Several people have noticed that Microsoft’s Edge web browser is behaving strangely after an update.
Microsoft’s Edge dabbling has not pleased users of other browsers. Adobe Stock
Among other things, users of the Chrome and Firefox browsers have paid attention to Microsoft’s way of pushing its own Edge browser persistently. Now it seems that the company has come up with new ways to try to get more users to its own browser.
American of the technology publication The Verge Microsoft supplier Tom Warren tells how after the latest Windows update, Edge was behaving in questionable ways to say the least on two of his computers.
The Chrome tabs he had open before the software update opened to Edge completely unbidden after the update. It took Warren a moment to realize that he wasn’t using Chrome as his default browser, but Edge.
Warren checked in the settings that he had not given Edge permission to fetch Chrome’s browsing and history data. Even without permission, after the update Edge knew which pages Warren had open in Chrome and opened them to him like a tray.
The journalist told about the incident in the message service X, where a few others also said they encountered the same strangeness. In addition, a few months old was found on the topic Reddit discussion as well as some mentions from Microsoft’s own support forum. The cases had in common the fact that the setting enabling the sharing of historical data had also been turned off by other users.
Information security researcher Zach Edwards commented on Warren’s X post saying that he noticed a new query when reinstalling Windows asking the user if he wants the Edge browser to import History data from other browsers. The question can be answered either “yes” or “not now”, but there is no option to refuse completely.
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Warren says that after the update, he saw a glimpse of a question, but he didn’t have time to read it, let alone answer it, before it disappeared from the screen.
– It is possible that the query just crashed, and Edge decided to import the data anyway, Warren writes.
According to Warren, Microsoft has a history of using hacks that are also popular with spyware and malware developers. After some updates, for example, Edge has added itself to the taskbar or desktop, and getting rid of the icon has not always been straightforward. Requests filling the entire screen to change Edge as the default browser are not uncommon either.
– Microsoft Edge is a really good browser. Hopefully, though, the development team won’t resort to more gimmicks to try to get Chrome users to switch, Warren noted.
Source: The Verge