Reset Microsoft Edge to Default Settings: Full Guide

This guide walks you through completely resetting Microsoft Edge to its default settings, which clears your homepage, search engine, startup tabs, and most customization while keeping your bookmarks, history, and saved passwords intact. You will need to be signed into Windows with an administrator account to complete the process.

What You’ll Need

• A Windows PC or Mac with Microsoft Edge installed
• Administrator access to your computer (for the full reset)
• Your Microsoft account password if you want to re-sync after resetting

Step-by-Step

1. Close all Edge windows – Make sure no Edge browser windows are open. If you have background apps running, right-click the Edge icon in the system tray and select “Exit.”
2. Open Edge Settings – Launch Microsoft Edge, click the three-dot menu (⋯) in the top-right corner, and select Settings from the dropdown.
3. Navigate to Reset settings – In the left sidebar, click Reset settings. If you don’t see it, look under “Privacy, search, and services” or use the search box at the top of the Settings page and type “reset.”
4. Choose “Restore settings to their default values” – Click the option labeled Restore settings to their default values. This is the main reset button.
5. Confirm the reset – A confirmation dialog will appear explaining what will be reset. Click Reset to proceed. Edge will close and reopen automatically.
6. Verify the changes – After Edge reopens, check your homepage, startup pages, and search engine. They should be back to Edge’s defaults (Bing search, Edge’s new tab page).
7. Reset Edge shortcuts (optional) – If your desktop or taskbar shortcuts still have modified flags (like a forced homepage), right-click the shortcut, select Properties, and remove any extra text after the “msedge.exe” path in the Target field.
8. Clear browsing data (optional but thorough) – If you want a truly clean slate, go to Settings → Privacy, search, and services → Clear browsing data → Choose what to clear. Select “All time” and check the boxes for cached images, cookies, and site data. This does not remove passwords or autofill unless you check those boxes.
9. Re-enable sync (optional) – If you had sync turned on before, sign back into your Microsoft account and toggle sync on to restore your bookmarks, passwords, and history from the cloud.

Common Mistakes

• Clicking “Reset” on the wrong page – There are multiple “reset” options in Edge. Make sure you choose “Restore settings to their default values,” not “Reset sync” or “Reset accessibility settings.”
• Forgetting to close background processes – If Edge is still running in the background, the reset may not apply correctly. Always exit completely first.
• Expecting passwords to be cleared – The standard reset does not delete saved passwords or bookmarks. If you want those gone, you must clear them manually in the “Clear browsing data” section.
• Not checking extensions – The reset disables extensions but does not remove them. If a problematic extension is causing issues, you’ll need to uninstall it separately from edge://extensions.
• Resetting while signed in with a work or school account – If Edge is managed by your organization, the reset option may be grayed out or may not fully apply. You’ll need to contact your IT admin.

Tips

• Export your data first – Before resetting, go to Settings → Profiles → Export bookmarks to save an HTML file of your favorites. This is a safety net in case something goes wrong.
• Use the reset as a first diagnostic step – If Edge is crashing, slow, or showing pop-ups, a reset often fixes it without needing to reinstall the browser.
• Write down your custom settings – Note your preferred search engine, homepage, and startup pages so you can quickly reconfigure them after the reset.
• Check for malware – If Edge keeps resetting itself or changing your homepage repeatedly, run Windows Defender or another antivirus scan. Malware can re-modify settings after a reset.
• Consider a full uninstall/reinstall – If the reset doesn’t fix the problem, uninstall Edge completely (via Settings → Apps → Microsoft Edge → Uninstall) and reinstall the latest version from Microsoft’s website.

Troubleshooting

The reset button is grayed out. This usually means Edge is managed by an organization (work/school account) or by group policy. Check if you see a “Managed by your organization” banner at the top of Settings. If so, contact your IT department. For personal accounts, try signing out of your profile first, then reset.

Edge doesn’t reopen after reset. If the browser closes and doesn’t come back, just launch it manually from the Start menu or taskbar. If it still won’t open, restart your computer and try again.

Settings are still not default after reset. Some settings, like the default search engine, can be re-modified by a malicious extension. Go to edge://extensions, remove anything you don’t recognize, then reset again. Also check your browser shortcuts for added parameters.

Sync is causing problems. If your settings keep reverting to old values after reset, it’s likely sync pulling them back from the cloud. Turn off sync before resetting, then turn it back on afterward.

The reset works but Edge is still slow. The reset doesn’t clear cached data. Manually clear browsing data (Step 8) and consider disabling hardware acceleration in Settings → System and performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will resetting Edge delete my bookmarks? No, the standard reset keeps bookmarks, history, and saved passwords. Only settings like homepage, search engine, and startup pages are restored to defaults.

Will I lose my saved passwords? No, passwords are preserved. If you want to delete them, you must clear them manually under Settings → Privacy → Clear browsing data → Passwords.

Does this reset remove extensions? It disables them but does not uninstall them. You’ll see them grayed out on the extensions page and can re-enable or remove them individually.

How is this different from uninstalling and reinstalling Edge? A reset keeps your data and is faster. A full reinstall removes everything, including profiles and local data, and may require re-downloading the browser.

Will the reset affect other browsers or Windows settings? No, it only affects Microsoft Edge. Your other browsers, files, and Windows settings remain untouched.

Can I undo a reset? No, there’s no undo button. However, if you had sync enabled, your settings may be restored from the cloud when you sign back in. That’s why exporting bookmarks beforehand is recommended.

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