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Yes—according to a Mozilla-commissioned study, Windows still steers people toward Microsoft Edge in ways that can make another browser harder to choose and keep as the default. Mozilla’s October 7, 2026 update says some system links and file types may continue to open in Edge even after a user selects another default browser. It also reports that Windows Backup can restore Edge as the default and that Copilot opens web links in an Edge side panel. These are findings reported by Mozilla, not a court or regulator’s conclusions.
What Mozilla says is happening
Mozilla’s “Over The Edge 2.0” report examines browser-choice journeys on Windows 10 and Windows 11 in the United States, United Kingdom, India, and Germany. The independent researchers Harry Brignull and Cennydd Bowles conducted the work at Mozilla’s commission. Mozilla says the report identifies patterns including trick wording, obstruction, visual interference, preselection, nagging, and forced action. Those labels describe the report’s analysis of interface and default-setting choices; they do not mean that users are unable to install another browser.
Mozilla’s July 14, 2026 announcement summarized the researchers’ conclusion this way: “Microsoft still does not allow users to download, set as the default, or keep using alternative browsers without harmful interference.” That is Mozilla’s account of the researchers’ conclusion, rather than a finding by an independent regulator. Mozilla says the report includes methodology, screenshots, and a public database of user journeys.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsWhich Windows behaviors does Mozilla identify?
In its October 7, 2026 follow-up, Mozilla described several behaviors it says persisted 100 days after the report. The examples differ by feature and, in some cases, by region.
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- Windows Search and Widgets: Outside the European Economic Area (EEA), Mozilla says links opened from Windows Search and Widgets go to Edge rather than the browser the user selected as default.
- File-type defaults: Mozilla says Windows can retain Edge for common file types such as PDF and SVG after the user has chosen another browser as the default.
- Windows Backup: Mozilla says restoring a PC through Windows Backup may set Edge as the default without properly carrying over the user’s chosen browser.
- Copilot: Mozilla says Copilot opens web links in an Edge side panel in every region it tested, including the EEA.
These examples distinguish several things that are often conflated: installing a browser, setting it as the default for some types of activity, and having every Windows feature honor that choice. Mozilla’s criticism is about interference with using and keeping an alternative browser, not a claim that another browser cannot be downloaded.
Does setting a default browser make all links open in it?
Not necessarily, according to Mozilla’s reported findings. The behavior may depend on where a link originates and which link or file type is involved. Mozilla says Windows Search and Widgets send links to Edge outside the EEA, and that Edge may remain associated with file types such as PDFs and SVGs. It also says Copilot uses an Edge side panel across the regions examined. Setting a browser as the default therefore should not be assumed to make every Windows feature or content type use it.
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How does the EEA experience differ?
Mozilla describes the EEA experience as fairer in some respects, while saying that problems remain. Germany was the representative EEA country in the study. Mozilla attributes some of the regional difference to the Digital Markets Act and argues that Microsoft should extend fairer design beyond the EEA.
Microsoft separately described changes it made for EEA users in a June 2, 2025 post. Its account is about announced EEA changes and their rollout; it does not establish that every issue Mozilla later identified was resolved.
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| Area | Mozilla’s account of the reported experience | Microsoft’s description of EEA changes |
|---|---|---|
| System links | Outside the EEA, Windows Search and Widgets open links in Edge instead of the selected default browser, Mozilla says. | Microsoft said the Bing app and Windows Start Experiences app would open web content in the default browser in the EEA. |
| Default associations | Mozilla says Edge may remain the default for file types such as PDF and SVG after another browser is selected. | Microsoft said the Settings “Set default” button would associate additional link and file types with a browser where registered, and browsers could register for PDF defaults. |
| Default browser visibility | Not stated in Mozilla’s October update. | Microsoft said the selected default browser would be pinned to the taskbar unless the user opted out. |
| Windows Backup migration | Mozilla says restoration may set Edge as default without properly carrying the user’s chosen browser along. | Not stated in Microsoft’s June 2, 2025 post. |
| Copilot links | Mozilla says Copilot opens web links in an Edge side panel in all tested regions, including the EEA. | Not stated in Microsoft’s June 2, 2025 post. |
The two accounts should be read on their own terms: Mozilla reports behavior it says users encounter, while Microsoft describes specific EEA changes. The latter is not evidence that all the reported behaviors have been addressed.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the report does—and does not—establish
The report is an independent researchers’ assessment commissioned by Mozilla, and Mozilla’s public summaries explain its main claims. The source material available here does not establish a regulator’s or court’s finding about Microsoft’s conduct, quantify how many users are affected, or measure a consumer impact. Mozilla makes its methodology, screenshots, and journey database available for examination, but the published summaries alone do not support broader claims about intent or prevalence.
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Mozilla’s October follow-up framed the issue as accountability rather than intent: “The Mozilla-commissioned report has never been about intent. It’s about accountability and Microsoft’s responsibility to stop undermining people’s choices.” That statement is Mozilla’s, not a judicial conclusion.
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