Prevent Microsoft from Installing Edge Chromium on Windows 10


Microsoft Edge Chromium logo

Microsoft will be releasing the Microsoft Edge Chromium based browser next month via Windows Update. If you don't want it to be installed automatically here's how to prevent it.

Microsoft's Chromium Edge browser is set to be released January 2020. It will be rolled out to users via Windows Update for all PCs running Windows 10 1803 or newer approximately mid-January.

Microsoft has released the Microsoft Edge Blocker Toolkit that blocks automatic delivery through Windows Update but still allows manual download and installation. It can be used by individuals or businesses who want to prevent automatic deployment. The tool creates a registry value that blocks automatic downloading.

You can modify the registry manually or use the Toolkit. To use the toolkit, download it from Microsoft.
Run the .exe file, which will create three files.
Open an administrative command prompt and enter “EdgeChromium_Blocker.cmd” (minus quotes) and press enter. The options to use the toolkit will be displayed. If you want to prevent automatic update, add the block flag to the entry so it reads: “EdgeChromium_Blocker.cmd /b” (minus quotes).
To allow the automatic update, from an administrative command prompt the entry would be “EdgeChromium_Blocker.cmd /u” (minus quotes).  

To add the entry to the registry manually, back up the registry, then open Notepad. Copy and paste this into Notepad to create a reg file:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00


Save the file to the desktop or other location - give it a descriptive name with a .reg extension, something like BlockEdgeChromium.reg.
Click on it to merge the data into the registry. If you don't feel comfortable with those steps you can download and run the registry file from Bleeping Computer (starts download).

Edit: Not all installations of Windows have the registry key that gets modified.
If installing and running the toolkit doesn't add the registry key and/or downloading and running the reg file from Bleeping Computer doesn't add the registry key, follow these directions:
Download and run the toolkit. It will install three files.
Navigate to the folder where the downloaded files are located.
Click anywhere a blank spot of the folder.
Hold down the Shift key on the keyboard and right click a blank spot of the folder.
Choose Command Prompt (Administrator).
Type: EdgeChromium_Blocker.cmd /B to block distribution of the file.
Typing EdgeChromium_Blocker.cmd /U tol unblock distribution of the file.
Hit Enter.
A message should appear:
Blocking (or unblocking if that was your choice) deployment of Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) on the local machine
The operation completed successfully.

To check if the operation was successful and the registry key was added, tap the Windows key or open the Start Menu, type regedit, and check to see if the key has been added here:
and that this value is in the right hand pane:

Microsoft Edge Chromium is shaping up to be a solid alternative to Google Chrome. Microsoft has removed the tracking and other intrusive parts of Google Chrome and added some of their own features that include privacy protections. You can download the Beta Channel (most stable), Dev Channel (weekly updates) and Canary Channel (nightly updates) for Windows 7, 8/8.1, 10, macOS, iOS and Android at the Microsoft Edge Insider site.

(h/t Redmond Mag)

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Hey folks, thanks for all you do. I am running Windows 10 1803. I downloaded the toolkit to a new folder, ran the exe as admin, opened an admin cmd prompt, entered the .cmd string with /b at the end.
I got this response EdgeChromium_Blocker.cmd is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.
I can't tell I did anything wrong or out of sequence so...

I don't use MS Edge so it doesn't really matter. Firefox is current browser.

You didn't do anything wrong. Thanks for letting me know.
The registry key that needs to be modified might not exist in the registry, so it can't be modified. That's what you ran into.
I tracked the issue down and edited the article to include directions if the key isn't there.
Thanks bunches. :)

Thanks for that rhiannon, The key not being in the registry to start with was one point I didn't consider, go figure. Microsoft is Microsoft eh, who knew?

It's not something I would have thought of either, but there seems to be inconsistencies across systems running Windows 10 that are perplexing. Sorry to take so long to get back to you, it took a bit to track down.

Thanks again for bringing it up so it could be addressed. If it doesn't happen on either of my systems but happens to others I don't know about it unless I come across it being mentioned when I'm researching or someone here brings it up.

Yes, for Microsoft, Google, or any provider to change defaults when 'revision' software is provided is just plain wrong and can create hours of 'reconstruct' time at the worst. Thanks for getting back so quickly. ╰(*°▽°*)╯ Mike29322

It's an issue, and given some of the consequences for some people when Windows 10 updates rolled out....a heads up seemed like a good idea. :)

Why is it so important to block this update. From the post above, it sounds like a solid alternative to the presently existing Edge and other broswers, especially for those of us for whom the word "Google" leaves a bad taste in one's mouth.

Good question. :)

It's not important that Edge be blocked per se - I like it and use it and think it's coming along very well as an alternative to Chrome. I like that it uses Google extensions, and Microsoft has started the process of giving developers the ability to create extensions for Edge Chromium so it looks like they'll have some of their own from outside sources.

What's important is that people don't have a new browser installed without knowing about it, and depending on what browser is used, being caught out with a new browser they didn't know about and may not have wanted set as a default. Internet Explorer 11 is still available in Windows 10 (for now) and people still use it.

I know several people who've used Firefox for many years that upgraded to Windows 10 and had no idea Edge was a web browser. They didn't know what it was so they never used it. I don't think Microsoft will set the new version of Edge as the default after it's rolled out as a Windows 10 update, but I don't know that they won't. Windows 10 has changed defaults for other things on my system (and others systems) without warning, sooooo.... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Microsoft has released early builds of Chromium Edge for Windows 7 and 8.1 so earlier Windows versions will run Edge, but it would be a voluntary download for earlier Windows versions. The previous version of Edge wouldn't run on Windows 7 or 8.1. This Chromium based build will - giving people on earlier operating systems an alternative to Google.