Many users still prefer to use Microsoft Edge for its plethora of features and easy-to-handle user interface.
But not everyone is a fan of it. Some users often delete Edge but later see Microsoft Edge appearing on desktop. For other users, Edge keeps opening at the startup by itself.
They reported facing the issue after a browser update. If you want to stop Edge from constantly creating shortcuts, follow this article to know the solutions.
What Causes Microsoft Edge To Create Desktop Shortcuts?
Due to the following reasons, Edge can continuously appear on the desktop:
- If Edge is enabled at the Startup
- Automatic update of Edge browser
- If Microsoft Edge is running in the Task Scheduler
How To Stop Edge From Appearing On Desktop?
To stop Edge from creating Desktop shortcuts, follow the methods given below:
1) Disable Edge From Startup
If you have included Microsoft Edge in the list of Startup programs, then the Edge shortcut can appear on your Desktop continuously.
To fix the problem, disable Edge from the startup from Task Manager. Here is how to do it:
- Right-click on the Windows Start Menu and click on Task Manager.
- From the Startup tab, right-click on Edge.
- Click on Disable option.
- Ensure to delete Microsoft Edge from the Windows Startup folder.
For that, press the Windows + R keys to launch the Run utility.
- Copy & paste shell:startup in the Run command box. Hit the Enter key.
- When the startup folder opens, right-click on Microsoft Edge.
- Select Show More options.
- Next, select Delete.
This will delete all the Edge-related processes from the startup and prevent Edge from creating Desktop shortcuts.
Remove Edge as the default browser if this method couldn’t solve the problem.
2) Don’t Make Edge Your Default Browser
If you selected Edge as the default browser, it will continuously run tasks in the background.
This can be the reason why Edge is creating new desktop shortcuts.
To fix the problem, remove Microsoft Edge as the default web browser.
Here are the steps to do so:
- Press Windows + I keys to open Settings.
- Click on Apps > Default Apps.
- Choose the web browser you want as your default one.
- Click on the Set default option, as shown below.
If the problem persists, check the task scheduler.
3) Check the Task Scheduler
If Edge is configured to run in the Task Scheduler, then you can have problems with Edge shortcuts on the desktop. So, delete related tasks from the Task Scheduler.
Follow the steps as given:
- Type ‘task scheduler’ in the Windows Search menu and choose the topmost option.
- Check if there is any Edge-related task configured. If you find any Edge task, delete it.
Once done, check if the issue is fixed. If not, turn off automatic Edge updates.
4) Disable Auto Updates For Edge
Turning off automatic updates for Edge can stop Edge from appearing on the desktop.
If you are a regular Edge user, turning off auto-updates is not recommended.
But you can do it temporarily and see if it helps to fix the issue. Follow the steps below to do that:
- Double-click on This PC.
- Navigate to the following path:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft
- Locate the Edge Update folder and double-click on it.
- Select MicrosoftEdgeUpdate exe, then right-click on it. Click on Show More Options > Rename.
- Name the file as you want to. Here I have named it MicrosoftEdgeUpdate1.
If asked to confirm, click on Continue.
5) Modify The Registry
Tweaking the registry can be risky, but you can make some changes in it by following the steps given below.
It is advised to be extra careful while handling Registry and make sure you do not make any other changes.
- Open the Run utility.
- Copy and paste the regedit in the Run command Box. Press Enter.
- On the UAC prompt window, click on Yes to continue.
- Next, navigate to the following registry path:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Cryptography\EdgeUpdate
- Click on any blank space on the right side of the window.
- Select New > DWORD (32-bit) value.
- Name this new key as CreateDesktopShortcutDefault.
- Next, double-click on the new key and set the value to O. Click on OK.
- Once done, restart your computer. This should prevent Edge from appearing frequently on the desktop.
If you want to revert the above changes, delete the CreateDesktopShortcutDefault DWORD you created.
Wrap Up
The above method should stop Microsoft Edge from appearing on your Desktop.
For any other queries, ask us in the comments section provided below.
