Recently, many users have discovered that a new update for Windows 11 has made Edge browser “harder”, when special links from Start Menu, Widgets, … have no other way. to open externally through this browser.
Previously, a small application called EdgeDeflector provided users with a way to open system links without going through Edge, but according to the application’s author, the new update has disabled this application.
EdgeDeflector used to be allowed to be set as the default application for “microsoft-edge://” structured links, which are links in the Windows shell that would normally open in Microsoft Edge. This application converts those links to “https://”, making them open in whatever browser you choose as default.
The author said that Microsoft’s new update has completely rendered EdgeDeflector useless, users cannot open the above links with any other browser than Edge.
It seems that Microsoft is using its power and doing everything to give the Edge browser the upper hand. With Windows 11, many users have complained that changing the default browser is extremely complicated.
Like Windows 10, there is a prompt that appears when you install a new browser and open a web link for the first time. However, this is your only chance to easily switch browsers. If you don’t tick the “always use this app” box right then, the default app won’t be changed and you’ll never see the box again.
Instead, you have to go into the default application settings on Windows 11, and then reset to default by file or link type instead of a quick selection. In the case of browsers, that means changing the defaults for HTM, HTML, PDF, SHTML, SVG, WEBP, XHT, XHTML, FTP, HTTP and HTTPS.
Reference: Extremetech
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