Edge keeps hijacking browser functions

Question

After I set another browser (Opera) as default for "HTTP", "HTTPS", ".HTM", ".HTML", and ",PDF", the settings default back to Edge after the next startup.

How do make MY choice on MY computer persistent?

Answer 1

Hi @Daniel Hitson,

If your computer is managed by your organization, then you are expected to have default browser changed according to the group policy if any. Please reach out to IT for more information.

If your computer is a personal one, make sure you haven't got Protect your default browser setting enabled. You can find this setting by navigating to edge://settings/defaultBrowser in Microsoft Edge. What's more, sometimes third-party anti-virus software can also change the default app settings. You can try disabling them if any for a test.

UPDATE

There's solution if you would like to force the default browser settings. Please follow these steps:

1. Create a .xml file called defaultassociations.xml with these values:

      <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
      <DefaultAssociations> 
        <Association ApplicationName="Opera" ProgId="OperaStable" Identifier=".html"/>
        <Association ApplicationName="Opera" ProgId="OperaStable" Identifier=".htm"/>
        <Association ApplicationName="Opera" ProgId="OperaStable" Identifier="http"/>
        <Association ApplicationName="Opera" ProgId="OperaStable" Identifier="https"/>  
        <Association ApplicationName="Opera" ProgId="OperaStable" Identifier=".pdf"/>
      </DefaultAssociations>
   

2. Place this file under C:\Windows\System32. If the file already exists, replace it.
3. Open Local Group Policy Editor. You can press Win+R to open "Run" --> enter gpedit.msc --> OK.
4. Go to Computer Configuration --> Administrative Templates --> Windows Components --> File Explorer --> Set a default associations configuration file
5. Enable this policy and set a value of c:\windows\system32\defaultassociations.xml
6. Press OK to save the changes.
7. Restart your computer.

Now, you should be able to forcibly set Opera as the default browser.

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Best Regards,

Shijie Li