How to fix Microsoft Edge not working in a Windows 10 PC?

Microsoft Edge was supposed to replace Internet Explorer as the default browser on Windows devices. It is difficult to say how much success Microsoft has achieved in this regards, but it is probably limited because, as far as we can tell, most Windows PC users still use Chrome from Google or Firefox from Mozilla to surf the web.

Select groups of users, however, still show up as people using the Microsoft Edge browser. Unfortunately, a common complaint is growing in their circles: Microsoft Edge doesn’t work in Windows 10.

If you are on this page, then we would like to assume that you are yet to give up on the Microsoft Edge browser.

Why is Edge not working?

First, you must understand that the Microsoft Edge browser is an app, and like all other applications, it is not immune to bugs within itself, external influence from other programs, and so on. Surely, you should be able to see how this explanation opens up the fact that most forms of problems that disturb regular apps can afflict Microsoft Edge.

Nevertheless, we noticed a spike in the volume of complaints from users not long after Microsoft released the Windows 10 Creators Update. Therefore, it is fair to say that specific Windows updates sometimes break the browser app or its components and cause them to stop functioning correctly.

The problems afflicting the Microsoft Edge browser vary from crashes to its app, the application itself refusing to open or launch, the browser running slowly, the browser tab or window freezing or hanging and not responding to input from users, and so on.

We cannot tell which exact problem is bothering the Microsoft Edge browser on your PC. All we can do is consider as many potential issues as possible and proffer the useful fixes for them, and having said that, it is time we moved on to show you how to make Edge work if it isn’t.

How to resolve Microsoft Edge problems on Windows 10 devices?

Regardless of what kind of problem you are dealing with, you will find it useful to start with the first solution on the list. If it fails to get rid of the issue in your case, you must go through the other fixes and work your way through them until you find the perfect one for your condition or strain of the problem affecting the Edge browser. Here we go.

1. Change your network settings:

As far as we know, the vast majority of Microsoft Edge problems have something to do with network settings. For one, if your Network connection is set to Public, a good number of Windows 10 services or processes will struggle to do their job correctly. Microsoft Edge is one of the utilities that suffer from unsuitable settings.

We are not exactly sure how the network connection being public constitutes a problem so severe that Microsoft Edge fails to work due to it. Perhaps, some privacy issues or related settings are connected to the matter. What we do know, however, is that a change of your network state to Private will do you plenty of good.

Follow these instructions to make the required alteration:

• Bring up essential programs and options by pressing the Windows button on your keyboard or clicking on the Windows Start icon always present on your desktop screen. Select Settings to launch its app
• We believe you have the Settings program window up at this stage. Click on Network and Internet, and once you are in their menu, check out the options on the left pane and select Ethernet
• On the right pane, you will see the menu for Ethernet. There, you must click on your connection icon under Ethernet. Select On as the setting for Find device and content
• Now, you can close the Settings window and exit any other program you have running. Restart your PC, launch the Microsoft Edge browser and see if things are now better.

2. Enable DNS Client:

The functionality in view is supposed to be enabled by default on computers running Windows 10. However, given the problems affecting the Edge browser, there is a good chance that you disabled it (perhaps, you did it accidentally) or a program did away with it on your behalf with you not knowing about it.

Anyway, now is not the time to worry about how the problematic change came to be on your system. You must move on to check if DNS client is enabled on your PC. If you realize that this feature is disabled, then you must enable it to fix the connection issues affecting the Microsoft Edge app. Do this:

• First, you must launch the program that manages the services operating on your PC. Press (and hold) the Windows button on your keyboard, then give the letter R key a tap to open the Run app. Once the small program window appears, you must type the following code into the text field you see: services.msc

Of course, you need to run the inputted code. One click of the OK button should do it. A single tap of the Enter key works just as well

• The Services window should be up on your screen. Now, you have to go through the listed services to locate DNS Client. Once you find it, you must click on it to see its current activity. You could also double-click on it to enter a window where you can see the full details as regards its operations.
• If you realize that the service in view is not active or running at the moment, you must click on the Start button to force Windows to get it back up to speed. Furthermore, in the Properties window for the service, you will do well to check the Startup type parameter and select Automatic as the setting
• Exit the Services window and other program windows. Restart your PC. After your computer comes on and your system settles down, you must move on to open the Microsoft Edge browser and see if the problems you experienced with it are now gone.

3. Reregister Windows app packages:

Earlier, we had to explain to you that the Microsoft Edge browser is an app, and now we are going to apply what we know about applications to fix the problem in view. Here, you are going to carry out an operation that forces changes similar to those we can obtain from the reinstallation of an app.

There is a good chance that the changes might be enough to resolve issues like the app refusing to open or the application not working correctly. Hence, if you are struggling with either of the stated problems affecting the Edge browser, this operation is a step in the right direction for you.

In other words, if you came here with the question of “How do I restore Microsoft Edge on Windows 10?”, then the proposed fix below is the answer you have been waiting for all this time.

Follow these instructions:

• First, you must launch a PowerShell window with administrative rights or privileges. To do this, press (and hold) the Windows button on your keyboard, then follow up this action with a tap of the letter S key. You are about to perform a search. Input the following keyword into the text box you see: PowerShell

Right-click on Windows PowerShell (Desktop app), which is usually the result that appears. Click on Run as administrator from the short menu list. User Account Control will display a dialog box on your screen with two options to get permission for the operation you executed. Of course, you must click on the Yes button to confirm and continue with your work.

• Once you have the Administrator: PowerShell program window up and running, you must type in the following code: Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}
• You need a single tap of the Enter key to run the inputted code.

You might see some information about the ongoing operation thanks to the Deployment Operation Progress pop-up. Some errors might also appear. You will do well to ignore them. All you need to do is wait for the completion of the process

• Close all the programs active on your PC now. Restart your computer. Once Windows boots up as usual, you must open the Microsoft Edge browser and see if the app is now launching without complications or running without issues.

4. Run the troubleshooter for apps:

Here, once again, we are going to take advantage of our knowledge as regards the Microsoft Edge browser being an app to get rid of different forms of problems afflicting it. Good thing troubleshooters are always there to help you diagnose problems or fix issues you cannot resolve on your own.

If you got to this point with the problems affecting the Microsoft Edge browser on your PC persisting, then it is time you checked if a troubleshooter can help you. Fortunately, we know of a built-in troubleshooter on the Windows operating system environment that is designed to check for problems affecting applications like the Edge browser and fix the issues detected.

Here are the instructions on running the required troubleshooter that you must go through:

• Open the Settings app by pressing (and holding) the Windows button on your keyboard and following up this action with a tap of the letter I key. Once the required program window shows up, you must click on Update and Security to go into their menu
• Check out the options listed on the left pane and click on Troubleshoot. On the right pane, Windows will display several troubleshooting tools for different kinds of problems affecting various Windows programs or components
• From the list, you must locate Windows Store Apps, which you must click on to highlight it. The Run the troubleshooter button should be visible now. You must click on this button too.
• Follow the instructions or guidelines as they come up on your screen to complete the process and ensure that it is successful. After the troubleshooter completes its diagnosis or problem-fixing operations, you must exit all open windows and restart your PC
• After Windows reboots and your system gets up to speed, you will do well to check if the issues affecting the Microsoft Edge browser are now non-existent.

5. Clear your cache and data:

Most browsers generally make use of a cache to store data or content that they retrieve often, and this setup helps to speed up the loading of pages or web browsing operations. However, if your browser is operating too slowly, then you might well clear its cache and let it start over.

Maybe, the cache got corrupted. Or perhaps, the stored content has become irretrievable or inaccessible, and this issue is causing your browser to work poorly. In either case, you are better off clearing cache because the removal of its contents brings about the changes your browser needs to work well.

If you do not know how to clear your cache, then these instructions will prove useful to you:

• First, you must open the Microsoft Edge browser on your PC. Once its program window is up, you must click on the dotted menu. From the options that show up, you must click on Settings
• Go through the menus or options you see and locate Clear Browsing Now, and there, you must click on Choose what to clear. Here, you must select Browsing History and Cached data files
• Click on the Clear button, and Windows will move to get the job done. Finally, you must exit your browser and close any of its program windows or tabs that are currently running.

You could even launch the Task Manager app, check to see if any app or process related to the Microsoft Edge browser is active and terminate anything you find.

• Open the Microsoft Edge browser, try to visit some web pages and see if things are now better.

6. Turn off Windows Firewall:

The firewall managed by Windows Defender does a decent job of stopping authorized applications or programs from using your internet access for the most part. However, if you still cannot get the Microsoft Edge browser on your system to work, then there is a good chance that the interference from the firewall has something to do with the problem in your case.

There is one way you can prove things. You must disable the firewall and observe the changes that result from your action. Follow these instructions:

• Click on the Windows Start icon that is always visible on your desktop screen (a tap of the Windows button on your keyboard will do just fine). Input the following keyword into the available text field: firewall

From the results that show up, you should see the Windows Defender Firewall, which you must click on to launch the required program window.

• The Customize Settings window should be up. You will see the Firewall options that exist separately for Private and Public Network. You must disable the Firewall functionality for both of the networks
• Once you are done turning off the firewall functionality for both classes of the network, you must click on the OK button to confirm the choices you just made. You are now free to exit the window here
• Launch the Edge browser and see how things go. If nothing changes, we recommend you restart your system and check again.

7. Disable your antivirus:

The Firewall feature from Windows Defender is hardly the only functionality or setup capable of preventing applications from accessing your internet connection. Antiviruses are very much capable of doing the same thing. In fact, they are even more powerful than the Windows Defender program.

Antiviruses generally possess enough powers to influence the operations or activities of other apps and even render them usable. Of course, given the harmful things we know viruses and malware are capable of, it is only reasonable to afford such high-level privileges to security apps so that they can destroy malicious items.

Unfortunately, great power is always prone to abuse or misuse. For example, your antivirus might misinterpret the intentions or operations of an app and go on to make mistakes in determining whether that app is dangerous or malicious. Invariably, your antivirus might end up preventing the app from functioning as it should just because it has the powers to do so.

Perhaps, the antivirus on your system is blocking a specific feature or preventing a particular functionality from operating as it should, and the problems afflicting your Microsoft Edge browser are simply a consequence of your antivirus actions. You cannot tell until you try finding out the truth.

You must disable your antivirus, turn off its major features or disable functionalities it relies on to work, restart your PC, and see changes your action brings about. You could even go a step further to uninstall your antivirus if you want to be sure of what effect it has on your problem.

Whatever happens, if you discover that your antivirus played a role in causing problems for the Microsoft Edge app, then you might have no choice than to leave it disabled or uninstalled. In that case, you now have a new problem, which you must resolve as soon as possible.

Since you disabled or got rid of your antivirus, your system is now defenseless against viruses and malware, and you cannot allow it to remain in such a state for long. You might want to check outAuslogics Anti-Malware. We recommend you download and run this app to enable it to take charge and provide your system with first-class protection against threats.

In case you are bothered by the scenario in which the recommended security program also moves on to cause problems for the Microsoft Edge browser on your Windows 10 PC, then we have to tell you that the chances of such an event occurring are incredibly low. The app typically goes about its job without interfering with or disturbing the operations and activities of other applications.

Other things you could try to fix Microsoft Edge browser problems that occur on Windows 10 computers.

If you are still working to resolve Microsoft Edge issues, then you should find this additional list of fixes helpful. We included it to account for scenarios where users are still struggling with their problems even after they finished going through the main list of solutions we provided in full details.

8. Performs scans using the SFC and DISM tools:

Here, you have to launch an elevated Command Prompt window and run the required codes to perform scans using the stated utilities. With one, you get to fix issues related to corrupted files, and with the other, you get to repair your system image and even go a step further to redo the scan using the first tool again.

9. Disable Rapport’s Early Browser Protection:

The operation here is a specific fix for computers with Trusteer Rapport installed whose users are experiencing issues with the Microsoft Edge browser. The Trusteer Rapport conflict has been known for quite some time now, and the best way around the problem requires users to turn off the Early Browser Protection functionality or uninstall the application itself altogether.

10. Do some work involving Windows Update:

If you started struggling with Microsoft Edge problems not long after you downloaded and installed a specific Windows Update, then you might want to reverse the operation you carried out to see if things improve.

On the other hand, if you have not downloaded and installed Windows updates in quite some time, then you must move to check for Windows updates. You will do well to download and install all the updates you find.