Windows 11 and Setting a Default Web Browser

[britechguy]

Anyone know of a "quick and easy" way to do this under Windows 11 that makes it a lot more similar to the way Windows 10 did it?

I have no idea why that aspect of settings was changed, but what Windows 11 is doing for Default Apps is, in my opinion, insane. It's not user friendly even for a skilled technician, let alone your common user.

 

[nlinecomputers]

Nope. Microsoft is actively blocking third party tools designed to aid in quickly changing this.

 

[Sky-Knight]

There is none...

The "improved UI" is available but only in the beta releases, you have to wait for the first Windows 11 feature release this fall to do it the "easy way".

All you can do for now is manually steal all the file associations.

 

[britechguy]

Well, what's particularly hilarious about this specific situation is that the user who wants to do this is blind and wants to change the default browser to Edge Beta rather than Edge "production."

She's been using Edge Beta for a long time under Windows 10 and wishes to reinstitute that under Windows 11.

What's even more perverse is that the Edge (regardless of whether production or Beta) settings, default browser, Set as default button does not seem to work. Yet, based on what I've read elsewhere, using that button in Firefox under Windows 11 does. It's just a *%$(#*% mess!

While I've loved a lot of what's happened with Settings under Windows 11, this is a, "What on God's green earth were they thinking?!!," kind of thing.

 

[Porthos]

I always wander thru this section https://www.elevenforum.com/tutorials/

 

[britechguy]

@Porthos

Thanks. I constantly forget that the folks who run tenforums (and eightforums, etc.) set up entirely new forums for each major Windows release.

I did find: https://www.elevenforum.com/t/choose-default-apps-in-windows-11.337/#option6
But what it's showing is not what I saw last night when I was sitting in front of my Windows 11 machine, which happens to be downstairs.

 

[Porthos]

But what it's showing is not what I saw last night when I was sitting in front of my Windows 11 machine, which happens to be downstairs.

Starting with Windows 11 build 22567, Microsoft has updated the “Open with” dialog box to align with Windows 11 design principles.

 

[Appletax]

Why does M$ so badly want us using Edge? To mine our data? To get more ad revenue? Jesus. Won't catch me using Windows 11 for at least another year.

 

[fincoder]

To get more ad revenue?

This, because they also make it difficult to change the search provider from Bing.

 

[Appletax]

This, because they also make it difficult to change the search provider from Bing.

Micro$oft can kiss me where the sun don't shine

Bing is hot garbage unless you're looking for something... nasty... ... lol

Edit: yea, I switch to Google for search engine, reopen Edge, and they ask me to switch back to Bing. How about f*&( NO

 

[GTP]

I'm currently using LibreWolf. Privacy focused fork of Firefox.
No telemetry, uBlock Origin built in, open source...
I had no problems setting LibreWolf as default in either Windoze 10 or 11.
I set DuckDuckGo as default search engine but LibreWolf comes with several other like Searx, Qwant etc.

 

[cypress]

I'm currently using LibreWolf. Privacy focused fork of Firefox.
No telemetry, uBlock Origin built in, open source...
I had no problems setting LibreWolf as default in either Windoze 10 or 11.
I set DuckDuckGo as default search engine but LibreWolf comes with several other like Searx, Qwant etc.

Have you heard of Brave browser? I been using them since 2019. Focused on Privacy and built on Chromium. I absoultely love it. Got a couple clients on it as well that didn't wanna deal with Google Chrome and they really like it as well.

 

[britechguy]

I've been using Vivaldi and Brave both for several years now. Both are Chromium-based and both have a privacy focus (as well as excellent built-in ad-blocking capabilities).

I still use Firefox and Edge Dev, too.

 

[Sky-Knight]

Starting with Windows 11 build 22567, Microsoft has updated the “Open with” dialog box to align with Windows 11 design principles.

Yes but this is a beta build, won't be generally available until the next feature release of Windows 11 this Fall.

@Barcelona I'm going to have to check that out, though I do wonder how things can be more privacy focused that Firefox already is. Privacy is part of Mozilla's mission statement after all.

 

[GTP]

Have you heard of Brave browser?

Yes. I've also heard about their "rewards" program which gives me chills.

 

[GTP]

(as well as excellent built-in ad-blocking capabilities)

The rewards program kind of defeats the purpose doesn't it?

 

[britechguy]

The rewards program kind of defeats the purpose doesn't it?

No. As it's entirely optional.

If you are willing to have Brave curated ads appear to fund them, or otherwise be used by you (there are several options for rewards), that's entirely up to you. I never joined.

It really wouldn't make much sense for a browser whose claim to fame is its privacy focus to do anything to tarnish that.

 

[GTP]

No. As it's entirely optional.

If you are willing to have Brave curated ads appear to fund them, or otherwise be used by you (there are several options for rewards), that's entirely up to you. I never joined.

It really wouldn't make much sense for a browser whose claim to fame is its privacy focus to do anything to tarnish that.

True.
But at the same time; money talks...
And how do you know what they actually do in the background?

I guess that could be said for all browsers and being "open source" and available to anyone interested in checking is a comforting thought.

 

[britechguy]

But at the same time; money talks...
And how do you know what they actually do in the background?

You don't, ever. But there are plenty of "someones" who spend all their time watching what these entities (and the software they produce) does and whether that's in conflict with what they claim it does (or does not) do.

And, like I said, Brave's claim to fame is its being one of the very first browsers with a strong privacy focus. Were that proven to be false, the vast majority of their existing user base would abandon them almost overnight. That would not be good for them.

 

[GTP]

...Brave's claim to fame is its being one of the very first browsers with a strong privacy focus.

Not exactly sure who was actually "first" with a primary focus on privacy and or security.
A few years ago (2015?) I used a browser from White Hat called "Aviator" that also had a strong focus on privacy and security.
Not sure what happened but being based on Chromium meant that Google had some control over the software?
IIRC Aviator was abandoned after Google were critical of bugs in the code causing REV's.

Explained here..