Microsoft has released a test build of Windows 11 (Insider Preview Build 23531) to the developer channel and it comes with Relevant change affecting the Microsoft Edge browser. And the point is that the links to the content will open in the browser that the user prefers, and not the one decided (imposed) by Microsoft, as has been the case so far. For now, the measure will only affect the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

Before we get down to business and in our opinion, let’s say that the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge is the best web browser ever from the software giant and the rest of the contestants have nothing to envy. Released in Windows 10, it improved upon the previous Edge and Internet Explorer in all areas: performance; compatibility of standards; stability; security and privacy; more features and the ability to use hundreds of extensions available for Chrome.

But Microsoft insists on artificially promoting it, exploiting the Windows monopoly, and worse, not respecting user choice or complicating choice with known “dark patterns” or other techniques that, by act or omission, make it difficult to use alternatives from third-party providers. This extends to its other applications and services, and as a result, the default Windows comes full of junk, unnecessarily bloated.

Microsoft Edge and its responsibilities

Microsoft has adopted aggressive behavior to promote its web browser. We have already informed you about the changes implemented in Windows 11 for the selection of applications that open each file type by default, and specifically for what concerns us the web browser. In previous systems, you only had to choose your favorite browser. For Windows 11, Microsoft has made the appropriate changes because it is necessary make this choice for each extension type and protocol associated with the browser. Something few of us do.

In addition, the system forces you to use the Edge browser for various actions such as links to news widgets, Bing search, Outlook, Teams chats, and other components. Here, only the Microsoft browser can deal with the protocol that controls it. without allowing third-party applications to do so. Alternative browsers such as Firefox and Brave have implemented their own interception code to prevent Microsoft from forcing the use of Edge when opening links. And tools like EdgeDeflector were created to prevent this behavior, which they called anti-competitive. Both methods were blocked by Microsoft and other tools like MSEdgeRedirect arrived.

A disastrous game for which only Microsoft is responsible. A solution is now announced: “In the European Economic Area (EEA), Windows components use the default browser to open links.”they explain in the changelog of the latest Windows 11 Dev build.

In Christian. If the user uses Chrome, Firefox or another alternative browser and sets it as the default, this will be the one Windows uses to open links. As we can see, the problem was not technical (as Microsoft said), but commercial, to expand Edge and block other providers. The measure will only affect users in the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Hopefully it will soon be ported to the stable version of Windows 11 and to other countries.