How to Stop Microsoft Edge Running in the Background When Closed

If you’re experiencing a bit of system sluggishness after closing it, you might not realize that it is Microsoft Edge running in the background, even after you’ve closed the browser. This behavior can impact the performance of your system negatively, and if you’re using a laptop, it can cause battery drain issues.

Microsoft Edge has settings that determine whether it continues to operate in the background. To stop this, you’ll need toprevent Edge from runningwhen it’s not actively in use. We’ll explain a few methods to do this below.

Force Microsoft Edge to Close Using Task Manager

When Microsoft Edge continues to run in the background, it’ll continue to use system resources and potentially affect performance. To ensure that Edge completely closes, you can use theTask Managerto force Edge to exit completely.

To shut down Microsoft Edge via Task Manager, follow these steps.

After completing these steps, the Edge process will stop and should no longer impact your system’s performance. However, this is only a temporary solution—you’ll need to change your system settings to stop it happening again in the future.

How to Change Microsoft Edge Power Settings

Microsoft Edge has a particular setting that allows it to run certain applications or extensions in the background, even if it appears to be closed. If this is undesirable behavior, you’ll need to adjust these power settings in Microsoft Edge using the following steps.

Edit the AllowPrelaunch Key in Windows Registry

If you want to control how Edge impacts your system performance, you can modify the Windows Registry. You can make changes to theAllowPrelaunchregistry key, which willprevent Edge from preloadingwhen your computer starts. This will ensure Edge only runs when you explicitly open it.

To modify the AllowPrelaunch setting in the registry, follow these steps.

This change will stop Edge from preloading after your computer boots up and when the system is idle. If you want to revert this setting and allow Edge to preload again, simply change theAllowPrelaunchvalue back to1.

Editing the registrydirectly is risky, so make sure to follow the instructions carefully and back up your registry first—that’ll allow you to easily revert the changes if you run into any problems.

Changing Your Microsoft Edge Settings

The steps above will help you to stop Edge from running in the background when it’s closed. If yourWindows 11 PC seems sluggish, making changes to background applications like Edge can help you speed things up.

Having trouble with Edge? IfEdge isn’t opening properly, you can always reset the application in your Windows Settings menu.

Ben Stockton is a freelance technology writer based in the United Kingdom. In a past life, Ben was a college lecturer in the UK, training teens and adults. Since leaving the classroom, Ben has taken his teaching experience and applied it to writing tech how-to guides and tutorials, specialising in Linux, Windows, and Android. He has a degree in History and a postgraduate qualification in Computing.Read Ben’s Full Bio

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How to Stop Microsoft Edge Running in the Background When Closed#

Force Microsoft Edge to Close Using Task Manager#

How to Change Microsoft Edge Power Settings#

Edit the AllowPrelaunch Key in Windows Registry#

Changing Your Microsoft Edge Settings#