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If MSN appears after you sign in to Windows 11, the cause may be Microsoft Edge, Windows Widgets, a browser session restore, or a startup shortcut. The right fix depends on what you see: a full browser window, a taskbar Widgets panel, or MSN opening in another browser.

Start with the section that matches your problem. You usually do not need to uninstall MSN, Edge, or Widgets.

Stop a full Microsoft Edge window opening after sign-in

Windows 11 can reopen apps that were running when you shut down or restarted. If Edge was open with an MSN tab, Windows may restore it when you sign in.

Turn off restartable apps in Windows 11

  1. Open Start and select Settings.
  2. Select Accounts > Sign-in options.
  3. Turn off Automatically save my restartable apps and restart them when I sign in.

Restart Windows and check whether Edge still opens. Microsoft documents this as the Windows setting for preventing Edge from starting automatically when you sign in. See Microsoft’s instructions.

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Disable Edge in Startup apps

Edge may also have a normal startup registration. Disable it from either of these locations:

  1. Go to Start > Settings > Apps > Startup.
  2. Find Microsoft Edge and switch it Off.

Alternatively, right-click Start, select Task Manager, open Startup apps, select Microsoft Edge, and choose Disable.

This prevents Edge from being launched by a standard startup entry. It does not change the page Edge displays when you open the browser yourself. Microsoft explains Windows startup controls.

Change Edge’s startup page if Edge opens MSN

If Edge opens at sign-in but always displays MSN, the browser’s startup-page setting may be responsible. This is separate from the Edge homepage and from Windows startup apps.

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  1. Open Microsoft Edge.
  2. Select Settings and more (…) > Settings.
  3. Select Start, home, and new tabs.
  4. Under When Microsoft Edge starts, select Open the new tab page.

You can open the same settings page directly by entering this address in Edge:

edge://settings/onStartup

Edge offers these startup choices:

Setting What it does
Open the new tab page Starts Edge with a new tab instead of a saved MSN page or previous session.
Continue where you left off Restores the tabs and windows that were open when Edge last closed.
Open these pages Opens specific websites every time Edge starts. Some versions call this Open a specific page or pages.

Microsoft’s Edge startup guide describes these choices.

Remove MSN from Edge’s startup pages

If Open these pages is selected:

  1. Go to edge://settings/onStartup.
  2. Find the MSN or Microsoft Start entry under the startup pages list.
  3. Select the … button beside it.
  4. Select Remove.
  5. Select Open the new tab page, or add another website.

Changing only the homepage may not solve the problem. Edge treats the homepage, new tab page, and startup page as separate settings. The homepage controls what appears when you select the Home button; When Microsoft Edge starts controls what appears when Edge launches. See Microsoft’s homepage instructions.

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Stop Edge from restoring an MSN tab

If Edge is set to Continue where you left off, it can restore an MSN tab that was open before shutdown. Change that option to Open the new tab page:

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  1. Open Edge and enter edge://settings/onStartup in the address bar.
  2. Select Open the new tab page.

Also turn off Windows restartable apps using Start > Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options, then switch off Automatically save my restartable apps and restart them when I sign in.

These are two different mechanisms. Edge can restore its previous browser session, while Windows can relaunch Edge as a restartable app after you sign in. Changing both settings prevents most unwanted session restores.

Stop MSN appearing through Windows 11 Widgets

MSN may not be opening in a browser at all. If it appears when you hover over or select the weather, news, or Widgets area on the taskbar, you are seeing the Windows 11 Widgets board, which is powered by MSN.

Turn off Widgets hover behavior

  1. Open the Widgets board by hovering over or selecting its taskbar area.
  2. Select the Settings button.
  3. Turn Open Widgets board on hover off.

This stops the board from appearing simply because the pointer passes over the taskbar area. See Microsoft’s Widgets instructions.

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Hide the Widgets button

  1. Right-click an empty area of the taskbar.
  2. Select Taskbar settings.
  3. Under Taskbar items, turn Widgets off.

This hides the Widgets control from the taskbar. It does not completely remove the feature: Windows may still open the board with Windows key + W or by swiping from the side on supported devices.

Hide only the MSN news feed

If you want to keep useful Widgets but remove the MSN news content:

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  1. Open the Widgets board.
  2. Select Settings.
  3. Select Show or hide feeds.
  4. Set Feed to Off.

Widgets and Edge startup are separate. Turning off Widgets will not remove Microsoft Edge from Windows startup, and disabling Edge startup will not remove the Widgets board.

Change startup settings in Chrome or Firefox

If MSN opens in Chrome or Firefox rather than Edge, change the startup setting in that browser.

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Google Chrome

  1. Open Chrome.
  2. Select More (…) > Settings.
  3. Select On startup.
  4. Select Open the new tab page, or remove MSN from Open a specific page or set of pages.

Chrome separates the startup page from the homepage. The startup page appears when Chrome launches; the homepage appears when you select the Home button. See Google’s instructions.

Mozilla Firefox

To stop Firefox from reopening an MSN tab or another previous session:

  1. Open Firefox and select the menu button > Settings.
  2. Select General.
  3. Under Home and startup, clear Open previous windows and tabs.

Firefox can restore tabs after a crash, unexpected shutdown, or restart if session restoration is enabled. See Mozilla’s session restoration instructions.

To change the page Firefox opens:

  1. Open Settings > Home.
  2. Under Homepage and new windows, choose Firefox Home (Default), Custom URLs…, or Blank page.

See Mozilla’s homepage instructions.

Disable Edge Startup boost only if Edge runs invisibly

Startup boost keeps some Edge processes running in the background so the browser can launch faster. It is not normally responsible for a visible MSN window opening after sign-in.

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If you want to stop Edge’s background processes:

  1. Open Edge.
  2. Enter edge://settings/system/manageSystem in the address bar.
  3. Turn Startup boost off.

Use this setting when your concern is Edge running in the background, not as the first fix for a browser window that opens visibly. Microsoft explains Startup boost.

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Check startup folders if MSN still opens

A shortcut may be launching Edge or a website when you sign in. Check the current user’s Startup folder first:

  1. Right-click Start and select Run.
  2. Enter shell:startup.
  3. Press Enter.
  4. Remove any shortcut that launches Edge, MSN, Microsoft Start, or an unfamiliar website.

Also check the Startup folder used for all users by entering shell:common startup in Run.

Only remove shortcuts you recognize as unwanted. Do not delete unrelated startup items simply because their names are unfamiliar. Microsoft documents these startup controls.

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Check the Registry as a last resort

Some startup entries do not appear in Settings, Task Manager, or the Startup folders. They may be stored in these Registry locations:

  • HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
  • HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
  • HKLM\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

Use Registry Editor only after checking the normal startup controls. Before changing anything, create a backup or export the relevant key. Deleting the wrong value can stop another application or Windows component from starting correctly. See Microsoft’s startup guidance.

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What to do on a work or school computer

An organization can enforce Edge startup behavior with policy. In current Microsoft Edge policy documentation, the policy is called Launch Microsoft Edge on Windows startup and its identifier is LaunchEdgeOnWindowsStartupEnabled. Microsoft says it is supported in Edge versions 152 and later.

If Edge startup controls are missing, unavailable, or return to their old values after every restart, contact your IT administrator. Do not try to override company policy by editing the Registry or installing a third-party startup utility. See Microsoft’s policy documentation.

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Quick diagnosis

What appears Likely cause First fix to try
A complete Edge window opens after sign-in Windows restartable apps or a startup entry Turn off restartable apps, then disable Edge under Startup apps.
Edge opens with MSN as its page Edge startup-page setting Change edge://settings/onStartup to Open the new tab page.
An old MSN tab returns Edge session restoration Turn off Continue where you left off.
MSN appears when hovering over the taskbar Windows Widgets Turn off Open Widgets board on hover.
MSN opens in Chrome or Firefox That browser’s startup setting Change its startup or session-restoration setting.
No window appears, but Edge runs in the background Edge Startup boost Turn off Startup boost at edge://settings/system/manageSystem.

FAQ

Why does MSN open every time I start Windows 11?

Usually, Windows is restoring Microsoft Edge as a restartable app, Edge is set to continue the previous session, or Edge is enabled under Startup apps. Turn off Windows restartable apps, change Edge to Open the new tab page, and disable Edge under Start > Settings > Apps > Startup.

Will changing the Edge homepage stop MSN opening at startup?

Not necessarily. Edge’s homepage and startup page are separate. Use Edge’s Start, home, and new tabs settings, or open edge://settings/onStartup and change When Microsoft Edge starts.

Is MSN the same thing as Windows Widgets?

No. Windows 11 Widgets can display MSN-powered news, but Widgets are separate from Microsoft Edge. Hide Widgets or turn off its news feed if MSN appears in the taskbar board rather than in a browser window.

Can I uninstall MSN from Windows 11?

You generally do not need to uninstall anything. Change the relevant Windows, Edge, Chrome, Firefox, or Widgets setting instead. The correct setting depends on where MSN appears.

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Why does Edge open even after I disable it in Startup apps?

Windows may be restoring Edge as a restartable app, Edge may be restoring its previous session, or a shortcut, Registry entry, or organization policy may be launching it. Check the relevant mechanisms, and contact an administrator if the computer is managed.

The Bottom Line

For a full MSN window opening after Windows 11 sign-in, start with Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options and turn off restartable apps. Then disable Microsoft Edge under Settings > Apps > Startup, and change Edge’s startup choice at edge://settings/onStartup. If MSN appears only in the taskbar panel, change Widgets settings instead. These controls address different behaviors, so changing the Edge homepage alone is usually not enough.

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