Moving your files and settings from an old Windows 10 PC to a new Windows 11 machine should preserve your choices — but a report released July 14 reveals that your default browser is often silently replaced by Microsoft Edge during the process. Mozilla’s Over the Edge 2.0 investigation, conducted by independent deceptive-design researchers Dr. Harry Brignull and Cennydd Bowles, documents this and other tactics that keep steering users back to Edge, with the severity varying dramatically depending on whether you live in Europe or elsewhere.
The Silent Browser Swap and Other Documented Tactics
The researchers tested three common tasks: downloading an alternative browser, setting it as the default, and continuing to use it without interference. They examined user journeys on Windows 10 and Windows 11 across the US, India, the UK, and Germany (representing the European Economic Area). At nearly every stage, they found what they classify as harmful design patterns — trick wording, obstruction, visual interference, preselection, nagging, and forced action.
The most startling finding for everyday users involves migration. When the researchers backed up a Windows 10 PC configured with a competing default browser and restored that backup to a Windows 11 device, the original browser did not transfer. Microsoft Edge silently became the default on the new installation. While some apps naturally need re-installation, Windows Backup gave no clear warning that the user’s previous preference would be overridden, effectively treating Edge as a fresh expression of choice.
That is only one piece of a larger pattern. Searching for “Firefox” or “Chrome” in Bing can trigger a panel declaring “All you need is right here,” attempting to discourage the download. Once you do download and run a rival installer, Windows may surface another recommendation to stick with Edge. Later, system links, setup screens, and even Microsoft Copilot can drag you back into Edge, even if you’ve set another browser as the default.
Copilot introduces a new wrinkle. The researchers found that links opened through the AI assistant displayed in Edge regardless of the system default browser. As Copilot becomes a primary entry point for web queries, its link handling can erode the practical meaning of a “default” browser setting.
What This Means for You
If You’re a Home User
If you’re planning to move from Windows 10 to Windows 11 — and with Windows 10’s end of support now a reality, many are — be prepared to reinstall your preferred browser and reassert your default choice. Even after doing so, you may find that Edge reappears in unexpected places: clicking a web result in Windows Search, following a link from a Widget, or asking Copilot a question could all open Edge. This behavior is baked into the operating system for users outside Europe.
There is no simple toggle to make Copilot respect your default browser if you’re in the US, India, or most other non‑EEA regions. Your practical options are to avoid using the integrated Copilot experience or to accept that some AI‑driven flows will bypass Firefox, Chrome, or Brave.
If You Manage PCs at Work
The migration behavior is a red flag for IT departments. Windows Backup cannot be trusted to preserve browser defaults. Include explicit steps in your deployment process: pre‑install the organization’s approved browser, use Group Policy or Intune to configure default application associations, and disable Edge’s first‑run experience and post‑update prompts. Verify that your configuration also covers the “Choose which browser opens web links” policy if available in your environment.
Copilot’s bypass of the default browser adds another vector. If your users have Copilot enabled, test whether internal web apps or company resources are being funneled through Edge unintentionally. Policy controls for Copilot are evolving, but as of this writing, most enterprises will need to decide whether to disable Copilot entirely or accept Edge handling AI link traffic.
How We Got Here: A History of Browser Bundling
Microsoft’s promotion of its own browser inside Windows is not new — it stretches back to the Internet Explorer antitrust battles of the 1990s. The original Over The Edge report, published two years ago, catalogued many of the same design patterns. The 2.0 update shows that while some details have shifted, the core strategy remains: make it technically possible to choose another browser, but surround that choice with friction and repeated nudges toward Edge.
The most revealing evidence in the new report is not any single prompt but the regional divide. In the European Economic Area, where the Digital Markets Act applies, Microsoft has removed significant pressure points. Bing no longer presents the “All you need is right here” discouragement panel. The Windows 10 “You’re almost done setting up your PC” nag that pushes Edge is absent. Copilot’s data‑related toggles default to “Off” rather than “On.” And critically, Edge can be uninstalled in the EEA; elsewhere, Microsoft’s own documentation still describes Edge as a core system component that cannot be removed.
This is not accidental. Microsoft publicly documented EEA‑specific changes, including an expanded “Set default” operation that can associate more web link and file types with the chosen browser, and a change in Edge 137.0.3296.52 (released May 29, 2025) that stops Edge from prompting EEA users to make it the default unless they deliberately open Edge itself. The UK, while outside the EEA, benefits from some of the same Copilot data default changes likely due to its own privacy regulations — demonstrating that precise regulatory pressure can produce targeted improvements without a full DMA‑style overhaul.
What to Do Now
After upgrading to Windows 11: Immediately install your browser of choice and go to Settings > Apps > Default apps. Set it as the default for all web‑related file types and protocols, not just HTTP and HTTPS. If you’re unsure, click your browser’s entry and look for a “Set default” button — though outside the EEA this may not assign every protocol automatically.
Reduce Edge nagging (non‑EEA): In Edge, navigate to edge://settings/system and disable “Startup boost” and “Continue running background extensions and apps when Microsoft Edge is closed.” You can also search the internet for registry tweaks to suppress Edge’s first‑run experience, but be aware that Windows updates may revert these changes.
Copilot workarounds: If you rely on another browser, use the web version of Copilot at copilot.microsoft.com inside that browser rather than the built‑in Windows Copilot, which always uses Edge. This at least keeps your default browser in control of the session.
For IT administrators:
- Deploy default application associations via Group Policy or MDM. Microsoft provides XML templates for this.
- Disable the “Allow Microsoft Edge Side‑by‑Side browser experience” policy to prevent Edge from launching next to another browser.
- Turn off “Show recommendations from Microsoft Edge in Start” and any policy that allows Edge to promote itself after updates.
- If using Windows Backup or USMT for migrations, supplement the process with a scripted browser installation and default‑app configuration; do not assume user state migration will carry browser preferences.
- Test Copilot’s link handling in your tenant and, if necessary, disable Copilot until policies mature that let you control link routing.
Europe Shows a Different Windows Is Possible — Will Others Get It?
Microsoft has already engineered a version of Windows that respects browser choice more consistently. The question is whether it will extend that experience beyond the markets that legally compel it. For users and businesses in the US, India, and elsewhere, there is no technical barrier preventing Microsoft from offering the same uninstallable Edge, the same expanded default‑app protocol assignment, and the same reduced nagging. The company simply chooses not to.
Regulatory pressure outside Europe is mounting, and the Windows 10 end‑of‑support wave will put millions of users through the migration that this report shows can erase their browser preference. Whether through class‑action lawsuits, antitrust investigations, or voluntary change, the coming months may determine if a truly user‑respectful Windows becomes the global standard or remains a European exclusive.