Microsoft Edge is the default web browser on Windows 10. It’s a good browser, but it’s definitely not perfect. One common complaint is that it’s slow. Although the new Microsoft Edge is much improved, some users still report performance issues, especially when compared to other browsers like Google Chrome.
There are several possible explanations for why Microsoft Edge might be slow. It could be that your computer isn’t powerful enough to run the heavy chromium-based browser smoothly, or something might be wrong with the browser itself. Fortunately, you can try a few things to speed up Microsoft Edge.
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1. Force Stop and Relaunch the Browser
The first thing you should do if Microsoft Edge is slow is to force stop the browser and then relaunch it. This can help clear out any temporary files or data that might be causing problems.
To force stop Microsoft Edge, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager. Then, find Microsoft Edge under the Processes tab and click on it. Finally, click on the End Task button at the bottom right of the window. There can be multiple instances of Microsoft Edge running, so make sure to end all of them.
Once Microsoft Edge has been force stopped, you can relaunch the Edge browser by clicking on the icon in your taskbar or Start menu.
2. Clear Cache and Browsing Data
Sometimes there can be too much data stored in your browser’s cache, which can lead to slow performance. While these data can be helpful in loading websites faster, they can do the opposite if there’s too much of it.
To clear the cache and browsing data in Microsoft Edge, click on the menu button (three dots) at the window’s top right corner. Then, hover over Settings > Cookies and site permissions. Press “Manage and delete cookies and site data” in the new page.
Under the Cookies and site data section, click on See all cookies and site data. A new tab will open with a list of all the cookies and site data stored in your browser. To delete everything, click on the Remove all button at the top right.
If you don’t want to delete everything, you can also click on the individual cookies and site data to remove them.
Alternatively, you can also access the Clear browsing data menu by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Del. This will open the same window as before, but with some additional options.
3. Get Rid of the Extensions
Browser Extensions or add-ons are a great way to customize your web browser and make it more efficient. However, they can also slow down your browser if there are too many of them or if they’re not well-optimized.
To see the extensions installed in Microsoft Edge, open the Menu and then go to Extensions > Manage Extensions. Alternatively, you can type “edge://extensions/” into the address bar to open the extensions window.
This will open a new tab with a list of all the extensions installed in your browser. To disable an extension, toggle the switch next to it to Off. To remove it completely, click on the Remove button.
It’s also a good idea to update your extensions regularly to ensure they’re compatible with the latest version of Microsoft Edge.
4. Alter the Tracking Prevention Modes
The new Edge browser arrives with a new feature called Tracking Prevention. This privacy-focused feature blocks third-party trackers from collecting your data as you browse the web.
Tracking Prevention can help improve your browsing privacy but can slow down Microsoft Edge. This is because the browser has to do more work to block the trackers. Especially if you use the “Strict” mode, which blocks most trackers.
To change the Tracking Prevention mode in Microsoft Edge, click on the menu button and then go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services.
Under the “Privacy, search, and services” section, find the “Tracking prevention” option. It will have three different tracking prevention modes that you can choose from Basic, Balanced, and Strict.
We recommend the basic mode if you’re concerned about speed. Or you can try the Balanced mode to find a good balance between privacy and performance. You can also turn the feature off entirely by pressing the toggle switch beside it.
5. Update the Browser
You might be using the older version of Microsoft Edge, which can be a reason for slow performance. That’s because the older versions of the browser can become outdated over time and might not be able to take full advantage of the latest web technologies.
To check for updates in Microsoft Edge, click on the menu button and then go to Settings > About Microsoft Edge. This will open a new tab with information about your Edge browser. If there’s an update available, you’ll see the “Update now” button under the “About Microsoft Edge” section. Click on it to start downloading and installing the updates.
Once the update is installed, restart your browser for the changes to take effect.
6. Reset Microsoft Edge
If nothing else has worked, you can try resetting Microsoft Edge. This will delete all your browser data, including your history, cookies, and saved passwords. It will also disable any extensions that you have installed.
To reset Microsoft Edge, click on the menu button and then go to Settings > Reset settings.
Click on the “Restore settings to their default values” in the new tab. This will open a new window asking you to confirm the reset. Next, click on the “Reset” button to reset Microsoft Edge.
Once the process is complete, restart your browser and see if the problem has been fixed.
7. Run an SFC Scan
Sometimes, the reason for Microsoft Edge being slow can be due to a corrupted system file. To fix this, you can run an SFC scan.
SFC is a built-in utility in Windows that can scan for and replace corrupt system files. To run an SFC scan, open the Start menu, search for “Command Prompt”, right-click on it and select the “Run as administrator” option.
In the Command Prompt window, type in the following command and press Enter:
sfc /scannow
This will start scanning your system for corrupt files. The process can take some time, so be patient.
8. Switch to a Different Browser
If you’ve tried all of the solutions above and Microsoft Edge is still slow, it might be time to switch to a different browser. There are many good alternatives to Microsoft Edge out there, such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Brave Browser, and so on.
To make the switch, download and install the browser of your choice. Once it’s installed, you can export your Edge data (such as history, cookies, and saved passwords) to the new browser. However, we recommend starting fresh for the best experience.
Conclusion
Microsoft has improved the Edge browser a lot since it was first released. However, it still has a long way to go before competing with Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, etc. If you’re using Microsoft Edge and it’s slow, we hope this article has helped you speed it up. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to leave a comment below.