How to reset settings to defaults on Microsoft Edge

It's possible to restore the Microsoft Edge settings to their defaults values, and here's how.

Microsoft Edge reset settings / Image: Mauro Huculak
Microsoft Edge reset settings / Image: Mauro Huculak
  • To reset Microsoft Edge settings and restore default values, open the browser settings, click “Reset settings,” click “Restore settings to their default values,” and click “Reset.”
  • To reset the browser completely, close all the Microsoft Edge processes and, from %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft, delete the “Edge” folder.

UPDATED 7/12/2024: On Windows 11 (or 10), if you use Microsoft Edge, you can reset the settings to their factory defaults anytime (similar to resetting Google Chrome). You may want to do this if you are experiencing problems or if an extension (or an app) modifies the settings without your permission and you want to revert to the original settings.

Regardless of the reason, Edge includes a feature that allows you to reset common settings to the defaults. When using this feature, the browser will reset the startup page, new tab page, search engine, and pinned tabs. In addition, it’ll disable extensions and clear your browsing data.

If you want to delete and reset all the settings on Microsoft Edge, you have to delete the “Edge” folder in your system profile folder. Nothing will be saved using this method, and you will have to start with the browser from scratch by configuring a new profile and choosing your settings all over again.

In this guide, I will teach you how to reset the settings to their default values on the new Microsoft Edge

Reset common settings to defaults on Microsoft Edge

To reset Microsoft Edge settings on Windows 11 (or 10), use these steps:

  1. Open Microsoft Edge on Windows.

  2. Click the Settings and More (ellipsis) button on the top-right corner.

  3. Select the Settings option.

  4. Click on Reset settings.

    Restore settings to their default values

  5. Click the “Restore settings to their default values” option.

    Microsoft Edge reset settings option

  6. Click the Reset button.

Once you complete the steps, the browser will reset the startup page, new tab page, search engine, and pinned tabs. In addition, this action will disable all your extensions and clear the browsing data. However, your favorites, history, and passwords will not be deleted. If you need to delete this data as well, you’ll need to do it from the Profiles page and delete your current profile. Also, other settings available in appearance, downloads, system, and other pages won’t reset to default.

Reset every setting to defaults on Microsoft Edge

To reset the Microsoft Edge browser completely on Windows, use these steps:

  1. Close the Microsoft Edge browser.

  2. Open Start.

  3. Search for Task Manager and click the top result to open the app.

  4. Open the Processes tab.

  5. Search for Microsoft Edge using the search box at the top of the page.

  6. Choose the Microsoft Edge group of processes.

  7. Click the End task button to ensure that no browser processes are running on the device.

    Task Manager close Edge processes

  8. Open File Explorer.

  9. Type the following path in the address bar and press Enter:

    %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft
  10. Right-click the Edge folder and choose the Delete option.

    Windows 11 delete Edge folder to reset browser

  11. Continue with the on-screen directions (if applicable).

After you complete the steps, open Microsoft Edge again to continue with the browser’s initial setup. If you’re signed in with a Microsoft account on Windows, the browser will create a new profile with that Microsoft account automatically, which will also re-sync your favorites and extensions. If you want to re-enable your extensions, you complete this task from edge://extensions.

Update July 12, 2024: This guide has been updated to include a video tutorial to follow these instructions.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].