[Tip] How to Restore Old Legacy Microsoft Edge Browser After Installing New Edge in Windows 10

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1. I’m extremely happy with the Chromium based Microsoft Edge Browser and this just because of now I won’t need to install the Google Chrome separately.

2. As of MS Edge release 79.0.309.71, this hack no longer works.

   The “Microsoft Edge Update” service automatically upgraded my copy of (new) Edge and although “Legacy Edge” icons are still present, they now do nothing. Click on them, get a spinning wheel for a second, screen blinks and nothing loads – you’re straight back to your desktop. Any attempt to launch old Edge via any other means just fails for me.

3. ^ It seems you installed new Microsoft Edge manually in your system. You’ll need to first uninstall it and then implement the registry tweak and then reinstall new Edge.

4. I can confirm Davids statement that this trick no longer works.

   After uninstalling Chromium based Edge, Applying the registry-fix, re-installing Chromium Based Edge, the Icon for Microsoft Edge Legacy is present, but not functional.
   It behaves as David described.

   I installed using the Enterprise Offline Installer. Windows 10 Pro, Version 1909.

5. Thanks for confirming Harmen.

   VG – in my defense, I followed your instructions to the letter, and had uninstalled edge before performing the registry tweak.

   Here is what happened:
   1) Installed Edge v79.0.309.65 – this worked alongside old edge without issues. Installed using full MSI installer from microsoft.com/en-us/edge/business/download

   2) Next day, Edge Autoupdater upgraded edge to v79.0.309.68 and old Edge became unavailable. This is when I found your page, so I uninstalled Edge v79.0.309.68, applied the registry tweak, then downloaded edge v79.0.309.68 from the above link and reinstalled. Everything worked as expected again.

   3) Next day, Edge Autoupdater upgraded Edge to v79.0.309.71. Old Edge stopped working per my description above. I have (again) uninstalled Edge, verified that the registry tweak is still in-place, downloaded v79.0.309.71 from the above link and re-installed, yet old Edge is still not starting, despite the “Edge Legacy” icons being present.

   Thanks for all your work – I hope you can find a workaround that works with this latest version of Edge.

6. Same issue faced. I even rolled back to the legacy “Microsoft Edge” which works but the “Microsoft Edge legacy” icon was still there.

7. I downloaded the standalone (enterprise) Edge msi installer 79.0.309.68. I wanted to keep the legacy Edge, so I patched the registry and then installed the new Edge. Here’s the interesting part:

   I had long ago manually created a shortcut for the “old” Edge on my desktop. After the installation of Edge Chromium, that shortcut continued to work. However, the installation created desktop and Start Menu shortcuts named “Microsoft Edge Legacy” that failed in the manner described by others.

   Thus, it appears a) the legacy shortcuts created by installing Edge Chromium are what’s broken, and b) you might get around the problem by manually creating shortcuts (NOT named “Microsoft Edge Legacy”) for the old Edge before patching the registry and installing Edge Chromium. After installation, delete the new “Legacy” shortcuts. If you already installed Edge Chromium, you’ll need to uninstall it, create the shortcut(s) for old Edge, and reinstall the new. Can’t tell yet whether it will continue to work after future Edge updates.

   Related – Repeated attempts running MicrosoftEdgeSetup.exe as Admin failed to install the new Edge. I continued to get errors that Edge couldn’t communicate with the internet and to check my firewall, despite the fact that I disabled the firewall and AV (Win Defender). I finally got Edge Chromium installed using the full MSI installer. Couldn’t find any similar experiences on the web.

8. Found the old Edge in

   shell:appsfolder
   and created a shortcut on the desktop, that seem to work… for now.

9. this trick isn’t working anymore, I missed the add notes feature which is absent in Edge chromium based

10. If you’ve done all the above (as I have) and you’re suffering from Old Edge no longer launching (or attempting to launch and just flashing your screen a few times…) and you want both old Edge and new Edge to function correctly, here’s a “hack” that works:

    1) Lock your PC
    2) Move your mouse around the nice MS picture library image that’s shown on the lock screen.
    3) See the little text prompts that provide information about the picture? Click on one of those.
    4) Unlock your PC
    5) When your PC is unlocked, old Edge will magically launch at a “Bing” search page containing the results of a search for that lock screen image.
    6) In “old” Edge, navigate to your preferred home page
    7) Click the “three dots” icon at the very right of the address bar
    8) Click “Pin this page to the taskbar” from the menu.

    This will result in a pinned icon on your taskbar that launches old Edge every time.

    I haven’t tested this on a clean system. This “hack” has been verified on 2 machines that both went down the path of the above steps as posted by AskVG, and has worked on those 2 machines.

    Hope this helps someone 🙂

11. Following tutorial will help users in fixing Microsoft Edge Legacy shortcut not working issue:

    https://www.askvg.com/fix-microsoft-edge-legacy-shortcut-not-working-in-windows-10-start-menu/

12. Just a note for people running Microsoft Edge Beta 81.0.416.16 with the Legacy Microsoft Edge.

    You do not have to do this with the Beta version as the new beta and legacy version still pops up.

13. I have installed the new Chromium based Edge browser on my Windows 10 v1709 PC. Now I want to remove the older Microsoft Edge from my PC since both the versions are running now. Is there any way to do it?

14. I want To Install Previous Version Of Edge Along With New. What is The Process ? ? ?

15. I cant really “uninstall” Edge Chromium its greyes out.
    In classic mode it doesnt even show up

16. I have initially downloaded the Chromium version of Edge.
    Not satisfied, I came to this article.
    I uninstalled the Chromium Version as specified.
    I went to the Registry Editor, went upto ‘Microsoft’ but under that tab, there is no ‘EdgeUpdate’.
    Somebody help me out.

17. I never understood why Microsoft stuck with Edge for its new browser? It has created some confusing and with such a bad reputation with old Edge why would you not want to distance the new browser from old Edge? Sure the Chromium based Edge is very good like most Chromium based browsers are. But many users will associate this new Edge with the old and that may dampen some users interest in the browser. I think Microsoft should have created a new name for a new browser and separated the old Edge from the new browser. Sadly Microsoft continues its very confusing marketing schemes for its products which it has a history of doing.

18. Unfortunately I have same issues. I was update Microsoft Edge to new Chromium-based Edge. I lost all my group aside tabs from old Microsoft Edge. How i can recover back to previous Microsoft Edge with all my group aside tabs?

19. They just hit me with the update today, unable to uninstall the new edge at all. Had to go into the program files and manually delete it. Would like the rundown on getting the old one back if you could help me.

20. Two months ago I cancelled update Chromium for Edge. Today again instead classic Edge, with Pen functions, I see Chromium. I can’t delete Control panel. Theoretically I turn on any updates in Windows 10. I spent 4000 $ for Surfacebook 2 15″ – exactly for browser function with pen. Today Microsoft tell me: No, You can not use it! You must working on Edge Chromium, without the pen. I am Apple user, and strategy of MS is for me a DISASTER!

    How come back to Edge? Impossible. How protect my computer if all updates I turn off, but not before MS apps… can someone explain me???

21. hola david.. mi problema es que el nuevo edge no me da la opción de pop up para guardar contraseñas, ya mire las configuraciones de guardado y están activas. es lo único malo que veo en el nuevo Edge.
    gracias…

22. Why do you people have to mess with edge? It was installed on my laptop and the whole system crashed.. Now I can’t pay bills or save anything. It is a big piece of c**p. I need help and can’t get any. I have had to take my laptop to the shop twice to get rid of the new edge only to have it come back every time it updates.

23. David, your instructions to lock the screen, click on the info tidbits regarding the background image then unlocking the computer totally works! Out of nowhere, and I mean nowhere, my old version of Edge sprang into action. This is such a POWERFUL hack. I’m really impressed. After not being able to uninstall the Chromium version and having to resort to deleting the program in bits and pieces instead then being left w/fragments of dead software I became so hopeless that I deleted any version of Edge I had. Somehow, without having any trace (that I know of) of my Legacy version, your instructions took over like a miracle. What some may want to do PRIOR to reviving their Legacy version is install the Chromium Blocker Toolkit to prevent the upgrade. Here’s the info and link:

    docs.microsoft.com/en-us/deployedge/microsoft-edge-blocker-toolkit

    I hope this helps.

24. There isn’t such a thing as an “uninstall” button for Chromium Edge. So, this manual, if it ever worked, is obsolete.

25. the uninstall will not highlight, so am not able to uninstall the new version of Edge.

26. Launch Start Menu, look for new Microsoft Edge shortcut, right-click on the shortcut and select Uninstall option. The Uninstall option is not listed.

    Launch classic Programs and Features window. You cannot Select Microsoft Edge from the list and click on Uninstall button. It is not listed.

    new Microsoft Edge
    Version 83.0.478.64 (Official build) (64-bit) was upgraded via Widows 10 System Update

27. Check out following tutorial:

    https://www.askvg.com/fix-how-to-uninstall-new-microsoft-edge-in-windows-10-uninstall-button-grayed-out-or-disabled/

28. I followed instructions for preventing Edge Chromium from replacing old Edge and it worked. Today [08/21] I followed instructions for downloading new Edge and running side by side but old Edge got hidden anyway. The good news was that Edge Chromium was uninstallable. bad new was that there was no Edge afterward.

    Luckily, I created a restore point just before the download.

29. What I did was go to C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe and right clicked on MicrosoftEdge.exe and pinned it to my Start Menu and the Taskbar. Now I have both versions available to me.