Top 4 Ways to Fix Microsoft Edge Automatically Opening on Windows and Mac

Whenever you update Windows 10 to the latest version, Microsoft automatically opens the Microsoft Edge browser to display a welcome screen. It indicates the successful installation of the software and presents the latest additions to the operating system of the system and the new features of the Microsoft Edge browser. While it is useful as a successful update flag, some may find it irritating.

You may have noticed that Microsoft Edge is loading certain processes as well as “New Tab” or “Start Page” in the background to quickly launch the application. If you have already migrated to Google Chrome or Firefox, these processes are irrelevant to you and only waste system resources in the background.

Starting with Windows 10 version 1809, Microsoft allows you to prevent the default Edge browser from automatically opening in the background at startup using the local Group Policy Editor – it only applies ‘to Windows 10 Pro users.

In this article, we’ll walk you through four different ways to automatically disable loading of Microsoft Edge on startup on Windows PC and Mac. Let’s start.

1. Use the Local Group Policy Editor on Windows

Before I start, let me clarify once again – the Group Policy Editor is only available for Windows 10 Pro users. Windows 10 Home users will not be able to access the Group Policy Editor from system settings.

Follow the steps below to turn off Edge resources at startup.

Step 1: Press the Windows key and open the Start menu.

2nd step: Search gpedit.msc and press Enter to open the Group Policy Editor menu.

Step 3: In the left pane, go to Computer Configuration> Administrative Templates> Windows Components> Microsoft Edge.

Step 4: In the right pane, you will see a bunch of Microsoft Edge settings and options. Among them, look for the one that says – Allow Microsoft Edge to start and load the Start page and New tab when Windows starts and each time Microsoft Edge is closed. Keep in mind that this option is only applicable for those who are running Windows 10 version 1803 or later on their PC.

Step 5: In the next menu, click the Disabled option, press Apply and click OK.

Step 6: In the right pane, select the option “Allow Microsoft Edge to pre-launch when Windows starts, when the system is inactive and each time Microsoft Edge is closed”.

Step 7: Select Disabled from the following menu, press Apply and click OK.

Step 8: Restart the PC.

After that, Microsoft Edge will not start automatically the next time you update Windows. But as mentioned before, this tip is only applicable to Windows 10 Pro users. What about Windows 10 Home users? We also have a solution for them.

2. Disable Show me Windows hosting experience

This is the solution that I would recommend to most users. It is quick and easy to set up. You can turn off the Windows home experience in the Settings menu. Check the steps below.

Step 1: Go to the notification center and go to Windows settings. You can also use the Windows + I keyboard shortcut to open the Settings menu.

2nd step: In the Settings menu, go to System> Notifications & Actions.

Step 3: In the menu you will find the option Notifications and actions. Under debugging assist settings Clear the “Show me the Windows hosting experience after updates and sometimes when I log in to highlight what’s new and suggested” check box

It will disable the behavior of automatically opening Microsoft Edge every time you start your Windows PC.

3. Disable Microsoft Edge from startup

When you log into your Windows account after the operating system starts, the system loads some background services. You can disable them by going to the Windows start menu. Follow the steps below to remove unnecessary Microsoft Edge services from startup.

Step 1: Press the Windows key and find the Run menu. You can also use Windows + R keyboard shortcuts and access the Run menu.

2nd step: Type shell: startup and it will open the window that shows the services that run when Windows starts.

Step 3: If Microsoft Edge is listed there, right-click it and select delete from the context menu.

If services like Spotify, OneNote, Rainmeter or others tend to run when Windows starts, you can use the same trick to disable them.

Troubleshoot Microsoft Edge

Opening Microsoft Edge during connection consumes unnecessary resources as well as the energy of the Windows system. Use the tips mentioned above to completely disable the automatic start of Microsoft Edge after Windows or Mac upgrades.