Nothing extraordinary has happened since Microsoft Edge switched from EdgeHTML to Chromium. Still, this did not make the browser immune from the problems. A while ago, we talked extensively about fixing Microsoft Edge when it crashed or became unresponsive. This time we will shift our focus to a more serious bug – we will fix Microsoft Edge when it stops opening in Windows 10.
There are several possible reasons that might prevent Microsoft Edge from opening in Windows 10. Bugs and glitches, an outdated browser cache, a broken Edge installation, etc. are some of them. Let’s find out what you can do to fix Microsoft Edge not opening in Windows 10.
Warning: If you haven’t yet synced your browsing data such as your passwords and autofill data to a Microsoft Account, some of the fixes below may delete them permanently.
End Microsoft Edge Process
Sometimes Microsoft Edge may hang on startup and fail to load its graphical user interface (GUI). Since the browser is already active in the background, repeated attempts to open it will fail. However, manually killing Edge-related processes using the Task Manager can help.
Stage 1: Right click on the taskbar and select Task Manager.
Step 2: Click More Details.
Stage 3: Under the Processes tab, select Microsoft Edge in the Applications section and click End Task. Repeat for the Edge related actions you see in the Background Actions section.
Step 4: Quit the Task Manager.
Step 5: Launch Microsoft Edge.
Restart the computer
Despite ending all processes related to Microsoft Edge, the browser may continue to hang indefinitely unless you restart your computer. So restart your computer. Try reopening Microsoft Edge after signing in to the desktop again.
Clear Cache
An outdated Microsoft Edge browser cache can cause all sorts of problems. Deleting this data may help. Since you can’t open Microsoft Edge to clear the cache, use the File Explorer-based workaround below instead.
Stage 1: Press Windows+R to open the Run box.
Step 2: Copy and paste the following path and click OK:
appdata/Local/Microsoft/Edge/User Data/Default/Cache
Stage 3: Press the Ctrl+A shortcut to select all files and folders in the folder.
Step 4: To get rid of Microsoft Edge cache, right-click on any selected file or folder and select Delete.
Step 5: Try opening Microsoft Edge.
Delete Default User Profile
A corrupt user profile is another reason that might prevent Microsoft Edge from opening on your computer. Try deleting the data. If you’re using a Microsoft Account, you’ll need to sign in to the browser again later.
Warning: You will permanently lose all unsynced browsing data in Microsoft Edge.
Stage 1: Press Windows+R to open the Run box.
Step 2: Copy and paste the following path and click OK:
appdata/Local/Microsoft/Edge/User Data
Stage 3: Right click on the folder labeled Default.
Step 4: Select Delete.
Step 5: Try starting Microsoft Edge.
update windows
Although Microsoft Edge is integrated into Windows 10 itself, it does not rely on Windows Update to stay up to date. Still, you should update Windows 10 periodically. This gives the browser a platform free of issues when running. Use the steps below to update Windows 10.
Stage 1: Open the start menu, select Settings and click Update & Security.
Step 2: Click Check for Updates.
Stage 3: Click Download and install to apply the latest Windows 10 updates.
Run System File Checker
If you’re still having trouble opening Microsoft Edge, try running the System File Checker to check for and repair instances of corrupted system files on your computer.
Stage 1: Open the start menu, type command prompt and select Run as Administrator.
Step 2: Type the following command in the elevated Command Prompt console and press Enter:
sfc /scannow
Stage 3: After the SFC scan is complete, exit the Command Prompt console.
Step 4: Restart the computer.
Step 5: Try reopening Microsoft Edge.
Reinstall Microsoft Edge
As a last-ditch effort to fix problems that prevent it from opening in Windows 10, you can try reinstalling Microsoft Edge. Since the browser is integrated into the operating system, you must use a Windows PowerShell command to remove it from your computer. You can then redownload and install as normal using the EdgeHTML version of Edge.
Stage 1: Open File Explorer and navigate to the following location:
Local Disk (C:) > Program Files (x86) > Microsoft > Edge > Application > [version number] > Installer.
Note: this [version number] The tab in the file path above indicates the current version of Microsoft Edge – for example 87.0.664.60.
Step 2: Open the File menu in File Explorer, point to Open Windows PowerShell and select Open Windows PowerShell as Administrator.
Stage 3: Copy and paste the following command and select Enter:
.\setup.exe -uninstall -system-level -verbose-logging -force-uninstall
Step 4: Wait a few moments and exit Windows PowerShell. Then restart your computer.
Step 5: Open the start menu, type Microsoft Edge and select open to install the EdgeHTML version of Microsoft Edge.
Step 6: Copy and paste the following URL into the browser’s address bar and press Enter:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge
Step 7: Select the Download for Windows 10 button to download and reinstall the Chromium version of Microsoft Edge.
Back to the Edge
I hope the fixes above helped and you are back to using Microsoft Edge. Share in the comments if you know of any other fixes that might help fix the issue when Microsoft Edge won’t open in Windows 10.
Next: Is there Microsoft Edge that will eventually work? Keep up to date.
