Group Policy Disabling Edge Prelaunch

I've been working on the problem CCleaner made evident, that Session (cookies?) can't be deleted in Microsoft Edge (even though I don't use Edge) because it has prelaunch and some other settings activated. There are instructions CCleaner sends you to to fix this, however they don't work for me, because I can't see MicrosoftEdge in the registry, and after installing the Group Policy Editor, I can't see Microsoft Edge there either.

Here at MG are similar instructions at these links:

How to Stop Microsoft Edge From Running in the Background
https://www.majorgeeks.com/content/...soft_edge_from_running_in_the_background.html

and

Enable Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) in Windows 10 Home Edition
https://www.majorgeeks.com/content/page/enable_group_policy_editor_in_windows_10_home_edition.html


I originally downloaded the zip file from itectics (yesterday), perhaps what I was directed to by CCleaner. However, it did not contain the file: gpedit-enabler.bat file which is listed in the MG links.

So I downloaded the zip file here at MG with the same name as the itectics file (add_gpedit_msc.zip) and found the MG zip file contains the gpedit-enabler.bat file. So I ran that and now I'm getting an error message 740 about in order to carry out DISM I need higher rights. It then says that to gain more rights, I need to use the insert function for higher rights so that the task can be carried out.

So I thought that if I can change my rights so I can run the bat file gpedit-enabler, then MAYBE I might be able to see MicrosoftEdge/Main in the registry?

Why can't I see MicrosoftEdge in the registry at this location?

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\MicrosoftEdge\Main

Will it make MicrosoftEdge visible, if I figure out how to run the bat file gpedit-enabler.bat?
And, if so, how do I do that, since it's not running for me?

 

If you dont use edge, how do you get session cookies when you dont establish a session?
Have you tweaked ccleaner aggressively?
Im not sure what you have done in the registry, but messing with it is unwise.
Registry settings should render;

• Path: HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\MicrosoftEdge\Internet Settings
• Value name: ConfigureOpenEdgeWith
• Value type: REG_DWORD

 

What do you mean by;

Did you backup reg when prompted by CC?
Do you know how to restore it?

 

Hi Replicator,
in my post are two links which refer to interesting articles at Major Geeks which are not in the forum. Microsoft added two programs to Edge which are designed to Prelaunch Edge (for instance at start-up and after you close it) and keep it running in the background. I never turn Edge on, because I don't use it, but for a long time now, when I run CCleaner, it finds a lot of Internet Explorer history files and it finds files that Edge produces, meaning that these are running as background processes.

What I tried now and it seems to work (at least I no longer get the CCleaner message "Can't remove Session because Edge uses Prelaunching" ) is an instruction I found to disable Edge. I tried this already in what used to be Add/Remove Programs - Windows Components and that allowed me to turn it off, but then I found this instruction:

Click on Windows button and the letter s. Type the word Privacy into the Search bar. Click on Privacy Settings. Scroll down the left side of the window that opens until you come to Background Apps. Click on that. Then find Microsoft Edge in the right side of the list and click on disable. I think you have to reboot, but I'm not sure about that. When I ran CCleaner again (now for the 2nd day), it no longer gave me to message that it could not delete Edge's "Session" because of its prelaunch.

The newest version of CCleaner is supposed to fix this, but I wanted to see if I could get rid of the message from CCleaner because it would be useful to show me that Edge is no longer running in the background.

At the same time, I found a lot of other apps to turn off and that was good.

Just for information, the instructions I mentioned for the registry change are posted in the above mentioned two Major Geeks links and in the download for that change, there is also a bat file which I'm unable to run. I would like to know how to change my permissions so that I can run that file, because I now have the Group Policy Editor installed, but I'm still unable to see Edge either in the Group Policy Editor, nor in the Registry entry where it's supposed to be. I would like to know why I can't see it. In all the instructions, both for Win 10 Home and Win 10 Pro, it is supposed to be there. I am assuming it is hidden, and as the administrator, I would like for it not to be hidden.

 

The fix I tried to get rid of the CCleaners warning about Edge being prelaunched was gone for a few days after turning off Edge in the background settings, however, the CCleaner warning of prelaunch came back and Edge files were again being deleted by CCleaner.

I continued onto the next step to try and find MicrosoftEdge in the Registry, which should involve running the bat file called gpedit-enabler.bat. What I'm getting when I try to run this file is an Error 740: To run DISM, higher rights are required. After successfully enabling the Administrator, I am still getting the same Error message and I still cannot see MicrosoftEdge in the Registry. No where in the instructions does it say that dis-enabling Edge prelaunch is impossible for Win 10 home.

This seems to be the kind of Beat Your Head On the Wall that Win 10 home provokes. Anyone have any thoughts on how to make visible the files in the registry that wish to elude the Admin? Is this a problem with gpedit or is this a bigger problem?

Thanks.

 

I feel like I'm kind of talking to myself here, but just a last update and the same problem I started with.

I followed all the instructions listed in the two Major Geeks articles above and was able to activate the group policy editor, which I have not tried, but which provides the right menu to enable and disable different policies. The problem I started with unfortunately is still there. I can't see MicrosoftEdge. If there's anyone who might be able to find out why Edge is hidden in the registry and in the Group Policies Editor, even from my most top level Administrator, I would be grateful.

Thanks.

 

Ah... progress! Never give up!

I have now created the missing keys in the registry and set the dwords with their respective vaues. Now remains the question ... why does the new key not appear in the Group Policies Editor?