Force Edge Canary on Windows 7 to be default browser - possible?

Discussion in 'Windows 7' started by JeanYuhs, Mar 1, 2020.

  1. JeanYuhs

    JeanYuhs MDL Member

    Feb 16, 2010
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    Using Windows 7 on an older machine that just works better without Windows 10. I prefer to use the Canary builds of the Chromium-based Edge for Windows 7 but of course it won't allow me to choose it as the default browser - I'm doing what I can to avoid using IE11 at all.

    Has anyone, if anybody besides me even cares, found a way to force Edge (specifically the Canary builds) into being the default browser on Windows 7?

    Would be nice to find a little hack of some kind to bypass this silly restriction that has no real meaning at all.

    Thanks for any input...
     
  2. JeanYuhs

    JeanYuhs MDL Member

    Feb 16, 2010
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    #3 JeanYuhs, Mar 2, 2020
    Last edited: Mar 2, 2020
    (OP)
    No, it's not listed in the Default Programs list. In fact - since this was a clean fresh Windows 7 Pro install a few days ago - when I grabbed the Canary installer it actually notified me that Canary would not be allowed to be set as the default browser because it's considered to be unstable - the regular Dev and Beta channels might be able to be set as default, but I prefer keeping Canary.

    I'll see if that info you provided is capable, thanks for responding.

    EDIT:
    Ran the SetDefaultBrowser.exe tool, Edge isn't even shown as an installed browser, how odd. It only shows IE11, dammit.

    NoEdge.png

    I used the edge://settings/defaultBrowser thing in your post in Edge and it basically notified me again:

     
  3. boyonthebus

    boyonthebus MDL Expert

    Sep 16, 2018
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    Stop hovering to collapse... Click to collapse... Hover to expand... Click to expand...
  4. JeanYuhs

    JeanYuhs MDL Member

    Feb 16, 2010
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    Hrmmm...

    NoDefaultPossible.png
     
  5. boyonthebus

    boyonthebus MDL Expert

    Sep 16, 2018
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    Stop hovering to collapse... Click to collapse... Hover to expand... Click to expand...
  6. JeanYuhs

    JeanYuhs MDL Member

    Feb 16, 2010
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    Obviously you're not paying attention.

    You'e running Windows 10 - I'm running Windows 7 since this is the Windows 7 subforum. First few words of my first post: "Using Windows 7..."

    Got it now?
     
  7. abbodi1406

    abbodi1406 MDL KB0000001

    Feb 19, 2011
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    @JeanYuhs
    what's these command result?
    Code:
    reg query HKLM\SOFTWARE\Clients\StartMenuInternet
    
    reg query HKCR | find /i "MSEdge"
     
  8. JeanYuhs

    JeanYuhs MDL Member

    Feb 16, 2010
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    "Strange things are afoot at the Circle-K..." :confused:

    CmdResults.png

    It's like, I use Edge constantly, it was the first thing installed on top of Windows 7 last week with this fresh install, but every one of these checks acts like it doesn't exist on this installation at all except for that apparent "hit" in HKCR but of course I can't use that variable with the SetDefaultBrowser utility.

    Thanks for your assistance, however. :(
     
  9. abbodi1406

    abbodi1406 MDL KB0000001

    Feb 19, 2011
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    @JeanYuhs
    one last check
    Code:
    reg query HKCR\SOFTWARE\Clients\StartMenuInternet
     
  10. JeanYuhs

    JeanYuhs MDL Member

    Feb 16, 2010
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    The plot thickens...

    Nada.png
     
  11. JeanYuhs

    JeanYuhs MDL Member

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    Well that was awesome,and I greatly appreciate your assistance - and I hope if anyone else has this issue this thread's info will prove useful to others as well. Yes, it worked, and I tested it with local URL files so IE11 does not load anymore, Edge fires up instantly so thank you very much for your help. :D

    Fixed.png
     
  12. abbodi1406

    abbodi1406 MDL KB0000001

    Feb 19, 2011
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