How to get the Chromium based Edge?

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Microsoft Edge logo

Microsoft Edge logo

Microsoft released the new Edge based on Chromium this year. I will show you how to get it.

Microsoft announced in 2018 that they will rebuild the Edge browser and use the Chromium project (Which is a code subset of the Chrome browser) as code basis. The (first) final version has been released on January 15th 2020. Depending on your environment, you might have to perform some additional steps to get the new browser on your clients.

Unmanaged Windows 10 Home or Pro

Unmanaged versions means that the clients are not Active Directory/Azure Active Directory joined or do not receive their updates via WSUS, SCCM or Windows Update for Business (WUfB).

These clients will receive the new browser with the regular Windows updates. If you want to block the update to the new Edge, you need the Blocker Toolkit to disable automatic delivery of Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based). This download contains admx files to create group policies blocking the update and the cmd file which sets the required registry key manually.
Alternatively you can set the registry key by yourself:
Registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate
Key value name: DoNotUpdateToEdgeWithChromium
Key type: REG_DWORD

Values:

  • Key is not defined: Distribution is not blocked.
  • 0: Distribution is not blocked.
  • 1: Distribution is blocked.

Managed Windows 10 devices

If you are using domain joined clients or Windows 10 Enterprise/Education, then the new browser will (for the time being) not be updated automatically. If you want your clients to get the new browser, you have to install it yourself.

The installation file for the new browser can be downloaded from the Microsoft Edge for Business website. This site also contains the download link for the admx files to manage the new edge via group policies.

Microsoft Edge based on Chromium

Microsoft Edge based on Chromium

The last step, if you are using WSUS or SCCM to patch your clients, is to enable a product to update the new edge. You will find the new product “Microsoft Edge” within the folder “Windows”:

WSUS product Microsoft Edge

WSUS product Microsoft Edge

After synchronizing, you will find updates for Dev, Beta and stable channel:

Microsoft Edge updates

Microsoft Edge updates

4 thoughts on “How to get the Chromium based Edge?”

  1. I am using WSUS 6.2.9200 on SErver 201 (Not R2). I have selected Microsoft edge under products but after syncing I don’t see the category show up under UPDATES. Any ideas?

    1. They don’t appear as separate section, but are listed in “All Updates”. The updates are named “Microsoft Edge-Stable Channel…”.

  2. That’s the thing, the category isn’t there. I already have it set to sync that category to my wsus but I just don’t see it. Under all updates I see the different categories such as critical updates and so on but not an additional category labeled Microsoft Edge-Stable Channel 🙁 I am trying to rebuild my Windows Internal Database with that selected so hopefully that will fix it.

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