Microsoft Edge shortcut keeps appearing on desktop: How to fix it.
Contents
- Does the Microsoft Edge shortcut appear on the desktop? How To Fix (2023)
- Use Registry Editor to stop Edge from creating a shortcut in Windows 11
- Using a log file
- Using the manual method
- Disable Microsoft Edge from running at startup
- Remove Microsoft Edge as default browser
- Stop Edge-related scheduled tasks
- Change Microsoft Edge group policy
- Stop Microsoft Edge from creating a desktop shortcut
While Microsoft is doing a great job on Edge, it’s also true that the company has been equally optimistic in its approach to getting users to switch to Edge. In the recent saga of Microsoft being Microsoft, users are reporting that the Edge browser shortcut keeps showing up on the Windows 11 desktop. No matter how many times you delete it, the Edge shortcut keeps showing up after a new Windows update or Edge. So if you are also facing the same issue, follow our guide below and learn how to stop Edge from creating a desktop shortcut in Windows 11.
Does the Microsoft Edge shortcut appear on the desktop? How To Fix (2023)
In this tutorial, we’ve included several ways to stop Edge from automatically adding your shortcut on the Windows 11 desktop. Expand the table below and move to any section you want.
Use Registry Editor to stop Edge from creating a shortcut in Windows 11
We have mentioned two registry methods to prevent Edge from creating a shortcut on Windows 11 desktop. The first method is simple and requires you to create a Registry file, while the other requires you to manually change the values in the Registry editor. . You can choose whichever method you like, as they achieve the same results. With that said, let’s see how it works:
Using a log file
1. If the Microsoft Edge shortcut keeps showing up on your desktop, don’t worry. First, open a Notepad file or right-click on the desktop and choose New -> Text Document.
2. Then paste the following content into the Notepad file.
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
“CreateDesktopShortcutDefault”=dword:00000000 “RemoveDesktopShortcutDefault”=dword:00000001
3. Now, click on “File” in the top menu and choose “Save As”.
4. After that, change “Save as type” to “All Files” in the dropdown menu and rename the file to edge.reg. You can choose any name, but be sure to add .reg. Now save the file to your desktop for convenience.
5. Once you have created the Registry (.reg) file to disable Edge shortcut on Windows 11 desktop, double-click it to add the Registry values. Choose “Yes” when the popup appears.
6. Now the Microsoft Edge shortcut will be removed from the desktop and will prevent Edge from creating a new desktop shortcut in Windows 11. If you don’t see the changes, restart your PC.
Using the manual method
In the above method, we have automated many manual steps with a log file. However, in this section, we will learn how to manually create the registry key and apply the changes. These are the steps to follow.
1. Press the Windows key once and search for “registry”. Now, open the Registry Editor.
2. Now, paste the following path in the Registry address bar and hit Enter. This will take you directly to the Microsoft key.
ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoft
3. Next, right click on “Microsoft” and select New -> Key.
4. Rename the key to EdgeUpdate.
5. Now, open “EdgeUpdate” and in the empty space, right-click and select New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value.
6. Rename it CreateDesktopShortcutDefault and set the value data to “0”.
7. Similarly, create another DWORD (32-bit) value and change the name to RemoveDesktopShortcutDefault. Change your value data to “1”.
8. Now, close Registry Editor and reboot your PC. The Edge shortcut should be removed from the Windows 11 desktop and it will be prevented from creating a new shortcut.
9. If you want to revert the changes made to the Registry, right-click on “EdgeUpdate” and delete it. Are you ready.
Disable Microsoft Edge from running at startup
In addition to the above method, you can also disable Microsoft Edge from running at startup. This will ensure that Edge-related services do not run after login, preventing Microsoft Edge from creating a desktop shortcut. Here is how to do it.
1. Press the Windows 11 keyboard shortcut “Ctrl + Shift + Esc” to open Task Manager in Windows 11. Then go to the “Startup Applications” section on the left menu.
2. Here, select “msedge.exe” and click “Disable” at the top right corner. Repeat this step for other Edge-related tasks on this list.
Remove Microsoft Edge as default browser
If you keep Microsoft Edge as your default browser, you gain various system privileges that you can use to run many background tasks and services. As a result, Microsoft Edge may add a new shortcut back to your desktop. Therefore, it is better to remove Edge as your default browser and move to another supported Windows browser.
1. Press “Windows + I” to open Windows Settings. Here, go to the “Applications” section from the left sidebar and open “Default Applications” on the right panel.
2. Once here, find the program you want to set as your default browser and open it. Here, for example, I’m going to set Chrome as the default browser.
3. Now, click on “Set Default” on the top right corner and you are done. You can follow our guide on how to change the default browser in Windows 11 for detailed instructions.
Microsoft Edge runs many of the scheduled tasks after you sign in to check for updates and other tasks. In that process, it also adds a new Edge shortcut on the desktop. So, to prevent any attempt to run Edge in the background, you should disable scheduled tasks. Follow the steps below.
1. Press the Windows key once and type “task scheduler”. Now, open “Task Scheduler” from the search result.
2. Next, expand the “Task Scheduler (Local)” menu at the top left corner and then move to “Task Scheduler Library”.
3. In the center, right-click on “MicrosoftEdgeUpdateTaskMachineCore” and immediately disable it.
4. Similarly, disable “MicrosoftEdgeUpdateTaskMachineUA”. This will ensure that no scheduled tasks are running in the background to update Edge or its services.
Change Microsoft Edge group policy
To prevent Microsoft Edge from running on its own, we can also take advantage of Group Policy. It establishes rules to follow for the programs and components of the system. These are the steps to follow.
1. First, press the Windows key once and search for “gpedit”. Now, open “Edit Group Policy”.
2. Next, expand the menu on the left: Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components.
3. Now, further expand “Windows Components” and move to “Microsoft Edge”.
4. Once you are here, on the right hand side, look for “Allow Microsoft Edge to pre-launch at Windows startup, when the system is idle, and whenever Microsoft Edge is closed”.
5. Double click to open it. Here, select “Disabled” and click Apply -> OK.
6. Similarly, search for “Allow Microsoft Edge to start and load the Start and New Tab page at Windows startup and whenever Microsoft Edge is closed”. Disable it in the same way. Are you ready. Now Edge will not run in the background even when closed and will not add a new shortcut to the desktop.
Stop Microsoft Edge from creating a desktop shortcut
So if the Edge browser shortcut kept showing up on the desktop, here’s how you can prevent it from triggering the action. Basically, we have disabled the action through the Registry itself, so no services or scheduled tasks can run and create the Edge shortcut on the desktop. Anyway, that’s all from us. If you want to try out the new split screen feature in Microsoft Edge, follow our linked guide. And to further customize Edge for a clean browsing experience, head over to our list of the best Microsoft Edge tips and tricks. Finally, if you have any questions, please let us know in the comments below.
