Microsoft offering a dedicated toolkit for new Edge

Dec 17, 2019 13:23 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft is rebuilding its Edge browser based on Chromium, the same engine that powers Google Chrome and a series of other browsers, such as Vivaldi.

The work on this project started earlier this year, and users can now download Canary, Dev, and beta builds of the browser on Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, and macOS.

The closer we get to the release of the stable version of Microsoft Edge, the more information emerges on how Microsoft plans to release the browser to Windows 10, where it’s going to replace the existing build of the browser as the new default.

In other words, the Chromium-based Microsoft Edge will become the new default browser in Windows 10, and Microsoft says that it will use Windows Update for the task. This means the new browser will be shipped via Windows Update to devices where Edge is currently installed, and certain data will be automatically migrated to the new version.

“The next version of Microsoft Edge features more frequent and more flexible updating capabilities. Because browser releases aren't bound to the Windows major releases, changes will be made to the operating system to ensure that the next version of Microsoft Edge fits seamlessly into Windows. As a result, feature updates will be released on a 6-week cycle (approximately.) Security and compatibility updates will be shipped as needed,” Microsoft explains.

However, users will be provided with a so-called Blocker Toolkit that allows them to block Microsoft Edge from being offered on Windows Update, which pretty much means they would stick with the old version of the browser.

This is mostly targeted at companies whose applications were built for the original version of Edge, but at the same time, home users can turn to this toolkit as well to block the new browser on Windows Update.

The toolkit offers two different ways to block Microsoft Edge from being offered through Windows Update.

First of all, it’s a CMD script that creates a registry key and sets a value to block or unblock the update from being offered. The registry key is the following:


HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate\DoNotUpdateToEdgeWithChromium
Of course, you can also manually create this registry key using the built-in Windows Registry Editor – enter value 1 to block the update and value 0 to allow it.

There’s also a Group Policy template that makes it possible for system administrators to control the service on their devices. Once imported, the policy is located at:


Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update > Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) Blockers
“This registry setting isn't stored in a policies key and is considered a preference. Therefore, if the Group Policy Object that implements the setting is ever removed or the policy is set to Not Configured, the setting will remain. To unblock distribution of Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) by using Group Policy, set the policy to Disabled,” Microsoft explains.

What you need to know is that despite using the toolkit, users can still manually install the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser, as it only blocks the distribution of the browser via Windows Update. Furthermore, once Microsoft Edge is installed, the testing builds of the browser can be deployed alongside it, including here Canary, Dev, and Beta versions.

Microsoft is projected to begin the rollout of the new Edge in January. The Blocker Toolkit won’t expire, so the changes that you make on a device are permanent and only need to be reapplied in case the operating system or the device is reset. Automatic updates must be enabled for the browser to be offered on Windows Update.