After the April 2026 Patch Tuesday restart, a lot of users are finding Microsoft Edge opening on its own, sometimes multiple windows at once, with no action taken. This is intentional behavior from Microsoft, not a virus. Here's how to stop it.

Quick Fix: Disable Edge Startup via Group Policy

For Windows Pro, Enterprise, or Education editions:

  1. Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, press Enter
  2. Navigate to: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Microsoft Edge
  3. Find Allow Microsoft Edge to pre-launch at Windows startup, when the system is idle, and each time Microsoft Edge is closed
  4. Set it to Disabled
  5. Restart

Quick Fix: Registry Edit (All Editions)

If you're on Windows Home or prefer a registry edit:

# Disable Edge pre-launch (run as Administrator)
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\MicrosoftEdge\Main" /v "AllowPrelaunch" /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

# Disable Edge startup boost
reg add "HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Edge\Startup" /v "StartupBoostEnabled" /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

Restart after running these.

Also Check Edge's Own Settings

Edge has startup controls inside the browser too:

  1. Open Edge, go to Settings > System and performance
  2. Turn off Startup boost
  3. Turn off Continue running background extensions and apps when Microsoft Edge is closed

What's Happening

Microsoft changed Windows Update restart behavior starting with the April 2026 updates. After a restart triggered by a Windows Update, Edge now launches automatically as part of what Microsoft describes as a post-update onboarding experience.

This is flagged as intentional, not a bug. For most users it stops after the first occurrence. For others, especially on managed business devices, it keeps recurring until explicitly disabled via policy.

The Group Policy setting covers systems you manage centrally. The registry edit works machine-by-machine. Edge's own settings help for individual users who handle their own machines.

For IT Admins

If you manage devices with Intune or Group Policy, push the AllowPrelaunch policy to your fleet. The relevant GPO is under Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Microsoft Edge, or you can deploy the registry key via a startup script.

Microsoft's documentation on Edge policies is at Microsoft Edge - Policies (Microsoft Learn).

Managing Windows updates across business devices is time-consuming. Rain City Techworks handles IT support for small businesses in the Seattle-Tacoma area. Get in touch when updates become a problem.