MS Edge using MSA and sync'ing data, cannot stop it

Windows 11 Pro 26200.8328
Microsoft Edge 147.0.3912.98
Local account only

Microsoft Edge updated and somehow automatically logged my Microsoft account in through Microsoft Edge and sync'd all data. When I try to sign out of the Microsoft account in Edge, I can an error (sorry, problem is on our side, try again later).

I then delete the entire MS Edge profile (%LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Edge\User Data). Once I open Microsoft Edge again, the Microsoft account is automatically used again to sync all data. I cannot get this to stop.

I did notice that Google Chrome logged account Gmail account got disconnected (logged out) and all data got removed. Not sure if that relates to this or not, but it is coincidental.

Google Chrome was the default browser, now Microsoft Edge is the default browser. I uninstalled Google Chrome as I was planning on installing Brave instead.

Microsoft Edge keeps opening up when I use Mozilla Firefox 150.0.1. Some time when I open various web sites, it opens in Firefox and then it opens in Microsoft Edge. This is very annoying. I finally just minimized Microsoft Edge, but it still opens when opening various web sites in Firefox. Very annoying.

I have been using MS Edge for a few things, but I kept answering NO to the constant login prompt to sync data.

I wonder if this relates to one of the many Preview Updates with "gradual rollouts" (or gradual annoyances) of features.

I run release version of 11 and you are running Canary/Dev build. I have never encountered such a problem but I had co-pilot analyze your post. Here is the AI answer I got. Hopefully it will be of help. Just know this is coming from co-pilot and not from me. If you want, you can open an interactive chat with copilot yourself. Here's how. While viewing this thread in Edge, open co-pilot. Ask this question "Please analyze this post"

Co-Pilot's answer:

What you’re seeing isn’t normal Edge behavior — even with Microsoft’s usual nudging.

Key observations​

1.​

Edge can only auto‑sign‑in if something is providing credentials at launch. That normally requires:

• Windows being logged into an MSA (but OP states local account only )
• Enterprise policy (not applicable here)
• A cloud‑restore mechanism (e.g., Windows Backup)
• A system‑level bug in a recent update

If the OS truly is a local account, Edge should not be able to silently re‑authenticate.

2.​

Chrome losing its Google account and data is not part of any Microsoft migration or import behavior. That suggests:

• A profile corruption event
• A system‑wide identity service glitch
• A Windows update that reset browser defaults and identity tokens
• A sync‑related bug affecting multiple browsers

3.​

This usually happens when:

• The “Microsoft‑Edge://” protocol hijacks certain link types
• Windows resets the default browser after an update
• A background Edge process intercepts certain URLs
• The “Open with Edge” experiment is force‑enabled via a feature flag

But the OP says Firefox is set as default, yet Edge still opens links from Firefox itself . That’s abnormal.

4.​

The OP mentions recent preview updates with gradual rollouts . Microsoft has been testing:

• Automatic import of data from other browsers
• Automatic default browser resets
• Automatic sign‑in to Edge using Windows account
• “Edge as fallback browser” experiments

A buggy rollout could easily cause this cluster of symptoms.

Most likely root causes​

A. Windows Web Account Manager (WAM) is injecting the MSA​

Even on a local account, WAM can retain cached Microsoft Account tokens from:

• Store sign‑ins
• Office sign‑ins
• Xbox app
• OneDrive (even if not running)
• Previous Edge sessions

If WAM is corrupted or stuck, Edge will auto‑sign‑in every time.

B. A Windows preview update introduced a bug in identity or browser‑default handling​

The OP is on build 26200.8328 — a Canary/Dev‑track build where identity bugs are common.

C. A system‑wide profile or token reset event
This could explain:

• Chrome losing its Google account
• Edge re‑asserting itself as default
• Sign‑out errors
• Auto‑login loops

D. A feature‑flag experiment gone wrong​

Microsoft uses controlled rollouts. If the OP got a bad flag combination, Edge may be stuck in a forced‑sync state.

Here’s a clean, technical set of steps that would actually help the OP:

Clear WAM tokens

Settings → Accounts → Email & accounts Remove any Microsoft Accounts listed under “Accounts used by other apps.”

2. Clear WebAuth and Identity caches

Delete:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\IdentityCache

%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\TokenBroker

%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\WebCache

Then reboot.

3. Check for forced policies

Even on home systems, leftover policies can exist:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge

Look for:

• BrowserSignin
• SyncDisabled
• ForceSync
• RestoreOnStartup
• AutoImportAtFirstRun

4. Reset default browser associations

Settings → Apps → Default apps → Firefox Reassign every HTTP/HTTPS/HTML/MHT/MHTML protocol.

5. Disable Edge’s “Open with Edge” interception

In Edge: edge://flags/#edge-opening-links-in-edge → Disabled
edge://flags/#edge-default-browser-prompt → Disabled

6. Check for Windows Backup / Cloud Restore: Settigs>accounts>windows backup
If Windows Backup is enabled, it can re‑inject browser settings.
Note from me here: If you are backing up your files to Onedrive, let me know at this point. I will give you the proper way to deal with Onedrive
7. If on a preview build, roll back
Given the build number, a rollback may be the only fix if this is a regression.

glasskuter said:

Co-Pilot's answer:

What you’re seeing isn’t normal Edge behavior — even with Microsoft’s usual nudging.

Click to expand...

I'm not sure what caused Microsoft Edge to always open and constantly use the Microsoft account, but after reinstalling Windows 11 Pro on the laptop again, the problem no longer occurs.

I envy the OP, I have the other problem, sync forced by a policy, yet it fails till I log out and log in, every time I close the browser.

I think I found the problem that caused this strange problem. This is just a guess.

Microsoft Edge tried to sync the passkeys that were in the Google Chrome Password Manager and experienced a problem sync'ing the data.

Since I have re-installed Windows 11 Pro again where Microsoft Edge is not using a Microsoft account (not account logged in at all), everything seems to work good now. I have found several other Windows users experiencing the same issue, slightly different though, but it seems to relate to Microsoft Edge. This problem only occurred after installing 2026-04 Preview Update (KB5083631) (26200.8328).