Microsoft Edge - reset the default settings.

Question

_{Tuesday, August 11, 2015 6:46 PM | 5 votes}

Hello everybody,

I would like to know how can I reset Microsoft Edge web browser to it's default settings and how can I re-install it. Generally, how can I reinstall each modern app. Can I do it somehow using Powershell?

Thank you in advance,

KW

All replies (39)

_{Wednesday, August 12, 2015 6:53 AM ✅Answered | 5 votes}

Hi WinMajster,

Currently it seems to be not available to reset Microsoft Edge. we may choose to clear browser data under ...->Settings->Clear Browse Data, choose what to clear part.

For the remove-appxpackage command, it won't work for Microsoft Edge, as it is considered as a part of the Windows system.

For the other apps, we may try to remove/uninstall them under Settings->System->Apps and Features.

Click on the app showed in the list, then there would be options available, for the apps that have the option greyed out, we may consider to use the remove-appxpackage powershell command to remove.

For  more information regarding Microsoft Edge, please check:

Get to know Microsoft Edge

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/getstarted-get-to-know-microsoft-edge

And Do unexpected things with Microsoft Edge

Regards

Please remember to mark the replies as answers if they help, and unmark the answers if they provide no help. If you have feedback for TechNet Support, contact [email protected].

_{Wednesday, August 12, 2015 9:22 PM ✅Answered | 2 votes}

in PowerShell;

Get-AppXPackage | Select-Object Name,InstallLocation

Will show the install locations.

_{Thursday, August 20, 2015 11:19 PM ✅Answered | 29 votes}

Well to reset Edge I have found deleting

C:\Users\username%\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe

Clears it, including favourites and all. That does break Edge for the user. To get it running again from an admin PowerShell prompt;

Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml" -Verbose}

_{Wednesday, August 12, 2015 8:31 PM | 1 vote}

Thank you for this information.

Now Do you know where the Windows 10 default apps are installed? I found them in C:\Windows\Systemapps, but it's not all of them!

_{Wednesday, August 19, 2015 10:31 AM | 1 vote}

"Microsoft Edge, as it is considered as a part of the Windows system."

Hi,

My edge is always crashing. This happens after switching to a local account. I switched back to the live account. Still in error.

You (microsoft) should provide an easy modality to reset edge even when someone can't open it. 

Some other microsoft guy said to ... create a new account and move all the data to the new account. Obviously this can't be a solution.

_{Thursday, August 20, 2015 2:42 AM | 1 vote}

Hi MihaiR2,

I totally agreed.

For the other apps we could uninstall/re-install to reset, for Microsoft Edge, it seems to be not easy to "reset" its settings.

A new account would initialize the Windows Store app, this should be only treated as a workaround.

And Windows Feedback Tool is still available, so we may submit the requests from there.

Regards

Please remember to mark the replies as answers if they help, and unmark the answers if they provide no help. If you have feedback for TechNet Support, contact [email protected].

_{Friday, August 21, 2015 8:52 AM | 1 vote}

thanks Mr Happy ! it worked. I can open now edge.

_{Friday, September 11, 2015 1:23 AM | 1 vote}

I followed instruction on removing the file, but when I go into powershell to reinstall, i get the following message: Get-AppXPackage : Access is denied.
Access is denied.
At line:1 char:1

• Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Ad ...

    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [Get-AppxPackage], UnauthorizedAccessException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : System.UnauthorizedAccessException,Microsoft.Windows.Appx.PackageManager.Commands.GetApp
   xPackageCommand

I do not know what to do with this.  Can you help?

Thanks.

LL

_{Friday, September 11, 2015 12:46 PM | 1 vote}

You need to run that command from Run As Administrator PowerShell. Search start for power, right click PowerShell and select Run As Administrator and try again.

_{Friday, September 18, 2015 5:01 PM | 1 vote}

It's asking me about Path and Register, after I enter this. What do I put for those options?

_{Friday, September 18, 2015 5:58 PM | 1 vote}

It's asking me about Path and Register, after I enter this. What do I put for those options?

What command \ part of this are you entering when get the Path and Register prompt?

_{Saturday, October 10, 2015 9:56 AM | 1 vote}

If you don't want to lose your favourites, you can copy the favorites sub folder to a temporary location and then restore it after the PowerShell command has re-installed Edge.

Chris J

_{Friday, October 23, 2015 7:52 PM | 1 vote}

Well to reset Edge I have found deleting

C:\Users\username%\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe

Clears it, including favourites and all. That does break Edge for the user. To get it running again from an admin PowerShell prompt;

Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml" -Verbose}

Worked like a charm. Thanks bud!!

_{Friday, October 23, 2015 8:10 PM | 1 vote}

Worked like a charm. Thanks bud!!

You are welcome. Notice this gets noticed by people.

As Chris pointed out people can save the favourites by copying the favourites subfolder to a safe location, then copying it back. I have noticed you seem to have delete the following reg key before Edge scans the folder and see the favourites.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppContainer\Storage\microsoft.microsoftedge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\MicrosoftEdge\FavOrder

Delete that and it rereads the favourites folder and adds them in in alphabetical order.

_{Saturday, November 28, 2015 12:15 PM | 1 vote}

I followed Mr Happy's guide but Edge is still broken. It just flashes on then exits. I got this back on PowerShell:

VERBOSE: Performing the operation "Register package" on target
"C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AppXManifest.xml".
Add-AppxPackage : Deployment failed with HRESULT: 0x80073CF6, Package could not be registered.
An internal error occurred with error 0x80073D05. See http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=235160 for help
diagnosing app deployment issues.
NOTE: For additional information, look for [ActivityId] 7bf99969-29b1-0000-f596-127cb129d101 in the Event Log or use
the command line Get-AppxLog -ActivityID 7bf99969-29b1-0000-f596-127cb129d101
At line:1 char:68
+ ...  | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.I ...
+                 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : WriteError: (C:\Windows\Syst...ppXManifest.xml:String) [Add-AppxPackage], IOException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : DeploymentError,Microsoft.Windows.Appx.PackageManager.Commands.AddAppxPackageCommand

_{Saturday, November 28, 2015 3:42 PM | 1 vote}

I followed Mr Happy's guide but Edge is still broken. It just flashes on then exits. I got this back on PowerShell:

Sorry to hear you are still having the issue. Looking at the results and the exception suggest a system file check.

Right click start select Command Prompt (Admin). Enter the command;

sfc /SCANNOW

That will take 30 mins or so to run.

_{Friday, December 4, 2015 5:24 PM | 1 vote}

PowerShell not listed in system and security. I do have Admin command prompt but Mr. Happys string wont work. I want to delete and reset Edge also.

_{Friday, December 4, 2015 6:49 PM | 1 vote}

PowerShell can be found under All App and its own folder Windows PowerShell. Right click select Run as administrator. Or just search start for power and it should show.

_{Saturday, December 19, 2015 2:52 AM | 1 vote}

As you said, it just works fabulously. Thank you a lot.

_{Wednesday, December 30, 2015 10:55 AM | 1 vote}

Hi ...

Edge is nothing but sh....t so far. I have had only problems with it ever since it came into my computer. I can really understand that MS is giving it away. I have had trouble with web page rendering, speed, videos, favorites and much more.

But I see that in the last month it has become better, so I thought I give it a try.

But then again, it was this problem with my favorites. Edge simply do not import all my favorites from IE.

I have now followed Mr. Happy's advice, and got no error message during the procedure, but Edge import only about 850 links out of a total 1516.

Why doesn't it import all!? What criteria decides which 850 out of those 1516 shall be imported?

So I deleted all favorites in all users folders on all disks. There were no favorites left anywhere, except my backup, hidden for the system under an obscure folder name on F:

Then I run the procedure again. No errors. Then I copied my backup to IE's favorites folder. Checked that it all came out well in IE. It did. Started Edge, imported favorites, and view and behold, STILL MISSING HALF MY FAVORITES.

And why is it that even when the folder C:\Users\username%\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC\MicrosoftEdge\User\Default\Favorites is empty, the same half of my favorites still showing in Edge?!?

What in the dark nights of Valhalla did MS think of, when they coughed up this favorites solution to a new browser? What about those of us that's not a computer nerd? Hiding the favorites 12 levels down from the root? Have MS even thought twice about this? Messing with the users favorites is a serious business!!??

We only have one word for products like this here where I come from; Kammar ... it means cr..p in English.

mvh/regards Øyvind Granberg 6391 Tresfjord Norway

_{Tuesday, January 12, 2016 2:12 AM | 1 vote}

Found that if you don't go through the initial settings when edge installs, i.e. step 1, step 2, step 3 that show up then you won't be able to change any of its settings.

Found this in another post:

Search for powershell. Right-click on it and choose "run as administrator"

copy and paste this and hit enter:

Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage
-DisableDevelopmentMode -Register
"$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}<o:p></o:p>

when it's done type exit.

This reinstalled all of the apps for me.

There are other posts about deleting a folder and then running another powershell script to reinstall edge. Worked for a lot of people, but not for me.

I did a system restore and then edge worked fine under the administrator account, but under my account I still couldn't change any of its settings.

Hope that this helps.

_{Tuesday, January 26, 2016 8:54 PM | 1 vote}

When I try to do that thing in PowerShell, nothing happens. I run PowerShell as admin. When I try to open Edge it doesn't work (as said in the answer).

_{Tuesday, January 26, 2016 9:26 PM | 1 vote}

When I try to do that thing in PowerShell, nothing happens. I run PowerShell as admin. When I try to open Edge it doesn't work (as said in the answer).

You say nothing happens, fair enough, but is that nothing happens, it returns to the prompt and you can type more, or nothing happens it gets stuck and does accept input etc. It does have a verbose parameter so thinking if the system is operating normally will show something, if not an error. Perhaps try without the all users part.

Get-AppXPackage -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml" -Verbose}

_{Saturday, February 20, 2016 5:20 AM | 1 vote}

Hi. I just removed the folder mentioned above. That may have worked, but when I clicked on Edge, it would pop up and go away immediately.

Instead of running the Power shell as suggested above,  I went to recycle bin and restored the now gone folder. I did this because somewhere, I thought I saw that I would lose all my favorites.  I wanted to look at the data in the file, so I opened it in Notepad.  Thought I may get lucky and be able to copy the favorites part.  That was not possible.

However, now Edge is working just fine.

I don't claim to know what happened.  You may want to try it.  Maybe someone can explain it.

good luck

_{Wednesday, March 16, 2016 12:47 PM | 1 vote}

First

Settings->Choose what to clear, Show more,Tick everything. Clear all.....everything

Second, Delete

C:\Users\username%\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe

Third, Run as administrator PowerShell

Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml" -Verbose}

Then type exit to exit

Microsoft Edge is brand new like first install (Reset To Default)

_{Thursday, March 17, 2016 6:02 PM | 1 vote}

What worked for me was something similar:

1. I renamed the folder "%localappdata%\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe" instead of deleting it, but either way works.

2. While logged in as the affected user, I did NOT run Powershell as an admin, since my logged in account is not an admin account and so if I start Powershell as an admin (which is a different account), I am using a different user profile.

I then ran the following:

Get-AppXPackage -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | ForEach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}

This worked for me on 2 of my computers where I had this problem.

_{Thursday, March 31, 2016 8:46 AM | 2 votes}

I developed a small free program Edge Reset Button to reset the Edge:
http://www.greatis.com/security/edge-reset-button.htm
Any comments or suggestions are really appreciated.
Thanks!

Dmitry

_{Monday, April 25, 2016 8:26 PM}

dmsokolov,  Edge Reset Button did the trick...and all my favorites were still available in the browser list. Thanks so much.

_{Sunday, May 1, 2016 4:19 PM}

Thanks!

The main purpose or Edge Reset Button is resetting the last used page to fix the "browser locker" malware.

It think it's nice that the favorites list is not affected.

_{Friday, August 19, 2016 12:41 AM}

that does NOT reset edge, it only changes the home page to the default start-up Edge page.  this does not perfom a full reset of the EDGE browser

_{Saturday, September 10, 2016 11:57 AM}

Thanks ... this was for me the way to have it happen !

My Edge was by opening always going out and out ... followed these instructions and now it works perfect again.

_{Wednesday, November 2, 2016 9:01 PM}

Thank you so much! I have been wrestling with Edge for days! Edge just stopped working after I hadn't touched it in a very long time(chrome user) but Cortana tried to use it and I discovered it wasn't working. The powershell prompt worked immediately! A thousand thanks, you are a gentleman and a scholar!

_{Wednesday, March 22, 2017 5:14 PM}

Did you tried running windows powershell as an administrator?

_{Wednesday, August 23, 2017 5:48 PM}

Hi

I have the same problem, since installing the latest Windows update on 22/8. I have tried the solution suggested, and also replacing the Microsoft.MicrosoftEdgeetc. with a copy from another computer where the update worked OK, as suggested in another thread.

Nothing seems to have any effect. Internet Explorer works OK, but some links do not seem to pick up.

Any other suggestions please?

Thanks

thhl

_{Wednesday, August 23, 2017 7:01 PM}

Hi

I have the same problem, since installing the latest Windows update on 22/8. I have tried the solution suggested, and also replacing the Microsoft.MicrosoftEdgeetc. with a copy from another computer where the update worked OK, as suggested in another thread.

Nothing seems to have any effect. Internet Explorer works OK, but some links do not seem to pick up.

Any other suggestions please?

Thanks

thhl

Ok this issue seems different it Edge opens but does not display some sites. So open a new question detaining your issues.

_{Monday, August 28, 2017 10:39 AM}

No sorry. I have the exact same issue with Edge, it opens on a blank screen for a few seconds then drops out again.

The links problem is in IE which I have to use now I can't use Edge, but this is a side issue and nothing to do with the Edge problem.

As I said before, I have tried the delete and reinstall solution proposed, and I have also tried to delete and replace with a copy from another (working) computer. No luck either way.

So any further suggestions please?

regards

thhl

_{Saturday, September 9, 2017 12:39 AM}

I was able to DELETE EDGE per your instructions.

But when I ran your 2nd line in Powershell I got a RED error message  "Access is Denied"

How can I now restore Edge?

_{Saturday, September 9, 2017 12:21 PM}

I was able to DELETE EDGE per your instructions.

But when I ran your 2nd line in Powershell I got a RED error message  "Access is Denied"

How can I now restore Edge?

That command requires an Administrator PowerShell prompt, so did you try in an admin one? Other than that without the AllUsers it runs in a standard PowerShell Prompt so try;

Get-AppXPackage -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml" -Verbose}

_{Thursday, November 9, 2017 6:51 PM | 1 vote}

As of 1709 Edge can be reset via Start > Settings > Apps, scroll down on the right in list of Apps to Microsoft Edge. Click Microsoft Edge to select it then Advanced option. Then Reset, also a repair option.