Microsoft Edge runs slow? We got the best fixes for that

by Ivan Jenic

Troubleshooting Expert

Last update:February 5, 2021

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According to various tests, Microsoft Edge is a very fast browser, even faster than Chrome. But, some users reported that for some reason, Microsoft Edge on their computers runs very slow.

So, we prepared some solutions to help when facing browser performance issues and be able to use Microsoft Edge at its full speed.

Here are some more scenarios where you can apply these solutions, as well:

• Microsoft Edge lagging/ very slow to respond
• Microsoft Edge slow loading pages
• Microsoft Edge not loading pages

Why is Microsoft Edge so slow?

1. Use a faster browser
2. Clear cache and browsing history
3. Set the new location for Temporary Files
4. Reset the hosts file
5. Check your Internet connection
6. Delete Edge extensions
7. Reset Microsoft Edge
8. Run the SFC scan

1. Use a faster browser

If you notice that Edge continues to react very slowly, then before proceeding with the troubleshooting steps below, you should consider switching to a different browser instead.

If the Chromium engine is why you chose Edge, then we wholeheartedly recommend you give Opera a try. It looks amazing and lightweight, and it is among the fastest browsers in the world.

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2. Clear cache and browsing history

1. Open Microsoft Edge and click on the dotted menu.
2. Choose Settings.
3. Under Clear browsing data, click on Choose what to clear.
4. Choose Browsing history and Cached data and files and click on Clear.

You can also use some third-party software to clean your browsing data. If you decide to do that, we recommend you CCleaner, because it’s extremely simple to use, and very effective as well.

You just have to open the program, check the Internet cache, and other internet files, under Microsoft Edge (you have to do that only once), and hit Analyze, and then Clean when the analysis is finished.

But to clean Edge files with CCleaner, you have to download the latest version of the software.

This utility is very lightweight, and using it doesn’t require any knowledge except knowing basic English. Simply choose what you want to scan or clear, and then confirm what to delete and what to keep.

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3. Set the new location for Temporary Files

1. Open Internet Explorer (not Edge).
2. Click on the Gear icon, and select Internet Options.
3. On the General tab, under Browsing History, go to Settings.
4. On the Temporary Internet Files tab, click on Move folder…
5. Choose the new location for the Temporary Internet Files folder (like C:Usersyourname).
6. Then set the Disk Space to use 1024MB and click OK.
7. Open Microsoft Edge, and see if the browsing is now faster.

4. Reset the hosts file

1. Open File Explorer, and paste the following into the search bar:
   • %systemroot%system32driversetc
2. Now, right-click on hots file, choose Open with.., and choose Notepad.
3. Replace the text from the file with the following text:
   • # Copyright (c) 1993-2009 Microsoft Corp.
#
# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows.
#
# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each
# entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should
# be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name.
# The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one
# space.
#
# Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual
# lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol.
#
# For example:
#
# 102.54.94.97 rhino.acme.com # source server
# 38.25.63.10 x.acme.com # x client host
# localhost name resolution is handle within DNS itself.
# 127.0.0.1 localhost
# ::1 localhost
4. Close Notepad, and save the changes.

5. Check your Internet connection

Maybe your problem with slow browsing isn’t related to Microsoft Edge at all. So, if you tried all of the steps above, you should check if your Internet connection is alright.

In case you notice some problems, check out our article about connection problems in Windows 10 for a quick and sure solution.

Don’t lose yourself in all these technicalities! Use a network monitor instead!

6. Delete Edge extensions

There’s a good chance some of the extensions in your browser are making it slow. Since there’s no effective way to find out which extension causes slowdowns precisely, we recommend disabling one at a time.

Sure, it’s a time-consuming task, but it may actually be worth it. But before you uninstall all your extensions, make sure each extension is up to date.

Only if you determine that all extensions are up to date, but your browser is still slow, you can proceed to delete them.

If an extension is causing the issue, you should consider installing better tools on your Microsoft Edge browser. We got you covered with the best options there are!

7. Reset Microsoft Edge

1. Go to Search, type PowerShell, and open PowerShell as Administrator.
2. Paste the following command and press Enter:
   • Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)AppXManifest.xml” -Verbose}
3. Restart your computer
4. This command will reinstall Microsoft Edge, and hopefully, your problems will be solved. If not, move on to another solution.

Worried you will lose your bookmarks and history? No need to! Try these tools now!

8. Run the SFC scan

1. Go to Search, type cmd in the Search box, and then right-click on Command Prompt,
2. Click on Run as administrator. (If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Allow).
3. At the Command Prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER: sfc /scannow
4. Wait for the process to finish.
5. Restart your computer.

We hope this article helped you to solve the problem with slow Microsoft Edge if you have any questions, or comments, just reach for the comment section below.

Also, if you have any other problems with Microsoft Edge, check out our article about fixing Edge problems in Windows 10, and you’ll surely find the solution.

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