Microsoft Edge Now De-Elevates Itself Automatically

The latest Canary build of Microsoft Edge Chromium introduces a new feature. Starting in build 78.0.253.0, the browser automatically de-elevates itself when started as Administrator.

As you may remember, Edge comes with a warning when started as Administrator. A message will be displayed with the following text:

Administrator Mode Detected
Close Microsoft Edge and relaunch in non-administrator mode for best performance

The Close Microsoft Edge button can be used to instantly close the browser. Clicking on the tiny close (x) button on the right will dismiss the warning and will allow using Edge elevated.

Running Edge elevated creates extra security risk by allowing the browser to access system protected areas and files. As an extra protection, the browser detects elevated mode and re-launches itself under regular limited credentials. This change is enabled by default starting in build 78.0.253.0.

This behavior can be controlled with a hidden flag. The change was mentioned in the Roadmap for the browser, which, however, doesn't mention the existence of the flag option. Let's see how to enable or disable it.

To Stop Microsoft Edge Chromium from De-Elevating Itself,

1. Update your Microsoft Edge to the latest version (see below). Build 78.0.253.0 and above is required.
2. Type edge://flags#edge-de-elevate-on-launch into the address bar and hit the Enter key.
3. Select Disable from the drop down menu next to the flag name.
4. Restart the browser when prompted.

You are done! The steps above will allow you to run Edge elevated again.

Don't forget to set the flag back to Default after you use this feature.

As you may already know, Microsoft is currently using three channels to deliver updates to Edge Insiders. The Canary channel receives updates daily (except Saturday and Sunday), the Dev channel is getting updates weekly, and the Beta channel is updated every 6 weeks. The stable channel is also on its way to users.

Actual Microsoft Edge Versions

The actual pre-release versions of Edge Chromium at the moment of this writing are as follows:

• Beta Channel: 77.0.235.9
• Dev Channel: 78.0.249.1 (see what's new in this version)
• Canary Channel: 78.0.253.0

I have covered many Edge tricks and features in the following post:

Hands-on with the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge

Also, see the following updates.

• Microsoft Details Edge Chromium Roadmap
• Microsoft Enables Global Media Controls in Microsoft Edge
• How to Use Cloud Powered Voices in Microsoft Edge Chormium
• Microsoft Edge Chromium: Never Translate, Prepopulate Find with Text Selection
• Enable Caret Browsing in Microsoft Edge Chromium
• Enable IE Mode in Chromium Edge
• Stable Update Channel Made its First Appearance for Microsoft Edge Chromium
• Microsoft Edge Chromium Receives an Updated Password Reveal Button
• What are Controlled Feature Roll-outs in Microsoft Edge
• Edge Canary Adds New InPrivate Text Badge, New Sync Options
• Microsoft Edge Chromium: Clear Browsing Data on Exit
• Microsoft Edge Chromium Now Allows Switching Theme
• Microsoft Edge: Support for Windows Spell Checker in Chromium Engine
• Microsoft Edge Chromium: Prepopulate Find with Text Selection
• Microsoft Edge Chromium Gets Tracking Prevention Settings
• Microsoft Edge Chromium: Change Display Language
• Group Policy Templates for Microsoft Edge Chromium
• Microsoft Edge Chromium: Pin Sites To Taskbar, IE Mode
• Microsoft Edge Chromium Will Allow Uninstalling PWAs as Desktop Apps
• Microsoft Edge Chromium Includes YouTube Video Info in Volume Control OSD
• Microsoft Edge Chromium Canary Features Dark Mode Improvements
• Show Icon Only for Bookmark in Microsoft Edge Chromium
• Autoplay Video Blocker is coming to Microsoft Edge Chromium
• Microsoft Edge Chromium is Receiving New Tab Page Customization Options
• Enable Microsoft Search in Microsoft Edge Chromium
• Grammar Tools Are Now Available in Microsoft Edge Chromium
• Microsoft Edge Chromium Now Follows System Dark Theme
• Here’s how Microsoft Edge Chromium looks on macOS
• Microsoft Edge Chromium now installs PWAs in the root of the Start menu
• Enable Translator in Microsoft Edge Chromium
• Microsoft Edge Chromium Dynamically Changes Its User Agent
• Microsoft Edge Chromium Warns When Running as Administrator
• Change Search Engine In Microsoft Edge Chromium
• Hide or Show Favorites Bar in Microsoft Edge Chromium
• Install Chrome Extensions in Microsoft Edge Chromium
• Enable Dark Mode in Microsoft Edge Chromium
• Chrome Features Removed and Replaced by Microsoft in Edge
• Microsoft Released Chromium-based Edge Preview Versions
• Chromium-Based Edge to Support 4K and HD Video Streams
• Microsoft Edge Insider extension now available in Microsoft Store
• Hands-on with the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge
• Microsoft Edge Insider Addons Page Revealed
• Microsoft Translator is Now Integrated with Microsoft Edge Chromium

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