Forum Discussion
Startup Boost FAQ
EDIT: We have an updated version of this FAQ over on the support site now. Head over the https://support.microsoft.com/topic/get-help-with-startup-boost-ebef73ed-5c72-462f-8726-512782c5e442 page to review the latest information about startup boost, including how to submit feedback to offer suggestions and report issues. We are locking this thread, but we encourage you to post a new thread if you have any questions that are not answered on the new FAQ page.
Starting with Microsoft Edge Build 88, we are releasing a new feature called startup boost to improve the Microsoft Edge browser startup experience. To learn more about it, read the FAQ below.
Note: We are in the process of releasing this feature, so it may be a little while before you see it in your respective channel and build.
1. What is startup boost?
To improve Microsoft Edge startup speed, we have developed a feature called startup boost. Startup boost keeps the browser running in the background with minimal processes, so Microsoft Edge will start more quickly when launched.
2. What benefits do I get from startup boost?
Microsoft Edge will start more quickly when it is launched from the taskbar, desktop, or from hyperlinks embedded in other applications when you log on after device startup or the browser is closed.
3. What is the resource impact of startup boost?
Startup boost keeps the browser running in the background with minimal processes when the browser is closed, which has a limited impact on device resource usage. Startup boost does not add any additional resources when browser windows are already open.
4. How does startup boost work?
Startup boost starts core Microsoft Edge processes in the background to keep them ready when the browser is closed, so Microsoft Edge will start more quickly when launched.
5. How do I know if startup boost is running?
You can check if the feature is on in the browser Settings under edge://settings/system.
6. Is startup boost available on all platforms?
Currently, startup boost is only available on devices with most versions of Windows.
7. What are the heuristics for startup boost to be enabled by default?
Startup boost is available on Windows devices (excluding Windows 10X and servers) with more than 4GB of RAM, or more than 1GB of RAM if the device has a modern disk (modern HDD with Trim and SeekPenalty or SSD), when Microsoft Edge is the default web browser with no extensions installed. These criteria were informed by experimentation data.
If startup boost is not enabled on your device, you can choose to manually enable it in the browser Settings under edge://settings/system.
8. What startup boost group policies will enterprises get?
We have a https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/deployedge/microsoft-edge-policies#startupboostenabled that allows administrators and users to enable or disable startup boost.
These can be both mandatory or recommended group policies. If it is a recommended group policy, IT admins will have the ability to set the default behavior that their users can change later, if they wish.
9. Why do others see the feature, but I do not?
We are in the process of deploying this feature, so it may be a little while before you see it in your respective channel and build.
10. Can I turn off startup boost?
Yes, startup boost can be toggled on and off by going to edge://settings/system.
11. I can no longer debug in Edge using Visual Studio. How can I fix this?
We are sorry to see you ran into this issue! This is a startup boost bug that our team has resolved but you may not get the update for some time. In the meantime you can either:
- Restart your device -> Start debugging in Visual Studio -> Then turn off startup boost by going to edge://settings/system in the browser window opened by Visual Studio Debugger.
- Temporarily download and run Edge Canary channel while debugging since this channel has the fix.
12. How do I send feedback?
We are eager to get your feedback on startup boost. If you experience an issue, please let us know through Microsoft Edge by pressing Shift+Alt+I on a Windows device, click on the feedback icon in the upper right corner of the address bar, or going to Settings and more … > Help and feedback > Send feedback.
You can also discuss your experience here on the Microsoft Edge Insider forums and https://twitter.com/MSEdgeDev.
- The Microsoft Edge Product Team
91 Replies
Julie_Deng On my laptop, with this feature enabled, after closing Edge, it will open again, and close, and open again. Only by Option -> Close Microsoft Edge can close it completely. I have tested that with this feature off, everything goes fine. So I think there is something wrong with this feature. I have reported a feedback with diagnosis, hope you can fix it.
- Andrew_Nolan
Microsoft
Thanks for reporting this issue! Our team is looking into this.
If I allow the Start-up Boost to activate , it says that it will continue to operate in the back ground, does this mean that I have to actually turn off the computer in order to clear my data history instead of just of closing the browser? Julie_Deng
- Andrew_NolanThanks for the question! Startup boost will still allow Microsoft Edge to clear history on close if you have enabled that setting.
- Hi there. This function makes me little afraid. How about defense for this startup? If I start my pc, it will start before any antivirus(MS or different that can be start with OS Windows) or it will silent background start after full system starting? Please to check this thing for protecting our pc.
Finally resolved problem with KeeForm no longer bringing up web browser. It was the Startup Boost setting. Turned off that setting and 'Continue Running Background Apps' and KeePass worked properly again. Took days for the program developer to help me figure that one out.
Julie_Deng I'm not sure whether it's exactly this feature that's causing the problem, but when I'm debugging (including script debugging) from Visual Studio something keeping the msedge.exe process running is stopping debugging from working correctly on subsequent launches.
Would it be possible to make sure that any window that has had a debugger attached doesn't "remain alive" after closing, so that subsequent debugging sessions work as expected?
- Andrew_NolanThanks so much for raising this to us! We are aware of this issue and we are exploring potential solutions. In the meantime, disabling startup boost is the current workaround.
- I just had to disable this on all my Windows 10 PCs as it was causing Edge to immediately restart every time it was closed. I am guessing this is not the expected behaviour. I have noticed no real difference in startup time.. not sure why I would need this and prefer to not have things running that don't need to be.
Yes, same here for me. It took me a minute to figure out what was going on. Closing the Edge browser results in it immediately opening back up again to my default starting page. Once I turned off Startup Boost, things went back to normal.
I wonder if you have any of these Chrome extensions installed too?
- uBlock Origin
- OneTab
- Stlyebot
- Loom
- Redirect Path
- XtendIn
- Toggl Track: Productivity & Time Tracker
- ClickUp
- Window Resizer
- 360 Viewer
- Adobe Acrobat
- ColorZilla 2.0
- Google Docs Offline
- IP Address and Domain Information
I also have LastPass from the Microsoft Store.
- Andrew_NolanThank you for reporting this. Is the browser visible when it restarts or are you seeing background processes in Task Manager?
- Fully visible and working browser just as if I had started it myself.
- You can send feedback (Alt + Shift + i) to them
This is not the expected behavior
This feature is noticeable when it is functioning normally
Julie_Deng Thanks for adding this feature. However, it's not for me. I started having issues with my gaming system lagging and CPU fan running at higher speeds. Online gaming was a PITA due to excessive lagging. Tried everything to find the culprit and it turned out to be the CPU processes running higher than normal. Found multiple instances of Edge running in the background and when I turned off Startup Boost, everything returned to normal. I haven't noticed any difference in performance when this feature was enabled/disabled. Only that it took an impact on my CPU which caused my games to lag horribly. It may very well work for others but, I have to disable it for now.
Julie_Deng Bei mir starten für dieses Feature 8(!) Prozesse im Hintergrund. Das wird Fragen bei den Usern aufkommen lassen, ob das normal sei. Warum sind das so viele Hintergrundprozesse?
Yes, that's the missing link!
Thx!
Just to verify- Startup Boost is only enabled if Edge is set to the default browser, correct? (I apologize if this was already stated somewhere, I looked around but I have a knack for missing blindingly obviously info in front of me.)
- Andrew_NolanYes, you are correct here. Thanks for asking for clarification!
- You can change the startup boost behavior
Go to egde settings -> system -> enable or disable startup boost
This seems like a great idea! But I feel like the use case for it is a relatively narrow band of users. On my main workstation, the change is imperceptible, because it already loads so fast. I wouldn't use this on my tablet, since it is so limited by RAM already (4gb).
Maybe laptops are the sweet spot for impactful benefit for 'Startup Boost', where low TDP requirements puts everything in a low power state, but hardware is otherwise abundant and capable enough.
My guess is that 90% of machines are either so limited as to need minimal background resources, or powerful enough that the browser opens in a split second anyway. Even on my workstation, I prefer to keep background threads to a minimum to maximize system efficiency and minimize overhead and energy costs.
I know this one system would be a negligible impact, but the amount of programs that want several processes to run in the background can easily add thousands of open threads and GBs of allocated memory.
