We recently discovered that Microsoft’s new Edge browser will be delivered automatically via Windows Update when it launches in January, and that it will seamlessly replace the old Edge – except some users will be able to keep both versions running, if they so wish.
Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise users will be able to keep both old and new Edge browsers running side by side, but Home users can’t have the same flexibility.
Although to be fair, outside of a business setting – and the potential need for the legacy browser for certain services or sites – it’s difficult to see why you might want to still keep the original Edge on tap; the old browser hasn’t exactly been popular in the wider market, after all.
The reason why only Pro and Enterprise flavors of Windows 10 can do this particular trick is because it requires the Group Policy Editor, which is only present in those versions of Microsoft’s desktop OS.
Double act
As Microsoft makes clear in a support document, for those interested in keeping both versions of Edge when the new one emerges in January, you can pull this off in Pro and Enterprise by setting the ‘Allow Microsoft Edge Side by Side’ browser experience group policy.
To do this, open the Group Policy Editor (simply look for it under Windows search). Then perform the following steps:
- Under Computer Configuration, go to Administrative Templates > Microsoft Edge Update > Applications
- Under Applications, select ‘Allow Microsoft Edge Side by Side browser experience’ and then click Edit policy setting
- Select Enabled and then click OK
Bear in mind that ideally, you should enable this side by side functionality before the new Microsoft Edge is installed on the PC.
If you do so post-installation of the new Edge, there are a few extra steps that need to be carried out as detailed by Microsoft here (like re-pinning Microsoft Edge Legacy, the older version of the browser, to the Taskbar or Start menu).
Source: techradar.com