Setting the Default Browser

by Barry Dysert
(last updated September 19, 2016)

Windows 10 comes with a new browser to replace Internet Explorer. It's called Edge, and Microsoft naturally wants you to use it. If you've grown partial to another browser, though, you may not want Edge to be the default browser. In such a case, you can set your default browser to something else. Personally, I like using Google's Chrome browser, so this tip will show you how to set your default browser to Chrome.

To get started, go to Start | Settings and click System: (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. Going to the System settings.

When you click System, a new window will appear that looks like this: (See Figure 2.)

Figure 2. Going to Default apps.

At this screen, click the "Default apps" item, and you'll see the following. (You may have to scroll down to find the Web Browser item): (See Figure 3.)

Figure 3. Choosing a default Web browser.

Click the "Choose a default" link under "Web browser" and you'll see a window pop up that lists the available browsers on your system: (See Figure 4.)

Figure 4. Choosing Google Chrome as the default Web browser.

Since I'm setting my default browser to Chrome, I just click on the Google Chrome item and then close the Settings window. Now, whenever I click a hyperlink, it will open in Chrome instead of Edge.

 This tip (13469) applies to Windows 10.

Author Bio

Barry Dysert

Barry has been a computer professional for over 30 years, working in different positions such as technical team leader, project manager, and software developer.  He is currently a senior software engineer with an emphasis on developing custom applications under Microsoft Windows. ...

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