Edge lags freezes on website dropdown menus

Question

UPDATE - This issue is now resolved in Microsoft Edge as of version 89.0.774.75, so if you're having this issue click the 3 dots in the upper-right corner of Edge and mouse-over "Help and Feedback" and click "About Microsoft Edge" and it should update to the fixed version.

Below is just my original post...

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I used to mainly use FireFox until the "new" MS Edge came out (when the icon changed from a "e" to a "wave") and over the past 6 months or so I've been using Edge as my main browser because it has some important features that I like in FireFox (ability to set it to clear cache & history on exit, option to have it ask where I want to save downloads) and because it seems to use less resources. There's a lot to like about the new Edge, and I've been enjoying with virtually no problems. That is, up until recently...

This is issue just started happening for me in recent weeks:

When clicking on drop-down selectors on websites to select something from a list, it lags / freezes for about 4 seconds before it will let me select something in the dropdown menu.

In fact, it also lags / freezes for about 4 seconds while attempting scroll up and down the list of items in dropdown menus - tap the menu and it comes up, but then try to scroll and it lags, then lets me scroll about 10 items, then  lags / freezes for about 4 seconds again, then lets me reach a few more menu items. Wash / rinse / repeat.

I do a lot of website work (I help people set up their web hosting, install / migrate database driven sites such as WordPress, etc...) , so this is a huge time-killer / big issue for me.

This problem ONLY happens in Edge, and ONLY just started in recent weeks, which leads me to suspect that the most recent update in Edge v 89.0.774.45 or possibly an update in the most recent Windows 10 20H2 are the likely culprits. The issue does not happen in FireFox or Chrome - dropdown menu selections and scrolling are still instantly responsive in those.

This is forcing me to go back to FireFox as my main browser (since Chrome still does not have the option to auto-clear cache & history when exiting the browser). 

I use very fast system extremely well maintained systems with no crazy extensions installed, no games or nonsense apps, kept fully updated (drivers / firmware / bios / all software / Windows itself are all checked for updates daily) and very well secured. I restart daily, run malware / virus scans daily, and keep my systems in good health. 

Versions and basic specs of my main systems: Microsoft Edge Version 89.0.774.45 (Official build) (64-bit)

Windows 10 Pro Version 20H2 / OS build 19042.844

Intel Core i7-9750H CPU 2.60GHz

32GB RAM 512GB NVMe SSD

Is anyone else running into the same issue recently?

Answer 1

I can confirm that this issue is also fixed in new version 89.0.774.75

Answer 2

Good Day Dave_200,

My name is Carlo, I'm an Independent Advisor and community member like you.
I am also using Windows 10 pc. Let us work together to sort this out.

Here's the steps you can try.

Reset the Edge
-Open Edge and click the 3 dots at the upper right side of your screen.
-Go to Settings
-Look for Reset Settings
-Click Restore settings to their default values.

(This will reset your startup page, new tab page, search engine, and pinned tabs. It will also disable all extensions and clear temporary data like cookies. Your favorites, history and saved passwords will not be cleared.)

-Open Edge and click the 3 dots at the upper right side of your screen.
-Go to Settings
-Click System
-Turn Off Hardware Acceleration when available.
-Click "Open Computer Proxy Settings"
-Turn off "Automatically detect settings"

Restart your computer and check.

If issue persist, you can re-install the Edge.

Here's the link to download.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge/business/d...

Once downloaded and installed restart your computer and check.

I hope the information above helps. Please let me know how it goes.
Have a wonderful day ahead and stay safe.

Sincerely,
Carlo T.

Thanks for the reply Carlo.

Unfortunately the steps provided do not resolve the issue.

This issue is especially problematic for work tasks that I need to perform daily, such as working in a hosting control panel and using the phpMyAdmin page to Analyze / Optimize databases for client websites. When I click the dropdown menu to select an operation to perform, there's a 5-second lag/freeze before I can select something from the list, and then another 5-second lag/freeze when it finally lets me click on the item.

This makes Edge completely impractical to use for work anymore. I'd been using Edge for these same web tasks every day for 6 months without any issue - dropdown menu selecting was instant. Checking the change log and dates, I believe the issue started when Edge version 88.0.705.81 update was pushed on February 25.

I'm now back to using FireFox , as navigating / selecting in dropdown menus is instant with no lag whatsoever.

It's a shame, because I was really starting to like Edge. But this issue is a huge deal-breaker.

I'll keep opening Edge daily and keep it updated to the latest version and maybe use it for some casual browsing (and to test the web menus dropdown issue to see if it ever gets resolved), but as far as getting anything accomplished in a timely fashion for work without Edge doubling the time it normally takes to handle common daily web-work tasks is simply intolerable and impractical.

Back to FireFox until someday Microsoft can fix this bug.

Answer 3

I finally fixed it by updating to the 90.0.818.27 (Beta channel)

Answer 4

I am also having the issue, but I also have the same issue in Chrome.  But it isn't always happening everytime there is a select. I notice it when there are a lot of <option>s in the select.  When I switch to Firefox or Opera I do not have the problem. 

I'm guessing it is something with in Chromium since it is happening in both places. 

FYI - Hardware Acceleration is off.

Answer 5

I have the same issue as well, it happens on multiple computers