No web browser or software is perfect. Like other web browsers out there, the Microsoft Edge browser has its share of common problems.
Many users are experiencing issues while using Edge on Windows 10. For some users, the Edge doesn’t start at all. Some users have been complaining that the Edge crashes as soon as it’s launched. And for few others, Edge is very slow and occasionally crashes while loading pages.
If you’re having problems with Microsoft Edge, you might be able to fix all the issues by reinstalling the browser.
Although reinstalling the legacy version of the Edge browser was not supported by Microsoft ( the unofficial method is mentioned at the end of this page), and the new Chromium-based Edge can be reinstalled with ease.
Complete the directions given below to reinstall the Edge browser in Windows 10.
Reinstall the Chromium-based new Edge browser in Windows 10
If running the legacy version of Edge, please scroll down the page to see directions.
According to Microsoft, users don’t need to uninstall the existing Edge installation before you reinstall it. You can simply download a fresh copy of Edge from Microsoft and install the same to reinstall the Edge browser in Windows 10.
Besides that, your Edge browser browsing history, cookies, and settings will be restored once you complete the reinstall process. So, you can reinstall Edge without losing data.
Step 1: On your Windows 10 PC, visit this official page of Edge in any web browser and download the latest version of the Edge setup file.
Step 2: Close the Edge browser, if running.
Step 3: Run the Edge setup file that you just downloaded, click the Yes button when you get the User Account Control prompt to reinstall the Edge browser. As said earlier, your data will be restored once you complete the reinstallation.
Reinstall Edge legacy version in Windows 10
Use this method if you are using the legacy or non-Chromium based Edge browser.
Please note that you might lose all favorites as well as your browsing history. Export favorites to another browser if you have tens of favorites.
IMPORTANT: We recommend you repair Microsoft Edge or reset Microsoft Edge before attempting to reinstall it.
NOTE: We recommend you create a system restore point before trying out this procedure on your PC.
Step 1: Close Microsoft Edge browser, if it’s running.
Step 2: Open up File Explorer, click View and then check Hidden items box to view all hidden folders. This is required as some folders like AppData are hidden by default.
Step 3: Navigate to the following location:
C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Packages
Replace “UserName” with your user name.
Tip: You can quickly navigate to the above location by pasting the path in Run command box.
Step 4: Look for the folder named Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe and delete it. When you press or click Delete, you might get the confirmation dialog. Click the Yes button.
You will see the following dialog with Preparing to recycle from Packages message. It might take about 10 minutes to discover all the items in that folder.
You might see the following dialog with “Do you want to permanently delete this folder? The folder contains items whose names are too long for the Recycle Bin” message. Simply click the Yes button.
Windows 10 will take a couple of minutes to delete this or items of this folder. If you get the following dialog with “Are you sure you want to delete it?” message, click Yes.
If it refuses to delete some files, click Skip.
Step 5: Close all running apps and restart your PC.
Step 6: Launch the Windows PowerShell as an administrator. This can be done by typing PowerShell in the Start menu or taskbar search box, right-clicking on PowerShell entry, and then clicking Run as administrator option.
Step 7: Once PowerShell is launched, navigate to your user account’s directory by executing the following command.
cd C:\users\yourusername
Replace “yourusername” with the actual user name of your account.
Step 8: Finally, copy and paste the following command in the prompt and then press Enter key.
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml” -Verbose}
Once the command is executed successfully, you will see “Operation completed for” message.
That’s it! Restart your computer once again. You should now be able to launch and use the Edge browser without any issues.
How to uninstall and remove Microsoft Edge from Windows 10 guide might also interest you.
