Internet Explorer Automatically Opens Edge: How to Fix it

Internet Explorer has fallen from grace and it isn’t used that much anymore, however, a few users reported that Internet Explorer opens Edge for some reason.

In today’s guide, we’re going to take a closer look at this issue, and see how to fix it properly.

Why does Edge open when I open Internet Explorer?

This can appear due to your Edge settings or because Edge is set as the default browser. In some instances, your registry can cause this issue.

How do I stop Internet Explorer from opening in Edge?

1. Enable and use IE Mode in Edge

1. Launch MS Edge and click the top-right corner button. Click Settings.
2. Pick Default browser from the list and enable all IE-related options as follows:
3. Under Internet Explorer compatibility, click the Let Internet Explorer open sites in Microsoft Edge menu.
4. Select Never.
5. Remain on the Internet Explorer compatibility section, and click Allow sites to be reloaded in Internet Explorer mode.
6. Select Allow and press the Restart button.
7. Under Internet Explorer mode pages, click the Add button.
8. Paste the desired website and click Add again (this will provide the option to Reload in Internet Explorer mode from now).

2. Change the default browser in Windows 11

1. Launch the old Internet Explorer browser and click Tools.
2. From the list, select Internet Options.
3. Next, go to the Programs tab.
4. Click Make default and confirm by pressing OK.
5. Now, you must change all the file and link associations to prevent Edge redirects.
6. To do that, open the Settings and go to Apps.
7. In the right pane, click Default apps.
8. Here, select Microsoft Edge, open the first file type, and choose Switch anyway.
9. Select IE, Opera One, or any other browser from the results list and press OK.
10. Repeat the process for all desired instances.

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3. Use the Registry to disable Edge

1. Use the Windows key + R shortcut to open the Run menu.
2. In the typing field, type in regedit and press OK.
3. Navigate to the following path or paste the path directly into the Registry Editor’s address bar:
   Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\MicrosoftEdge\Main
4. Go to the main folder, and right-click the empty area on the right side.
5. Select New and choose the DWORD (32-bit) Value.
6. Name it AllowPrelaunch. Then, double-click the key and set its value to 0.
7. Also, don’t forget to delete Edge in the Startup folder if it’s the case.

By preventing it from automatically opening in the Windows Registry, you should be able to stop Microsoft Edge from running in the background and other problems.

3 ways to disable Internet Explorer redirects to Edge browser

1. Rename the Microsoft Edge installation directory

1. To do this, paste the following path into File Explorer: C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe
2. Right-click on this directory to open its Properties.
3. Select Rename by right-clicking it again, and set the name to MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe­_OLD.
4. Restart your PC.

By renaming the file directory, Edge won’t be able to access its installation files and launch opening instructions. So this way, you can disable things when Internet Explorer automatically opens Edge.

2. Empty the MS Edge active folder from your C drive

1. If renaming the directory did not work, go ahead and use File Explorer again.
2. Now, paste in the following: C:\Users\%Username%\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC\MicrosoftEdge\User\Default\Recovery\Active
3. Use the Ctrl + A shortcut on your keyboard to select everything and delete all the files.

3. Disable Edge tasks in the Task Scheduler/Task Manager

1. Use the search area on your taskbar to locate the Task Scheduler app and open it.
2. In the left pane, you will see the Task Scheduler Library. Open it.
3. In the main area, identify MicrosoftEdgeUpdateTaskMachineCore and all MS Edge-related tasks.
4. Right-click them one by one and choose Disable.
5. As for the Task Manager, identify all MS Edge-related processes and select End task.

With this feature disabled, Microsoft Edge will not open automatically when you sign in or start your PC. For more ways to stop Microsoft Edge from opening on startup, check our detailed guide on the topic.

On the one hand, Edge makes it hard to change your default browser. But if IE is not equipped to render specific content, or worse, if Internet Explorer keeps crashing, you might be dealing with a case of severe malware infestation.

If trying to open Internet Explorer opens Edge, it might be a good idea to disable Microsoft Edge in Windows 11 by changing the file associations.

How would you know that is the case? If Internet Explorer opens then closes, and Edge opens, you might be on to something.