How to Remove Microsoft Edge From Windows 11 (2024)

What to Know

  • Delete Edge from Settings > Apps > Installed apps. For most people, though, the uninstall option is greyed out.
  • To enable the Uninstall button for Edge, open Registry Editor and change the NoRemove value from 1 to 0.
  • Another way to remove Microsoft Edge is with a PowerShell command. Below are two options for doing that.

This article explains how to remove Microsoft Edge from your Windows 11 PC.

How to Fix It When Microsoft Edge Is Not Working

Uninstall Edge in Windows 11 Using Registry Editor

Microsoft makes it easy to delete Edge, but only if you make a really small change to the Windows Registry first. Don't worry, it's easy. Follow these steps if the Uninstall option is greyed out for Edge in Settings:

Most of these steps aren't necessary if you're in a European Economic Area country. Jump to Step 4 if that's you.

  1. Open the Windows Registry Editor and paste the following into the path at the top of the program. Press Enter to jump to this key:

     Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\MicrosoftEdge
  2. Double-click NoRemove on the right.

  3. Change the value to 0 and then press OK.

    How to Remove Microsoft Edge From Windows 11 (1)

  4. You can now uninstall Edge from Settings > Apps > Installed apps. Press the three dots next to Microsoft Edge, then choose Uninstall.

The PowerShell Command to Uninstall Edge

We recommend using the method explained above. But, if you like to run commands to perform advanced functions like this, you'll first need to find Edge's installation folder. Here's where to find it and how to run a command to delete Microsoft Edge from Windows 11:

  1. Open File Explorer (press Win+E to do this quickly). Type or paste this into the address bar of File Explorer and press Enter:

     C:\ProgramFiles(x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application

    How to Remove Microsoft Edge From Windows 11 (3)

  2. Open the most recently modified folder with a numerical name. For example, 124.0.2478.97.

  3. Right-click the Installer folder and choose Copy as path.

    How to Remove Microsoft Edge From Windows 11 (4)

  4. Open Terminal as an administrator and launch PowerShell from there. Type cd, and then paste the path you copied in the last step. It should look something like this:

     cd"C:\ProgramFiles(x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\124.0.2478.97\Installer"

    How to Remove Microsoft Edge From Windows 11 (5)

  5. Press Enter to run the command, which will change the working directory to that folder.

  6. Copy the command below and then paste it into PowerShell by right-clicking once in the black box.

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

    How to Remove Microsoft Edge From Windows 11 (6)

  7. Press Enter and wait for the command to run. Edge should be removed from your computer.

An Alternative Command to Uninstall Microsoft Edge

If the first approach did not work as expected, there is another option to try that uses a different command.

  1. Open PowerShell through Terminal as described above. Make sure you launch it as an admin by right-clicking it in the Start menu and choosing Run as administrator.

  2. Type the following and press Enter to run the command:

     get-appxpackage*edge*
  3. Find PackageFullName in the lines of data that appear. Highlight the information to the right of the colon and press Ctrl+C to copy it.

    How to Remove Microsoft Edge From Windows 11 (7)

  4. Type remove-appxpackage at the bottom of the PowerShell window and then paste the text you copied in the last step. Here's our example (yours might look a little different):

     remove-appxpackageMicrosoft.MicrosoftEdgeDevToolsClient_1000.22621.1.0_neutral_neutral_8wekyb3d8bbwe
  5. Press Enter. When the command is finished running, Edge should be removed from your computer.

Do I Have to Delete Edge?

It's probably best to keep Edge around. Not only will Windows try to reinstall it later via Windows Update, but Windows could misbehave without Edge. The better option is to simply pick a different browser; you can run more than one on your computer at the same time.

There are lots of browsers to pick from: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Opera are just a few examples. Once you install an alternative to Edge, it's easy to change the default browser in Windows 11 from Settings.

The Top 10 Internet Browsers for 2024

Remove the Edge Icon From the Taskbar, Start Menu, or Desktop

If you don't uninstall Edge, you can still remove the Microsoft Edge icon.

To delete it from the taskbar, right-click its icon and select Unpin from taskbar. If it's visible in the Start menu, right-click the Edge icon and choose Unpin from Start. If there's a shortcut on the desktop, right-click it and select Delete.

How to Customize Windows 11

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for letting us know!

Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day

Subscribe

Tell us why!

How to Remove Microsoft Edge From Windows 11 (2024)

FAQs

How to Remove Microsoft Edge From Windows 11? ›

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.

Can Microsoft Edge be removed? ›

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? ›

Open Microsoft Edge and navigate to the ellipses (…) to open Settings and more. Select Settings > Systems and performance. Scroll to Continue running background extensions and apps when Microsoft Edge is closed to toggle it off. Now, when the browser is closed, it won't be running in the background.

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 close Microsoft Edge in Windows 11? ›

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

How to completely remove 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.

Does Windows 11 force you to use Edge? ›

Microsoft has been forcing Windows 10 and Windows 11 users into Edge and its Bing search engine in the Start menu search results, and now with the new Widgets panel in Windows 11. It's a frustrating part of Windows that doesn't respect your default browser choice.

Will my computer work without Microsoft Edge? ›

No, you cannot. Microsoft Edge is part of the operating system, and provides internet services for other parts of Windows and for Microsoft Store apps.

What happens if I force uninstall Microsoft Edge? ›

What Happens if I Force Uninstall Microsoft Edge? That won't work. The only way to delete Microsoft Edge is to delete all the Edge folders with “Edge” in their names using the command prompt in Windows safe mode.

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

Remove desktop "Microsoft Edge" icon by simply deleting it as you will do it with other files (<Shift>+<Del>) Right-click the "Microsoft Edge" icon in the taskbar and select the "Unpin from taskbar" option from the menu.

Where is Edge stored in Windows 11? ›

All the Edge apps data is stored at %localappdata%\Microsoft\Edge\User Data\Default\Web Applications in a _crx__* folder for each app. This data will just break if moved - there's a built-in integrity check, so it can't be sent to your friend.

How do I fix Microsoft Edge on Windows 11? ›

Reinstall Edge again. GO to Control Panel/ Programs/ Programs and Features and select Microsoft Edge and click Change. Then click Repair in the dialog box wait for the process to Complete. Reinstall Edge again from Microsoft Store or from the .exe file from Microsoft website..

Can I Uninstall Microsoft Edge if I have Google Chrome Windows? ›

You aren't able to uninstall edge as this is part of the operating system, however chrome will give you the option to set it as the default browser once installed.

What is the point of Microsoft Edge? ›

Microsoft Edge is your AI-powered browser that helps you achieve more. With unique features like Copilot, Designer, Vertical tabs, Coupons, Read Aloud, and VPN, Edge helps you save time, save money and protect your online privacy. Make the most of your time online with Copilot in Edge.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Zonia Mosciski DO

Last Updated:

Views: 5924

Rating: 4 / 5 (51 voted)

Reviews: 82% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Zonia Mosciski DO

Birthday: 1996-05-16

Address: Suite 228 919 Deana Ford, Lake Meridithberg, NE 60017-4257

Phone: +2613987384138

Job: Chief Retail Officer

Hobby: Tai chi, Dowsing, Poi, Letterboxing, Watching movies, Video gaming, Singing

Introduction: My name is Zonia Mosciski DO, I am a enchanting, joyous, lovely, successful, hilarious, tender, outstanding person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.