How Do I Stop Windows 10 From Changing My Default Browser?

Many users of Windows operating systems would like to switch their default web browser from Microsoft Edge to one of their choosing, such as Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explorer. Doing this requires just a few simple steps and will ensure that links or files automatically open with this chosen web browser instead of Edge.

1. Open the Control Panel

If you’re using a PC running Windows 10 and it keeps switching your default browser, then it may be frustrating. There are various methods of stopping this, with one of the easiest being via the Control Panel.

To access the Control Panel, either click on the Start button or type “control panel” into your taskbar search field. Next, go to Default Programs which is in the left pane of the Control Panel window and then choose your browser as default by clicking “Set as Default”.

You can access your Control Panel through Command Prompt as well. To do this, press Win + R simultaneously on your keyboard before entering “control panel” into the command prompt and hitting Enter after typing your text into it.

Use the traditional method to access the Control Panel. Simply type “default” into the search box located at the top-right portion of your window, and go through to Default app Settings on the left pane before choosing your preferred browser as your default one.

2. Go to Default Programs

The Default Programs settings allow you to change not only which web browser you use for internet surfing, but also determine the apps used for email, maps, music/video streaming/playback, photos/albums etc. In Windows 10, Microsoft implemented changes designed to make setting your desired browser as the default more difficult and prevent adware and unwanted programs from taking over your default programs preferences without permission.

Locate these settings by opening your Control Panel – either searching for “control panel” in your search bar, or by right-clicking Windows Start and choosing Settings as one of your menu items. Within the Settings app, navigate to Apps from the list on the left and click Default apps; here, you will see a list of apps suitable for each file or action type you choose.

Once you’ve decided which app should become your default, click it and then click “Make this the default”. Repeat this process for any type of file or action that need to be managed by your preferred web browser.

Be sure to review the AutoPlay tab on this screen to select your preferred browser as the default for any removable media such as USBs or DVDs, and configure which browser should be used when connecting mobile devices like smartphones or tablets to PCs. Furthermore, enable or disable certain features which you don’t use or want like playing automatically-inserted videos or accessing apps through right-click context menus.

3. Go to Web Browsers

If Windows 10 keeps resetting your browser to Microsoft Edge, there are a few different things you can try. One is uninstalling and reinstalling the preferred browser; another would be running it in Safe Mode at computer startup; finally you could update your operating system in order to address bugs and glitches that cause default application preferences to reset.

If none of these methods work, try installing freeware software to prevent Windows from changing your browser. This program will stop it from doing so until instructed to do so; it works with both Internet Explorer and Edge browsers.

Additionally, you could try disabling Internet Explorer in Windows 10. This can be accomplished by opening the Settings app and selecting Default apps in the left pane, followed by choosing which browser should become your default and clicking “Set as default.”

Change the default app for specific file types by accessing Default apps in the Settings menu. However, this method only works if your browser supports that type of file; otherwise you must manually set each type of file’s browser as its default application.

If you’re still having issues, try installing a third-party extension or using an open source helper app; both should prevent Windows from automatically switching your browser back to Edge. Or consider switching to Chrome as your default browser instead; its faster speeds and greater support of web standards give more freedom when browsing online.

4. Select the browser you want to set as the default

Most Windows computers ship with Microsoft Edge installed as their default browser, but you can easily change this. Every time you click a link in an email, Discord chat, or another app on your computer, it will open in whatever browser has been selected as default.

To make changes to the default browser on your PC, navigate to its settings and select “Default apps”. From here, go down the list until you reach Web browser and select your preferred choice before clicking Set as default button.

If you don’t already own Chrome or Firefox, Microsoft Store provides free browsers that you can download for free. If security is a top concern for you, Mozilla Firefox’s open-source code makes it an excellent option as anyone can inspect its code to identify malicious software.

Some users have reported their settings aren’t saving and that links still open in Edge even after selecting Chrome or Firefox as their default browsers – an extremely frustrating problem that there are ways to address.

Stop Resetting My Apps provides an effective solution for stopping Windows from automatically changing your default browser: this software prevents Windows from resetting apps and browsers alike from defaulting back to Edge; however, this may not work with every app; if using an older version of Adobe Acrobat for example it may not support current PDF viewers; in that case renaming Microsoft Edge folder will temporarily stop its update services and stop your browser from reverting back.

5. Click on the Set as Default button

If Windows 10 keeps resetting your default browser, you may be wondering how to stop it. There are multiple approaches, the first of which being disabling Internet Explorer in the Search Bar by typing features; from this list of results click “Turn Windows Features on or off”, uncheck the Internet Explorer option, and close.

Once this has been accomplished, head into the Settings app and choose “Default apps”. From here you can choose your default browser – any web links clicked in various apps will then open in that specific browser instead.

Your default browser could change without you realizing it for several reasons, one being Microsoft’s pushy tactics to force Edge onto users in various parts of Windows OS; bugs or issues with program preferences might also play a factor; to correct such problems you could reinstall your favorite browser, update OS or use freeware that stops Windows from resetting them automatically.

Another method to change your default browser is through the Control Panel’s Default Programs option, and selecting your preferred browser from there. When finished, click on Set as Default button before closing out of Control Panel and rebooting computer – this should solve Windows 10 resetting your default browser!