerShell" in the search bar.
  2. Right-click on "Windows PowerShell" and select "Run as administrator".
  3. In the PowerShell window, type the following command and press Enter: Get-AppxPackage *MicrosoftEdge* | Remove-AppxPackage.
Nov 4, 2023

Why is Microsoft Edge always running in the background Windows 11? ›

Everything happens for a reason, and Microsoft does this for a couple of reasons—both designed to improve your experience. First, running in the background ensures the browser opens right when you need it, so you don't waste time waiting for the browser page to load.

Why can't I uninstall Microsoft Edge? ›

Microsoft Edge is the web browser recommended by Microsoft and is the default web browser for Windows. Because Windows supports applications that rely on the web platform, our default web browser is an essential component of our operating system and can't be uninstalled.

How do I stop Edge from running on Windows 11? ›

If you don't want Microsoft Edge to start when you sign in to Windows, you can change this in Windows Settings.
  1. Go to Start > Settings .
  2. Select Accounts > Sign-in options.
  3. Turn off Automatically save my restartable apps when I sign out and restart them when I sign in.

Is it safe to uninstall Edge from Windows 11? ›

Key Takeaways

Microsoft Edge is deeply integrated into Windows, making it impossible to uninstall. Microsoft strongly advises against removing it.

How do I completely close Microsoft Edge? ›

Right-click Start , and select Task Manager. Select Microsoft Edge, and then End task.

How do I stop my computer from defaulting to Microsoft Edge? ›

Follow these steps:
  1. Click the Start button and then select “Settings” from the menu.
  2. In the Settings app, go to “Apps” and click on “Default apps” from the left-hand side.
  3. Scroll down to the section titled “Web browser”. ...
  4. A list of available browsers will show up. ...
  5. Once you've chosen, close the Settings app.

How do I stop Edge from hijacking my browser? ›

(at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Settings". In the "On startup" section look for the name of the browser hijacker and click "Disable". near it and select "Disable".

How do I stop Microsoft Edge from running automatically? ›

To block Edge from opening automatically:
  1. Right-click the taskbar and choose “Task Manager.”
  2. Click the “Startup” tab.
  3. Look for “Microsoft Edge” in the list of startup programs.
  4. Right-click “Microsoft Edge” and select “Disable.”

How do I fix Microsoft Edge problems in Windows 11? ›

Repair Microsoft Edge

Go to Start > Settings > Apps > Apps & features. In the apps list, select Microsoft Edge and then select Modify. If the Modify command isn't available, it's likely that your organization installed Microsoft Edge and is managing it for you. For help, contact your system administrator.

Does Windows 11 make you use Edge? ›

How to change your default browser in Windows 11. If you've updated your PC from Windows 10 to Windows 11, you may have noticed that when you click on a link for a website, a PDF document, or a variety of other file types, you will now be sent to Microsoft's Edge browser.

How to permanently Uninstall Microsoft Edge? ›

Scroll down and find Microsoft Edge in the list of installed apps.
  1. Expand its options by clicking on it.
  2. Click the “Uninstall” button below.
  3. A confirmation prompt will appear. Click “Uninstall” again to confirm.

How to force Uninstall Microsoft Edge Windows 11? ›

Alternatively, for ADVANCED users, you can just:
  1. Right-click Microsoft Edge icon - > Open File Location.
  2. Navigate into the Version# folder then into "Installer" folder.
  3. Type "cmd" into the Folder Address bar.
  4. Type setup.exe -uninstall -system-level -verbose-logging -force-uninstall.
Jun 4, 2023

How do I clear Microsoft Edge? ›

How to clear data collected or stored by Microsoft Edge. To clear browsing info stored on your device, like saved passwords or cookies: In Microsoft Edge, select Settings and more > Settings > Privacy, search, and services . Under Clear browsing data, select Choose what to clear.

How do I remove the Microsoft Edge icon from my desktop Windows 11? ›

Microsoft Edge Shortcut Appearing on Desktop? How to Fix (2023)
  1. Use Registry Editor to Prevent Edge From Creating a Shortcut on Windows 11. ...
  2. Disable Microsoft Edge From Running During Startup.
  3. Remove Microsoft Edge as the Default Browser.
  4. Stop Edge-related Scheduled Tasks.
  5. Change Group Policy of Microsoft Edge.
Jun 19, 2023

How do I close all Microsoft Edge in Windows? ›

Alternatively, you can use keyboard shortcuts to close all tabs. Use the "Ctrl + Shift + Q" key combination to quickly close all tabs at once, without having to go through menus. This keyboard shortcut is particularly useful if you need to quickly close all tabs to free up memory or system resources.

How do I uninstall Microsoft Edge 2024? ›

If you installed the browser by downloading it manually, please try the software uninstaller or refer to the following method:
  1. Select Windows icon > Apps > Installed Apps.
  2. Locate the Edge program, click the three dots on the right, and select Uninstall.

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