Microsoft Edge is a very complete and very popular browser. That being said, it can consume too many resources. Here’s how to limit the damage.
Microsoft Edge has earned its place among the most respected browsers, it is a perfectly acceptable default option for most Windows users. But it’s not perfect. Whether Microsoft Edge slows down your machine, there are a few tricks to try before moving on to another Navigator. Here are a few.
Activate efficiency mode
Designed specifically for those using Edge on a laptop, Efficiency Mode reduces browser resource usage and helps you preserve your machine’s battery life. This change puts inactive tabs to sleep and reduces Edge’s overall resource footprint.
To activate it, open Microsoft Edge and click on the three small dots in the upper right corner. Select Performance, then enable Efficiency Mode.
Disable Boot Enhancement
Startup Improvement allows Microsoft Edge to launch a service in the background that helps the browser start up faster. When Edge is open, Startup Improvement has little or no impact on resource usage. However, when Edge is not open, the service can consume resources in the background.
If you are bored with this use, click on the three small dots in the upper right corner of the browser, then select Settings. In the left panel, click System and Performance, then disable Startup Improvement.
Disable background extensions and Edge apps
When you close Edge, the browser allows extensions and other Edge apps to run in the background. This is useful if you have apps like Microsoft Teams installed, because these can work independently of the browser.
But if this activity is impacting your system performance, try disabling the feature. This option is in the System and Performance section of Edge’s Settings. Disable “continue to run extensions and background apps when Microsoft Edge is closed”.
Optimize the “new tab” page
By default, Edge’s New Tab page looks like nothing, or almost nothing, with lots of news, advertisements and promotional links. All of these can reduce Edge’s performance.
Open a new tab in Microsoft Edge and click the gear in the upper right corner of the page. Use the following settings:
- Layout: Minimalist
- Quick Links: Disabled
- Show greeting: Disabled
- Office Sidebar: Disabled
- Show Promoted Links: Off
- Context: Disabled
- Content: Content Disabled
These settings should greatly clean up the appearance of the “new tab” page. Last step, click on the icon with the three small dots under the search and select “Hide recent Bing searches”.
Update Windows and Microsoft Edge
If none of these solutions solve your performance issues, it’s time to update your computer and Microsoft Edge, since Microsoft includes bug fixes and other stability patches with each of its updates. Make sure to restart your machine after installing updates.
The last thing to look at is malware. You should have a good anti-malware installed, like MalwareBytes, to scan your computer. These days, crypto miner malware is smart enough to slow down your machine and disable itself as soon as you open Windows Task Manager. A quick scan should identify its presence and remove it.