Fact Checked by 
If you’re a Windows user, chances are you’ve come across the small blue-and-green circular icon for Microsoft Edge. While the browser has certainly improved since its debut in Windows 10 nearly a decade ago, some users still prefer alternatives. Unfortunately, Microsoft doesn’t just bundle Edge with every Windows 11 (and 10) copy – it also makes it nearly impossible to uninstall. On top of that, it appears that system features like Widgets, have to be accessed via Edge whether you want to or not.
Earlier this month, ReadWrite reported that the tech giant’s own uninstall guide promoted the browser instead of removing it. It basically just compared Edge to Google Chrome with a checklist of features, like it was trying to convince you to stick with Edge instead of actually helping you uninstall it. So instead of being a real guide on removing the browser, it did the exact opposite of what you’d expect. Now, it just sends users to a generic page about the browser.
wait, YOU CANT UNINSTALL MICROSOFT EDGE??!?!?!?!💀
— yves (@sosaaisbacc) February 3, 2025
The Washington-based company is facing claims of monopolizing search results. When we asked Microsoft about this at the time, they never responded to our request. So, we’re still none the wiser about why they’re reportedly pushing their own browser.
The good news is that you can still technically remove Edge from your Windows PC if you’re willing to put in a little effort and we’re here to help. And if you’re in the European Economic Area (EEA), you’re in luck as Edge can be uninstalled like any other app on the latest versions of Windows. Here’s how to uninstall Microsoft Edge from your computer.
How do I completely uninstall Microsoft Edge?
If you’re not affected by the Digital Markets Act in Europe, then it’s a little more complicated than just deleting the app from your PC. There are several ways to circumvent the system. Based on our research, the first method involves downloading a separate app.
Using an app to uninstall Edge on Windows 10 and Windows 11
First, download ViVeTool from GitHub and extract the ZIP file. It’s open-source and safe to use. Once that’s done, copy the path where you extracted the folder.
Next, right-click the Start menu (or press Windows + X) and select Terminal (Admin). In the terminal, type cd followed by the path you copied earlier. For example: cd C:\Users\(your username)\Downloads\ViVeTool-v0.3.3
Now, enter this command: ./vivetool /enable /id:44353396
Restart your PC to apply the changes.
Once your computer restarts, open File Explorer and go to C:\Windows\System32. Make sure you’ve clicked on View > Show > Hidden items before doing the next step. Look for a file named IntegratedServicesRegionPolicySet.json, right-click it, and choose Properties.
Go to the Security tab and click Advanced. At the top, next to Owner: TrustedInstaller, click Change.
In the box that appears, type Administrators, then click Check Names to verify. It should update with your PC’s username. Click OK, then OK again to go back to the Properties window.
Now, click Edit, select Administrators from the list at the top, and check the box for Full control at the bottom. Click OK, then Yes, and OK again to confirm.
Next, open the Start menu, type regedit, and press Enter to open the Registry Editor. Navigate to this location: HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\International\Geo
Take note of the value next to Name (e.g., “GB” or “US”). In my case, it’s “GB” because I’m based in the United Kingdom.
Now, open Notepad as an administrator. Click File > Open, then browse to C:\Windows\System32. At the bottom, change Text documents to All files, then open IntegratedServicesRegionPolicySet.json
Look for a block of text that starts with Edge that is uninstallable and make these changes:
- Find the line that starts with “defaultstate” and change its value to “enabled“: “defaultstate”: “enabled“
- Towards the end of the block, find “enabled”: {} and add the region code you noted earlier. For example, if the value was “US,” update it like this: “enabled”: { “US”, “AT”, “BE”, (…) }
- Click File > Save, then close Notepad.
Now, open Microsoft Edge only once to initiate the settings, and then close it.
Open the Settings app, go to Apps > Installed Apps, find Microsoft Edge, click the three-dot menu, and select Uninstall.
Confirm by clicking Uninstall again in the next two dialogs. Edge should hopefully now be removed from your system.
How to uninstall browser without an app
This method is a little more fickle, as it doesn’t always work for everyone. First things first, go to Safe Mode. We’re not sure if this works outside of Safe Mode, so better play it safe.
Open File Explorer and go to This PC. Click on your C-Drive. Open Program Files (x86).
Now, find the Microsoft folder, right-click on it, and select Properties.
Go to the Security tab. Click on Advanced. Look for where it says Owner, then click on Change.
A new window will pop up with a text box labeled “Enter the object name to select“. Type in your user name, the one you use to log into your PC. Click OK, then close out of File Explorer. For some reason, you need to close it after taking ownership, just do it to be safe.
Now, reopen File Explorer and go back to This PC > C-Drive > Program Files (x86).
Find the Microsoft folder again, select it, then hit Shift + Delete, and just like that, Edge is gone.
Basically, what you’re doing is taking ownership of the file so you can delete it. By default, System owns it, and since you’re not the System, you normally can’t remove it. But once you make yourself the owner, you’re free to remove it for good.
Should you really uninstall Microsoft Edge?
Microsoft really doesn’t make it easy to get rid of Edge in Windows 10 and 11. But honestly, you don’t actually need to uninstall it. Once you switch your default browser, you can pretty much just ignore Edge altogether. However, if you’re desperate, we recommend using the app method for a higher chance of success.
If you don’t even want it popping up when you use Widgets or the Windows Search bar, there’s a handy tool called MSEdgeRedirect that can automatically send those links to your default browser instead. That way, you don’t have to deal with Edge at all without going through the hassle of trying to delete it.
ReadWrite has reached out to Microsoft for comment.
Featured image: Canva / Microsoft
