Microsoft Edge - Update policies

The latest version of Microsoft Edge includes the following policies that you can use to control how and when Microsoft Edge is updated.

For information about other policies available in Microsoft Edge, check out Microsoft Edge browser policy reference

NOTE

This article applies to Microsoft Edge version 77 or later.

Available policies

These tables lists all of the update-related group policies available in this release of Microsoft Edge. Use the links in the table to get more details about specific policies.
ApplicationsPreferences
Proxy Server

Applications

Policy NameCaption
InstallDefaultAllow installation default
UpdateDefaultUpdate policy override default
InstallAllow installation (per channel)
UpdateUpdate policy override (per channel)
AllowsxsAllow Microsoft Edge Side by Side browser experience
CreateDesktopShortcutDefaultPrevent Desktop Shortcut creation upon install default
CreateDesktopShortcutPrevent Desktop Shortcut creation upon install (per channel)
TargetVersionPrefixTarget version override (per channel)

Preferences

Policy NameCaption
AutoUpdateCheckPeriodMinutesAuto-update check period override
UpdatesSuppressedTime period in each day to suppress auto-update check

Proxy Server

Policy NameCaption
ProxyModeChoose how to specify proxy server settings
ProxyPacUrlURL to a proxy .pac file
ProxyServerAddress or URL of proxy server

Applications policies


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InstallDefault

Allow installation default

Microsoft Edge Update 1.2.145.5 and later

Description

You can specify the default behavior of all channels to allow or block Microsoft Edge updates when Microsoft Edge Update is used.

You can override this policy for individual channels by enabling the 'Allow installation' policy for specific channels.

If you disable this policy, the installation of Microsoft Edge through Microsoft Edge Update is blocked. This only affects the installation of Microsoft Edge software only when users are running Microsoft Edge Update and when they haven't configured the 'Allow installation' policy.

This policy doesn't prevent Microsoft Edge Update from running or prevent users from installing Microsoft Edge software using other methods.

Windows information and settings

Group Policy (ADMX) info
Windows Registry Settings
Example value:
0x00000001
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UpdateDefault

Update policy override default

Microsoft Edge Update 1.2.145.5 and later

Description

Lets you specify the default behavior for all channels concerning the way Microsoft Edge Update handles available updates for Microsoft Edge. Can be overridden for individual channels by specifying the 'Update policy override' policy for those specific channels.

If you enable this policy, Microsoft Edge Update handles Microsoft Edge updates according to how you configure the following options:
- Always allow updates: Updates are always applied when found, either by periodic update check or by a manual update check.
- Automatic silent updates only: Updates are applied only when they're found by the periodic update check.
- Manual updates only: Updates are applied only when the user runs a manual update check.
- Updates disabled: Updates are never applied.

If you select manual updates, make sure you periodically check for updates by using the app's manual update mechanism, if available. If you disable updates, periodically check for updates, and distribute them to users.

If you don't enable and configure this policy, Microsoft Edge Update handles available updates as specified by the 'Update policy override' policy.

Windows information and settings

Group Policy (ADMX) info
Windows Registry Settings
Example value:
0x00000003
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Install

Allow installation

Microsoft Edge Update 1.2.145.5 and later

Description

Specifies whether a Microsoft Edge channel can be installed using Microsoft Edge Update.

If you enable this policy for a channel, users can install that channel of Microsoft Edge through Microsoft Edge Update.

If you disable this policy for a channel, users cannot install that channel of Microsoft Edge through Microsoft Edge Update.

If you don't configure this policy for a channel, the 'Allow installation default' policy configuration determines whether users can install that channel of Microsoft Edge through Microsoft Edge Update.

Windows information and settings

Group Policy (ADMX) info
Windows Registry Settings
Example value:
0x00000001
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Update

Update policy override

Microsoft Edge Update 1.2.145.5 and later

Description

Specifies how Microsoft Edge Update handles available updates from Microsoft Edge.

If you enable this policy, Microsoft Edge Update handles Microsoft Edge updates according to how you configure the following options:
- Always allow updates: Updates are always applied when found, either by periodic update check or by a manual update check.
- Automatic silent updates only: Updates are applied only when they're found by the periodic update check.
- Manual updates only: Updates are applied only when the user runs a manual update check. (Not all apps provide an interface for this option.)
- Updates disabled: Updates are never applied.

If you select manual updates, make sure you periodically check for updates by using the app's manual update mechanism, if available. If you disable updates, periodically check for updates, and distribute them to users.

If you don't enable and configure this policy, Microsoft Edge Update handles available updates as specified by the 'Update policy override default' policy.

Windows information and settings

Group Policy (ADMX) info
Windows Registry Settings
Example value:
0x00000001
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Allowsxs

Allow Microsoft Edge Side by Side browser experience

Microsoft Edge Update 1.2.145.5 and later

Description

This policy lets a user run Microsoft Edge (Edge HTML) and Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) side-by-side.

If this policy is set to “Not configured”, Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) will replace Microsoft Edge (Edge HTML) after the Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) stable channel and the November 2019 security updates are installed. This is the same behavior as the “Disabled” setting.

The “Disabled” setting blocks a side-by-side experience and Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) will replace Microsoft Edge (Edge HTML) after the Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) stable channel and the November 2019 security updates are installed. This is the same behavior as the “Not Configured” setting.

When this policy is “Enabled”, Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) and Microsoft Edge (Edge HTML) can run side-by-side after Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) is installed.

For this group policy to take affect, it must be configured before the automatic install of Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) by Windows Update. Note: ​A user can block the automatic update of Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) by using the Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) Blocker Toolkit.

Windows information and settings

Group Policy (ADMX) info
Windows Registry Settings
Example value:
0x00000001
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CreateDesktopShortcutDefault

Prevent Desktop Shortcut creation upon install default

Microsoft Edge Update 1.3.128.0 and later

Description

Lets you specify the default behavior for all channels for creating a desktop shortcut when Microsoft Edge is installed.

If you enable this policy a desktop shortcut is created when Microsoft Edge is installed.
If you disable this policy, no desktop shortcut will be created when Microsoft Edge is installed.
If you don’t configure this policy a desktop shortcut to Microsoft Edge will be created during installation.
If Microsoft Edge is already installed, this policy will have no effect.

Windows information and settings

Group Policy (ADMX) info
Windows Registry Settings
Example value:
0x00000001
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CreateDesktopShortcut

Prevent Desktop Shortcut creation upon install

Microsoft Edge Update 1.3.128.0 and later

Description

If you enable this policy a desktop shortcut is created when Microsoft Edge is installed.
If you disable this policy, no desktop shortcut will be created when Microsoft Edge is installed.
If you don’t configure this policy a desktop shortcut to Microsoft Edge will be created during installation.
If Microsoft Edge is already installed, this policy will have no effect.

If you don't configure this policy for a channel, the 'Prevent Desktop Shortcut creation upon install default' policy configuration determines shortcut creation when Microsoft Edge is installed.

Windows information and settings

Group Policy (ADMX) info
Windows Registry Settings
Example value:
0x00000001
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TargetVersionPrefix

Target version override

Microsoft Edge Update 1.3.119.43 and later

Description

When this policy is enabled, and auto-update is enabled, Microsoft Edge will be updated to the version specified by this policy value.

The policy value must be a specific Microsoft Edge version, e.g. 83.0.499.12.

If a device has newer version of Microsoft Edge than the value specified, Microsoft Edge will remain on the newer version and not downgrade to the specified version.

If the specified version does not exist, or is improperly formatted, then Microsoft Edge will remain on its current version and not update to future versions automatically.

Windows information and settings

Group Policy (ADMX) info
Windows Registry Settings
Example value:
83.0.499.12
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Preferences policies


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AutoUpdateCheckPeriodMinutes

Auto-update check period override

Microsoft Edge Update 1.2.145.5 and later

Description

If enabled, this policy lets you set a value for the minimum number of minutes between automatic update checks. Otherwise, by default, auto-update checks for updates every 10 hours.

If you want to disable all auto-update checks, set the value to 0 (not recommended).

Windows information and settings

Group Policy (ADMX) info
Windows Registry Settings
Example value:
0x00000578
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UpdatesSuppressed

Time period in each day to suppress auto-update check

Microsoft Edge Update 1.3.33.5 and later

Description

If you enable this policy, update checks are suppressed each day starting at Hour:Minute for a period of Duration (in minutes). Duration isn't affected by daylight saving time. For example, if the start time is 22:00 and the duration is 480 minutes, updates will be suppressed for exactly 8 hours, regardless of whether daylight saving time starts or ends during this period.

If you disable or don't configure this policy, update checks aren't suppressed during any specific period.

Windows information and settings

Group Policy (ADMX) info
Windows Registry Settings
Example value:
duration   : 0x0000003c
start hour : 0x00000001
start min  : 0x00000002
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Proxy Server policies


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ProxyMode

Choose how to specify proxy server settings

Microsoft Edge Update 1.3.21.81 and later

Description

Allows you to specify the proxy server settings that are used by Microsoft Edge Update.

If you enable this policy, you can choose between the following proxy server options:
- If you choose to never use a proxy server and always connect directly, all other options are ignored.
- If you choose to use system proxy settings or auto-detect the proxy server, all other options are ignored.
- If you choose fixed server proxy mode, you can specify further options in 'Address or URL of proxy server' policy.
- If you choose to use a .pac proxy script, you must specify the URL for the script in 'URL to a proxy .pac file' policy.

If you enable this policy, users in your organization can't change the proxy settings in Microsoft Edge Update.

If you disable or don't configure this policy, no proxy server settings are configured, but users in your organization can choose their own proxy settings for Microsoft Edge Update.

Windows information and settings

Group Policy (ADMX) info
Windows Registry Settings
Example value:
fixed_servers
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ProxyPacUrl

URL to a proxy .pac file

Microsoft Edge Update 1.3.21.81 and later

Description

Allows you to specify a URL for a proxy auto-config (PAC) file.

If you enable this policy, you can specify a URL for a PAC file to automate how Microsoft Edge Update selects the appropriate proxy server for fetching a particular website.

This policy is applied only if you have specified manual proxy settings in the 'Choose how to specify proxy server settings' policy.

Don't configure this policy if you have selected a proxy setting other than manual in the 'Choose how to specify proxy server settings' policy.

Windows information and settings

Group Policy (ADMX) info
Windows Registry Settings
Example value:
https://www.microsoft.com
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ProxyServer

Address or URL of proxy server

Microsoft Edge Update 1.3.21.81 and later

Description

Allows you to specify the URL of the proxy server for Microsoft Edge Update to use.

If you enable this policy, you can set the proxy server URL used by Microsoft Edge Update in your organization.

This policy is applied only if you have selected manual proxy settings in the 'Choose how to specify proxy server settings' policy.

Don't configure this policy if you have selected a proxy setting other than manual in the 'Choose how to specify proxy server settings' policy.

Windows information and settings

Group Policy (ADMX) info
Windows Registry Settings
Example value:
https://www.microsoft.com
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See also