14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft released the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge for Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8,1, macOS, and Windows 10 earlier this year, allowing users to deploy it with a manual download of the installer.
A few weeks ago, Microsoft officially started the automatic rollout of Microsoft Edge to Windows 10 devices via Windows Update, and the company announced that the next feature update due in the fall would also integrate the new browser pre-loaded.
And now it looks like Microsoft has started pushing the new Edge to Windows 7 devices as well, again via Windows Update. The move is a little surprising given Windows 7 is no longer supported since January, so technically, no new updates should be released.
No default browser change
Earlier this month, however, update KB4567409 shows up on Windows 7 devices to install the Chromium-based Microsoft Edge, and Microsoft says that those who don’t want the browser can then remove this update from their devices.
However, worth knowing is that the new Microsoft Edge isn’t replacing Internet Explorer on Windows 7 – on Windows 10, the new browser replaces the legacy version of the browser that originally came pre-loaded with the operating system.
“The new Microsoft Edge will be pinned to the taskbar and add a shortcut to the desktop. If your current version of Microsoft Edge already has a shortcut, it will be replaced,” Microsoft says, albeit the replacing part doesn’t make much sense given Edge was originally exclusive to Windows 10.
Installing Microsoft Edge using the new update delivered via Windows Update doesn’t change the default browser that is configured on the device. So for example, if you’re currently using Google Chrome on your Windows 7 computer, installing Edge with this update on Windows Update doesn’t produce any change concerning the browser on the device.