Staff
Microsoft's Forced Edge Browser is the Latest in a Line of Annoying Windows 11 Features
Microsoft has been trying to force its Edge browser on computer users since its debut in Windows 10. Even if they set another browser as default, it always opens when links are clicked from the search bar of the taskbar.
It is currently possible to prevent this behavior by installing EdgeDeflector, which will open all web links in the default browser. But it looks like the party is over. Microsoft is cracking down on this previously ignored solution, with a change in build 22494 preview, made available last week, that already actively blocks EdgeDeflector.
The software company has confirmed that it will prevent such software from working from this point forward, and if developers find new workarounds, it will close those loopholes.
Microsoft has already raised eyebrows with Windows 11, making it harder to set alternative browsers. Mozilla, the developer of EdgeDeflector, has also condemned Microsoft's latest move, with both sides outraged by its refusal to respect users' browser choices.
