Sorry, you're not getting Microsoft Edge off of your PC, at least according
to its new 'uninstall' document

Date:
Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:31:41 +0000

Description:
When Microsoft tells you to use its Edge browser, it means it, as an
uninstall guide literally doesn't instruct you on how to do it.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Microsof t Edge's uninstall document promotes the browser over Google Chrome, without any actual removal instructions It features a checklist on supposed
advantages over Google Chrome There's no official way to uninstall Microsoft Edge, as the control panel only allows for a 'repair'

It's no surprise that Microsoft is making more attempts to shift PC users
away from other browsers in favor of its own Edge option yet again - but its latest scheme could be a new low point.

As spotted by Windows Latest , a new ' uninstall document ' was released by Microsoft, supposedly explaining how to remove Microsoft Edge from your PC, but surprisingly, it doesn't. Instead, it compares Edge to Google Chrome with a checklist (pictured below) of features that it claims are available on Edge but not Chrome (which isn't completely true) - essentially, it's doing the opposite of what most people would expect a document about uninstalling an
app to do..

Its a shame that this comes after Microsofts well-received privacy updates
for Chrome incognito mode , which is a huge positive for its users. However, its now hit a low with this 'uninstall' document that users won't like at
all. Microsoft already aggressively pushes Edge via pop-ups and ads in
Windows 11, which many users consider to be invasive and annoying. Meanwhile, Chrome remains the most popular browser despite Microsofts boasts of Edges high user numbers in 2024 , so its not a surprise that many may want to uninstall Edge.

It shouldn't come as a big surprise, since Microsoft has used numerous
tactics to win users over to its browser - but this feels particularly disingenuous. (Image credit: Microsoft) Reminds me of membership cancellation pages...

Trying to get rid of something, only instead to be bombarded with reasons for not getting rid of it, will feel awfully familiar to many people who have tried to cancel a subscription. Try to cancel your PlayStation Plus subscription, for example, and Sony will try to tempt you to stay with an offer on a 12-month premium subscription.

Amazon is also notorious for this - if you try to cancel Prime, you have to click through multiple pages convincing you to stay - and it was actually
sued for this, mainly because its marketing tactics were viewed as deceptive and coercive by the FTC (US Federal Trade Commission).

So, Microsoft is far from the only company that is trying to change the minds of its customers wanting to ditch a product. However, theres no denying that this move seems particularly strange - you'd expect a document which is supposed to give you instructions to uninstall a program to do just that, rather than the opposite by trying to get you to keep using it. It also feels a bit cheeky using the word uninstall if theres literally no way to
officially uninstall Edge.

Personally, I think that essentially forcing users to keep a program
installed on their PCs will instead push them further away from using it. Saying one thing but doing another could come back to bite Microsoft... You may also like... Microsoft reveals more on just how much it'll cost you to keep using Windows 10 Windows 11s Start menu search gets new, clearer labels, as Microsoft tries to avoid EU regulation trouble Has the rush to upgrade to Windows 11 just begun? New stats show a marked uptick as Windows 10 End of Life looms later in 2025



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/edge/sorry-youre-not-getting-microsoft-edg e-off-of-your-pc-at-least-according-to-its-new-uninstall-document


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