Official: Microsoft will automatically remove old Edge from Windows

Microsoft has finally decided on the timing of abandoning the outdated version of the proprietary Edge browser in the Windows operating system.

In an official message, Microsoft explained how the process will proceed. As planned, on March 9, 2021, support for Microsoft Edge Legacy will be discontinued (in Russian-language documentation – old or outdated Microsoft Edge), which means the termination of the release of updates for the browser.

The planned “Tuesday update” for Windows 10 will be released on April 13th. This update will remove Microsoft Edge Legacy from the system and install the new Microsoft Edge on the Chromium engine if it is not already present on the PC. The process of deleting and replacing will happen automatically, whether the user wants it or not.

Also, the “deleting” update will be part of the test version of Windows 10 March Preview. Microsoft plans to remove the old Edge not only on supported versions of Windows 10, but older versions as well. The update will be released for the following versions:

• Windows 10 version 1803 (April 2018)
• Windows 10 version 1809 (October 2018)
• Windows 10 version 1903, (May 2019)
• Windows 10 version 1909 (October 2019)
• Windows 10 version 2004 (May 2020)
• Windows 10 version 20H2 (October 2020)

Microsoft notes that since the new Chromium-powered Edge is already installed as the default browser in Windows 10 20H2, it will not be reinstalled, only the old Edge will be removed.

Recall that now Microsoft Edge on the proprietary EdgeHTML engine is included in the operating system. Thus, “bundled” with Windows 10, the user gets three preinstalled browsers at once – Internet Explorer, the old Edge and the new Edge.