How to Uninstall and Remove Microsoft Edge Browser in Windows 10
In Windows 10, Microsoft introduced a new browser called Microsoft Edge. It was created to replace Internet Explorer. Edge is positioned as a modern browser with support of all mainstream web standards. Microsoft implemented a new rendering engine for the browser, which stripped out a lot of legacy code. However, for many users, Microsoft Edge is not at all impressive. Its user interface is less configurable at all compared to Internet Explorer's rich options. Many users want to remove Microsoft Edge from Windows 10. Today, I would like to share how it can be done.
Update: In Windows 10, version 2004, and Windows 10, version 20H2, the legacy Microsoft Edge app has been replaced with a newer app, which is Chromium based. It is preinstalled by default, and can also be installed manually by downloading its installer from Microsoft.
Microsoft Edge is now a Chromium-based browser with a number of exclusive features like Read Aloud and services tied to Microsoft instead of Google. The browser has already received a few updates, with support for ARM64 devices. Also, Microsoft Edge is still supporting a number of aging Windows versions, including Windows 7. Finally, interested users can download MSI installers for deployment and customization.
Note: Once installed, it replaces the classic Edge and hides it from the app list. Check out how to have them installed side-by-side.
In this post, we will see how to uninstall and remove the Microsoft Edge browser in Windows 10, both its Chromium and Legacy versions.
We will start with the Chromium-based one.
To Uninstall and Remove Microsoft Edge Browser in Windows 10
- Open File Explorer.
- Navigate to the following folder:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application. - There, you will find a subfolder that matches the current version of the installed Edge browser, e.g.
83.0.478.58.
- Under it, you will find the
Installerfolder, e.g.83.0.478.58\Installer, which contains thesetup.exefile.
- Click on the address bar of File Explorer, type
cmd.exeand hit theEnterkey to open the command prompt in the current folder.
- Enter the following command and hit Enter:
setup.exe --uninstall --system-level --verbose-logging --force-uninstall.
You are done. The Microsoft Edge browser is now uninstalled.
If you need to remove the legacy app, follow the below instructions.
Uninstall and remove the Edge legacy browser (EdgeHTML)
Like any built-in Windows apps, Microsoft Edge has no option to get rid of it. To uninstall and remove the Edge browser in Windows 10, we need to refer to a third party tool. Follow the intructions below.
- Download the Uninstall Edge ZIP file I made to make it easy.
- Extract all files from the ZIP archive you downloaded to any desired folder, e.g. Desktop.
- Right click the Uninstall Edge.cmd file and select "Run as Administrator".
- Wait till the process is done.
- Restart Windows 10.
- Now, set your favorite browser as the default. For example, to set Firefox as the default, refer to this article: How to set Firefox as the default browser in Windows 10.
Behind this trick is an application called WIMTweak which manages Windows Packages and allows you to hide/unhide them from the Windows image (WIM) file. It works on offline images as well as online. WIMTweak was created by MSFN user Legolash2o, so credits for this awesome tool go to him.
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How to uninstall Edge, how to uninstall built-in apps, how to go back to the old start menu,…
What’s next? How to remove Windows 10 ?
Well, why not? :)
Well you might like bloatware but a lot of us don’t. If I was an Apple person I would be trying to remove a shit load of Apple bloatware, and Linux has its share of crap.
That would be THE BEST…. Give us a copy of Windows 7 or 8 to download and revert back to…..
I HATE EDGE… and that Bitch CORTANA…. I had them and others ALL deleted from my Windows 10.. then MS did that April download and I woke up to that Bitch CORTANA again… I was PISSED….. SO glad I found THIS… NOW.. How can we Annihilate CORTANA ? ?
This is great, my PC is now totally free of these useless modern apps.
Most of them will be probably reinstalled automatically by Windows.
yeah, i uninstalled my edge and windows doesnt happy about it, every 3 days after starting up my laptop, windows yells me in oobe-like screen and reminds me to use their service XD
then windows reinstalls edge even after using this tool
`How to Butcher Windows 10′.
Please remember to leave some vital organs..
Ahaha :D
Best comment ever.
Microsoft did a fine job of butchering Windows on their own with no help from anyone.
Thanks Sergey, I had to search very hard to find this solution. I do not know if it will break a future update — but every update breaks something anyway! Ah but now my friend you must distinguish between Edge legacy and Edge Chromium because the idiots at Microsoft have decided to use the same name for two completely different browsers, to confuse the public as much as possible. Next they will probably skip a version number (like Windows 9) to make you think the product is better than its competitors.
https://www.ghacks.net/2020/02/25/study-finds-brave-to-be-the-most-private-browser/
How to install the old Modern IE?
There is no way. Thanks to MS.
Windows 10 will not be able to run it.
IE is still in the program files folder, but i don’t recommend using it. Any IE anyway.
In the search bar at the bottom left, type “Internet Explorer.” It’s already installed. Right click it to pin it to your start or taskbar.
It’s a horrible program, but some websites will ONLY run on IE.
Not remove icon Edge in Start menu !
I say the same as “saper1972”.
How do I delete the Edge icon from the Start Menu?
The app is uninstalled, but the shortcut remains. :-(
In the Start Menu? You mean the Tile? If so you should be able to right click and Un-Pin From Start.
How do I re install it?
Thanks. I had no use for Edge, plus it and feedback quit working, so away they go. Looking forward to more Windows 10 downloads.
I fail to see why you run 3 commands:
install_wim_tweak.exe /o /l
-> This only lists packages in current online image (i.e. does nothing).
install_wim_tweak.exe /o /c Microsoft-Windows-Internet-Browser-Package /r
-> This unHides and then removes Edge.
install_wim_tweak.exe /h /o /l
-> This re-hides packages, but since you haven’t unHidden any BUT the removed package, there is no need…
Well done and thanks a ton.
One little problem left: the icon for Edge is still showing up in All Apps.
I’d like to get rid of that, too. Any ideas?
Greetings.
Just hold the icon , and on the top right of icon you will see a PIN , hit that and icon will go away.
Delete it!
How can you REinstall it after this?
I ran this twice following the instructins and both times fails:
Windows cannot access the specified device,path,or file. You may not have the appropriate permissions to access the item.
u must run the app as administrator
I did this a while ago, and it worked flawlessly. Unfortunately, with one of the newer updates, I started to have slow boot problems. I checked the event viewer and I get these errors every day:
‘Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe’ install failed for Main User. Error: ‘Install failed. Please contact your software vendor.’ (0.1562558 seconds)
The Appx operation ‘RegisterPackageAsync’ on ‘Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_20.10240.16384.0_neutral__8wekyb3d8bbwe’ failed for user ‘Main User’ – Rejecting a request to register from AppxManifest.xml because the manifest is not in the package root.. (Error: Install failed. Please contact your software vendor.)
I’ve been searching days trying to find out how to reinstall Edge, but it looks like I need to reformat and start from scratch. Has anyone else had a similar problem with these error messages? How can we reinstall Edge without a reformat?
If I do this, would I be able to re-install back in the future?
No.
It will be removed permanently.
You just have to upgrade to a new build of Windows 10 to restore Edge.
How do I undo this? I would like to re-install edge now…
Re-install Windows will install all the bloatware.
Can you please make one for Windows Defender Security Center, I hate that program, I’ve disabled it but I can’t get rid of the icon on the Start Menu, I use the normal Windows Defender though so I’d like to keep that :P
By NORD VPN
I have a Connect icon on my All Apps list and when you right click it has an option to Uninstall the app, but after displaying an hourglass for a moment nothing happens. Is there a way to remove this?
Thanks for making this tweak.
Taking ownership
Editing Packages subkeys 2/2 OK
Modifying registry completed successfully
Removing packages… 1/2
Nothing happens…I just see the small white arrow where 1/2 is but nothing happens. It’s been about 15 minutes
What should I do?????
Why isn’t this article or the comments dated? I’m not going to download an app if I don’t know how old it is or if/when it was last updated.
And especially if whomever is offering it isn’t around to offer support.
The article date is BELOW the article text.
You always share useful content and same in the case of this workaround. Thanks for sharing :)
Thanks for kind words.
This download to remove EDGE from Windows 10 is really great! True genius and a real benefit
to the IE world. Will donate!
While I dislike Edge as much as the next guy, it would be just like M$ to decommission IE in favor of edge. We run some apps that are browser specific to IE (I know, it hurts to admit, not my decision), and it would be nice to know how to re-install edge without having to reinstall Windows. Anyone play around more with this tool and figure something out?
I used the unistall edge zip file and it worked but my main reason for doing it was to free up space on my C drive but that has not changed. How can I remove the unrequired files?
it looks like uninstalling Edge using the 3rd party tool this way leaves a nasty side effect of preventing the installation of new cumulative updates for v1803/v1809/v1903 and installation of new CUs result in error message “the following updates were not installed” when manually attempting to install them.
time to do in-place upgrades to repair my Win10 installs where I had used the third party tool to remove Edge and restore the old Edge, just to resolve the problem of cumulative updates not installing because of uninstalling Edge this way.
Doesn’t work since last Windows 10 update : Windows 10 Famille Version 1903 18362.418.
This update version launchs again display of images ! Edge is obviously active…
Triggered malware on online scanner
The app is open-source. You can compile it yourself, and use only the batch file from the ZIP archive.
Please be aware that removing Edge will make certain Windows security updates such as KB4549951 fail. These updates presume Edge to be present when trying to patch it. If Edge is missing, these updates will fall with error code 0x80240fff. As security updates generally address a number of issues throughout Windows, this may mean that your system may be open to known security issues. Only bringing Edge back – e.g., refreshing your Windows installation – will get your system patched up all the way again. Big bummer.
Correction: the most common error code is 0x800f081f
You’re absolutely right, this f[censored]k up completely Windows Update
Really Appreciate! for this update, I need this from long time
I tried using uninstall privilages using the admin, but the new version doesn’t want to uninstall! >:( Now the new version of Edge is impossible to uninstall! Will you update the zip file please?
I have done that already. Here you go: Uninstall Microsoft Edge If Uninstall Button is Grayed Out
Running Uninstall_Edge.bat under Windows 10 10.0.20190.1000 (the latest Windows Insider download), still works (to uninstall Edge) but leaves Microsoft Edge listed on the programs list seen from Windows Start.
Can this be fixed in a future release please?
This does, it works, but it ruins the Windows Update system, preventing the installation of future updates. I definitely don’t recommend it
Thanks. This booger wouldn’t come off easily.
As usual, quality content.
Currently script isn’t working :( I can’t update Windows from 20H1 to 20H2 without this tweak functionality :'(
That’s because in 20H2 you have the different Edge app.
You need to follow these new instructions: https://winaero.com/uninstall-microsoft-edge-if-uninstall-button-is-grayed-out/
Thanks Sergey. Worked perfectly!
Vivadli !
I would be afraid completely removing using workarounds will break something, or cause errors/corruption. Or even reduce security. As it is built into Windows as core part, used also for another features like IE. And it is updated often, on next update this may not work… Windows is so annoying… I think I will settle for now, denying all permissions for my user account for Edge. So it can’t run. Also it is annoying process edge updater is running sometimes, or service. I don’t want garbage running on my computer. There is one stripper Windows version, but it has only DX11 and it is not as secure, I might as well use Win 7 then…
I only update windows once a year, I disable everything with the software shutup10, also remove microsoft bloatware every year. Just download the new releases every year.
I get the message “Microsoft Edge Installer has stopped working” when I run the CMD.
Hi;It’s12/16/22, and Edge is at 108.0.1462.54. It got loaded as part of and was bundled w/ the Win 10 update. It is particularly stubborn, and does not respond to your well written instructions. It seems to have new “protections”. Your essay was the best article I could find, and it led me through the process. But the new Edge is tough. And is still in place. Until, the next time…..
I really want Edge out and gone.
Thanks, David.