Microsoft has ditched an online document that apparently was about catering for those who would uninstall the edge browser, but was in fact an attempt to deter those who thought of removing the app to stick to it.
We reported on ‘Uninstall Document’ last week that came in the form of a web page that looked like it was about removing the edge from your PC from search results.
But when it was actually navigated to the side, it turned out that the document was about comparing edge to Google Chrome and blacing the former virtues.
When this hit the headlines, there were a few people who were not impressed with this powerful attempt at persuading-surprising-and now Microsoft has now preserved the web page as Windows latest noticed.
As you try to visit this page now, you will be redirected to Microsoft’s Edge Portal, which is still about promoting the benefits of the browser – but without any presumption that this can help you it should be noted).
Analysis: A misleading tactic to be preserved
As you probably know, Microsoft has a long history of stabbing people to use Edge going back to, yes, the start of the browser. The Windows operating system has long hosted different nudges or direct ads pushing Edge, so it’s not exactly a surprise to see Microsoft have tried another angle of persuasion.
The misleading nature of the search result compared to the content of the website (when it was still active), the real problem was here – and I’m not surprised that Microsoft has quickly dropped this one.
What made it worse was to lure by clicking through to ‘Uninstall Edge’ when for most people (outside of Europe) there is no official way to remove the browser from a Windows 11 installation. That’s because other bits of the operating system are dependent on code within the edge, or this is Microsoft’s attitude to the case anyway.
You can delete all shortcuts and so on to the browser and ignore it, but you actually can’t remove the app as such. It still sits there lurks in the background. (Besides, I have to clarify you can sample To ignore it, but it pops up again and again with some regularity in the form of suggestions in different parts of windows that you need Edge, and to make it your default browser).
One of the more frustrating elements about all this is that Edge is a really good product – it tops our list of the best web browsers, in fact – but with constant attempts to promote it is Microsoft more likely to drive people away from the app, Not in the fold.
