Overview
Edge is Chromium underneath, which means it renders exactly like every other browser in that family and runs the same extensions from the same store. What Microsoft added on top is a mix of genuinely good work and a large amount of promotional surface, and this build keeps the first and removes the second. The rendering engine, the profile handling, the extension support and the developer tools are untouched.
This is an offline installer rather than the small stub that downloads the browser after you run it, which matters on a machine being set up without a connection or behind a restrictive network. The update services are removed rather than disabled, so the browser stays on the version you installed until you replace it deliberately.
What was removed
The new tab page feed, the sponsored tiles, the shopping and coupon component, the sidebar promotional entries and the first run tour are gone. The telemetry services that run as separate processes are stripped, along with their scheduled tasks, so the process list after launch contains the browser and its renderers and nothing else.
The updater is removed entirely, which is a deliberate trade. You do not get silent version changes, and you also do not get security fixes without replacing the build yourself. If that trade does not suit how you work, the stock browser is the right choice and there is no shame in it.
What is genuinely good and was kept
Vertical tabs are still the best implementation of the idea in any browser, and tab groups with collapse behave sensibly at a hundred tabs open. Sleeping tabs free the memory of background tabs and restore them on click, which on a machine with limited memory makes a larger difference than any other single setting. The built in reader view strips a page down to text properly, and the read aloud voices are the good ones rather than the robotic system ones.
Collections are a lightweight research tool that sits between bookmarks and note taking, holding pages with a note and exporting to a document. The PDF viewer handles annotation and form filling well enough that a separate reader is often unnecessary, and it opens large documents faster than most standalone viewers.
Profiles, extensions and compatibility
Profiles are fully separate, each with its own extensions, history and settings, and switching between them opens a separate window rather than reloading everything. Extensions install from either the Edge store or the Chrome store with a toggle, and Chromium extensions work without modification.
Compatibility mode for older intranet applications is retained, which is why this browser exists on a lot of office machines in the first place. Developer tools are the standard Chromium set with no removals, including the device emulation and the performance profiler.
What you get
- Offline installer, no download stub required
- New tab feed, sponsored tiles and shopping components removed
- Telemetry services and their scheduled tasks stripped
- Update services removed so the version stays fixed
- Vertical tabs, tab groups and sleeping tabs retained in full
- Reader view and read aloud with the full voice set
- Collections for lightweight research capture and export
- PDF viewer with annotation and form filling
- Full Chromium extension support from either store
Inside the archive
- Edge offline installer, x86 and x64
- Policy template that keeps removed components from returning
- Language packs for the interface list shown above
- Notes listing every removed service and task
System requirements
| Operating system | Windows 10 version 21H2 or Windows 11 |
|---|---|
| Processor | Any dual core processor |
| Memory | 4 GB minimum, 8 GB with many tabs |
| Graphics | Any card with hardware acceleration for smooth scrolling |
| Storage | 600 MB |
| Display | Any resolution |
Installing it
- Uninstall or close any existing Edge installation before you begin.
- Unpack the archive and pick the architecture matching your system.
- Run the installer as administrator.
- Apply the supplied policy template so the removed components are not restored by a system update.
- Open the browser and confirm the new tab page is blank rather than showing a feed.
Mirrors
| Route | Region | Note | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct, primary | Europe | No wait, resumable | Online |
| Direct, secondary | North America | No wait, resumable | Online |
| Torrent magnet | Global | Direct is usually faster at this size | Online |
Release history
- Rebased on the current stable Chromium branch
- Policy template updated for the reorganised sidebar entries
- Additional telemetry task removed that survived the previous build
- Fixed sleeping tabs not restoring media playback state
- Shopping component fully stripped rather than disabled
Questions about this release
Will it still receive security updates?
No. The updater is removed. You replace the build yourself when a newer one is posted here, and if that is not acceptable then use the stock browser.
Do Chrome extensions work?
Yes. Enable the toggle that permits installation from other stores and they install and run unmodified.
Can I keep it alongside another browser?
Yes. It does not interfere with other browsers and does not claim default status unless you tell it to.
Why did the feed come back?
A system update can restore a component. Applying the supplied policy template prevents it, which is why it is a listed install step rather than an optional extra.
Comments
Offline installer was the point for me, setting up a machine with no network yet.
Apply the policy template. Mine restored the shopping thing after a Windows update until I did.
Comments are read before they appear. If a build stops working, say so here and it gets rebuilt rather than quietly left up.
Sleeping tabs plus vertical tabs is why I stay on Edge. Nice to have it without the feed.