Microsoft has decided to block the popular third-party application EdgeDeflector on Windows 11. This application helps users open links on browsers like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. With the new move, Microsoft will now force Windows 11 users to only open URLs from the Start menu and search results on the Widgets panel on the Edge browser. Daniel Aleksandersen, the developer of EdgeDeflector, criticized the blocking by saying that the company appeared to be prioritizing “ads, software packages, and service subscriptions” over user productivity, according to a blog post. .
EdgeDeflector and other similar third-party tools have been developed to solve Microsoft’s proprietary microsoft-edge protocol, allowing links to be opened on browsers such as Chrome browser and Firefox. Last week, the company blocked the EdgeDeflector app in a preview of Windows 11, which was originally supposed to be a bug. However, a Microsoft spokesperson has now confirmed to The Verge that a Upcoming software update Upgrading to Windows 11 will prevent all applications from using the microsoft-edge protocol binding.
A Microsoft spokesperson said that Windows operating system that allows the opening of applications and services on the platform, including the Web browser. “At the same time, Windows also provides a certain end-to-end customer experience in both Windows 10 and Windows 11, the search experience from the taskbar is one of the examples of end-to-end experiences not designed for. to redirect. . Once we become aware of improper redirects, we will put in place a remedial action,” the spokesperson said.
However, EdgeDeflector developer Daniel Aleksandersen criticized the move in a statement blog post. “These are not the actions of a thoughtful company that cares about its products anymore. Microsoft is not a good manager of the Windows operating system. They are prioritizing advertising, bundleware, and service subscriptions over user productivity,” says Aleksandersen.
This isn’t the first limited move by Microsoft, which previously introduced changes to Windows 11, making the transition away from Microsoft Edge more difficult. Windows 10 previously users could switch to Chrome, Firefox or any other browser with a few clicks. On the other hand, Windows 11 forces users to set the browser as default to open different file formats. Mozilla and Brave recently announced changes that will implement workarounds similar to EdgeDeflector. However, these will also be blocked by Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 11 update.
