Default Browser Settings

Tegiro · Feb 27, 2022

I have set Google Chrome in Windows 11 as my default browser for .html files etc. as well as for http & https links.
However, no matter what I do the files are always opened in MS Edge browser.
I've read all I could find (including videos) on the internet in setting default browsers in WN 11 and cannot see where I am going wrong.
Can there be a fix for this?

Thank you.

f23948 · Feb 27, 2022

No issues for me (did set Firefox ESR as default not Google Chrome) before I went back to Windows 10

Fabler2 · Feb 27, 2022

I don't know what you've tried but there should be a new tab in settings to change default browser. I've only got Firefox as a second browser but yours should show Chrome.
Also in settings, apps, default apps, scroll down to find 'choose defaults by file type' and scroll all the way down to PDF and select Chrome.

Tegiro · Feb 27, 2022

Fabler2 said:
I don't know what you've tried but there should be a new tab in settings to change default browser. I've only got Firefox as a second browser but yours should show Chrome.
Also in settings, apps, default apps, scroll down to find 'choose defaults by file type' and scroll all the way down to PDF and select Chrome.

View attachment 23034

View attachment 23035

Hi Fabler2

Fabler2 said:
I don't know what you've tried but there should be a new tab in settings to change default browser. I've only got Firefox as a second browser but yours should show Chrome.
Also in settings, apps, default apps, scroll down to find 'choose defaults by file type' and scroll all the way down to PDF and select Chrome.

View attachment 23034

View attachment 23035

Hi Fabler2
I have some issues with particular apps where MS Edge just does not work properly. But they do with Google Chrome.
I use a MS Surface Pro tablet under OS Win 11.
I selected Google Chrome as my default app: see below photo

The program does indicate Google Chrome as my default browser. Also further below the selection fields I selected by file type HTM, HTML, etc. and also by link such as HTTP & HTTPS, etc.

I've read a lot on Google about selecting Windows 11 default browser apps and followed every instructions to the "T"... as best as possible.
I cannot delete MS Edge so it remains as an app in my system.

When I select to open any program on the web the default browser is shown in the Task bar "underlined" as MS Edge. Yet Win 11 states my default browser is Google Chrome!!!

What am I doing wrong?
Or, is there a glitch with Surface Pro hardware?

Thank you
Tegiro

Sir_George · Feb 27, 2022

Tegiro said:
Hi Fabler2

Hi Fabler2
I have some issues with particular apps where MS Edge just does not work properly. But they do with Google Chrome.
I use a MS Surface Pro tablet under OS Win 11.
I selected Google Chrome as my default app: see below photo
View attachment 23043

The program does indicate Google Chrome as my default browser. Also further below the selection fields I selected by file type HTM, HTML, etc. and also by link such as HTTP & HTTPS, etc.

I've read a lot on Google about selecting Windows 11 default browser apps and followed every instructions to the "T"... as best as possible.
I cannot delete MS Edge so it remains as an app in my system.

When I select to open any program on the web the default browser is shown in the Task bar "underlined" as MS Edge. Yet Win 11 states my default browser is Google Chrome!!!

What am I doing wrong?
Or, is there a glitch with Surface Pro hardware?

Thank you
Tegiro

If you want to try uninstalling Edge, visit the following link;

https://www.intowindows.com/2-ways-to-uninstall-microsoft-edge-from-windows-11/

If that works and it uninstalls Edge and you decide to reinstall, instructions are at the bottom of the page.

Tegiro · Feb 27, 2022

Thanks Sir_George & Fabler2, I will look into this.
A bit "scary" but if it is the only option I'll give it a try.

Cheers,
Tegiro

The-Hive · Feb 27, 2022

You could try this if you have problems un-installing edge

GitHub - rcmaehl/MSEdgeRedirect: A Tool to Redirect News, Search, Widgets, Weather and More to Your Default Browser

A Tool to Redirect News, Search, Widgets, Weather and More to Your Default Browser - rcmaehl/MSEdgeRedirect

github.com

WXC · Feb 27, 2022

Tegiro said:
Thanks Sir_George & Fabler2, I will look into this.
A bit "scary" but if it is the only option I'll give it a try.

Cheers,
Tegiro

Hello, Tegiro. Welcome to ElevenForum.

I can not offer a solution for you. Rather, a word of caution.

True, Edge can be removed, as some members here have done so successfully. However, you should be aware that doing so, 'may' cause unintended adverse conquinces, at some point down the line.

Again, I am not sure if it would help you, but rather than uninstalling Edge, you could try disabling it. Which in reality, could result in the same unintended conquinces. But it is an option. Below is an informative guide, to both uninstall and disable, along with other information you may find interesting.

Uninstall / Disable Edge in Win 11

Take care, I wish you the best.

TheMystic · Feb 28, 2022

@Tegiro

From what I know, Microsoft has made it very difficult to replace Edge for some of the functions. With each update, they are closing the exploits used by 3rd party apps to bypass Edge. So even if your default browser is anything but Edge, some of the activities will still open in Edge. You aren't doing anything wrong, its just that Microsoft wants you to use Edge in Windows.

The-Hive · Feb 28, 2022

@TheMystic that is why I use MSEdgeRedirect, it keeps Edge and you can stop it if you need to

TheMystic · Feb 28, 2022

The-Hive said:
@TheMystic that is why I use MSEdgeRedirect, it keeps Edge and you can stop it if you need to

I thought they blocked this app/ extension some time back.

The-Hive · Feb 28, 2022

I think it's an ongoing thing on the GitHub, when MS blocks it, they find a way around it. There are several programs like this about

SpacemanSam · Mar 2, 2022

I wrote this batch file to install MSEdgeRedirect

DownloadsDrive must be set to the drive where you store downloads (on all the computers I set up it's usually D:)

Batch:

@REM Edge redirector that works in Win.11
REM Get path to .pdf file app
FOR /F "tokens=2* delims==" %%G IN ('assoc .pdf') DO SET v_type=%%G
IF DEFINED v_type FOR /F "tokens=2* delims==" %%G IN ('ftype %v_type%') DO SET PDFApp=%%G
IF DEFINED PDFApp SET PDFApp=%PDFApp: "%1"=%

@ECHO Testing for MSEdgeRedirect
QPROCESS "MSEdgeRedirect.exe"
REM QPROCESS "MSEdgeRedirect.exe" >NUL: 2>&1 && @(ECHO MSEdgeRedirect is already installed.  Skipping... & GOTO :SkipSearchDeflector)

IF EXIST "%ProgramFiles%\MSEdgeRedirect\MSEdgeRedirect.exe" FOR /F "tokens=*" %%G IN ('reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\msedge.exe" /s 2^>NUL: ^| FIND /I "MSEdgeRedirect"') DO @(ECHO MSEdgeRedirect is already installed.  Skipping... & GOTO :SkipSearchDeflector)

@ECHO MSEdgeRedirect not found, installing...

SET MSEdgeRedirectDir=%DownloadsDrive%\Downloads\MSEdgeRedirect
@IF NOT EXIST "%MSEdgeRedirectDir%" MD "%MSEdgeRedirectDir%"
POWERSHELL -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command "Invoke-WebRequest -Uri 'https://github.com/rcmaehl/MSEdgeRedirect/releases/latest/download/MSEdgeRedirect.exe' -OutFile '%MSEdgeRedirectDir%\MSEdgeRedirect.exe'"
IF EXIST "%MSEdgeRedirectDir%\MSEdgeRedirect.exe" (
@>"%MSEdgeRedirectDir%\Setup.ini" (
ECHO [Config]
REM ECHO Managed=True
ECHO Mode=Active
ECHO;
ECHO [Settings]
ECHO Edges=Stable,Beta,Dev,Canary
ECHO NoApps=True
ECHO NoBing=True
ECHO NoPDFs=True
ECHO NoMSN=True
REM ECHO NoTray=True
ECHO NoUpdates=False
ECHO PDFApp=%PDFApp%
ECHO Search=DuckDuckGo
ECHO Weather=Weather.gov
)
"%MSEdgeRedirectDir%\MSEdgeRedirect.exe" /silentinstall && (
    @echo Done installing MSEdgeRedirect!
  )
) ELSE @ECHO MSEdgeRedirect failed to download. & PAUSE
@SET v_type=
@SET PDFApp=
@SET MSEdgeRedirectDir=
:SkipSearchDeflector