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rishavsharan's avatar
rishavsharan
Icon for Microsoft rankMicrosoft
Feb 01, 2020

How to hide the First Run Experience in the new Microsoft Edge?

One of the most frequent Enterprise asks around the new First Run Experience has been for a way to hide the new First Run Experience.

It could be that you do not want your users to change these configurations which you are already managing via other policies. Or perhaps you want your users to get immediately productive without fiddling with any configurations.

 

Whatever the reason, we’ve got you covered!

 

We have been working hard on your feedback, and starting with Microsoft Edge 80 (Stable) you can now use the new browser policy HideFirstRunExperience to do just that!

 

This new policy is a frictionless way for the users of your managed devices to go directly to the browser startup page without seeing any configuration or welcome message at first run. When this policy is enabled, all the configurations which are currently shown in the first run experience will be set to sane defaults.

  • Existing user data from the edgeHTML-based Microsoft Edge Legacy version will still be migrated over to the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge. However, the user data from no other browser will be imported automatically.
  • In the New Tab Page, the feed type will be set to use MSN News alongwith the Inspirational layout.

  • The user will still be automatically signed into Microsoft Edge, if the Windows account is of AAD or MSA type.
  • Sync of browser data will not be enabled by default and users will be able to turn on sync from the sync settings.

 

You can still manage all the various core configurations currently shown in the first run experience, using existing browser policies which can work in combination with the HideFirstRunExperience policy. Some of these are:

  • AutoImportAtFirstRun - Automatically import another browser's data and settings at first run
  • NewTabPageLocation - Configure the new tab page URL
  • NewTabPageSetFeedType - Configure the Microsoft Edge new tab page experience
  • SyncDisabled - Disable synchronization of data using Microsoft sync services
  • BrowserSignin - Specify whether a user can sign into Microsoft Edge with their account and use account-related services like sync and single sign on.
  • NonRemovableProfileEnabled - Configure whether a user always has a default profile automatically signed in with their work or school account

If you disable or don't configure this policy, the First-run experience and the Welcome screen will be shown. 

  • rishavsharan Good first attempt, but the enterprise experience still needs to be better.  There are a number of items still being missed in terms of enterprise manageability.  Will there be an Edge Enterprise AMA, or TAP group at some point?

     

    • rishavsharan's avatar
      rishavsharan
      Icon for Microsoft rankMicrosoft
      Thanks Dustin.
      We do have a TAP channel. I have dropped a note to my colleagues who drive that.
      In case you have any specific feedback/need around the onboarding experience, do let me know and I'll set up a call with you to better understand it. I am always interested in learning more from our users.
    • SeanLyndersay-MS's avatar
      SeanLyndersay-MS
      Icon for Microsoft rankMicrosoft

      Dustin_Halvorson 

      Thanks for the great feedback so far. We have have a TAP-style program run out of the Windows Customer Connection Program (WCCP). Please have your TAM or ATS nominate you for the program. If they don't know who to do that, they can reach out to me. Looking forward to hearing from you. 

  • Joachim_T's avatar
    Joachim_T
    Iron Contributor

    rishavsharan 

    I am just testing with Beta 80.0.361.45 and V80 GPO

     

    Finaly First run Screen is away.:smile:

    But unfortunatly AutoImportAtFirstRun doesnt work.:facepalm:

     

    Looks always like this.

    But should look like this after first run

    Without a proper bugfree firstrun experience i have to stop the planed rollout in our company:cry:

     

  • giovannimyles's avatar
    giovannimyles
    Copper Contributor

    rishavsharan I'm running stable build 80 and when I do the HideFirstRun it doesn't apply any of the other settings. So there isn't any SSO, no sync, first tab experience isn't O365 because the user isn't signed in. If I allow the First Run to happen all of the above happens. My test machine is using Conditional MFA with trusted IP, Seamless SSO and is Hybrid Azure Joined. Anyone else having issues with SSO and Edge when hiding the first run?

  • msgvb5's avatar
    msgvb5
    Copper Contributor

    rishavsharan Is there a way to launch Edge from the command prompt or run command with a switch/argument to disable initialization if one does not have administrative access to make these adjustments with GPO?

  • Andre1958's avatar
    Andre1958
    Copper Contributor
    Hi,
    We use Shared PC settings fwith Guest and I need to be able to Hide the FirstRunExperience for the devices. I have included this in the device policy for Edge. It works for users signed in with their AzureAD credentials but when we sign in with Guest access. The policy does not apply as it seems to want to do sso. Any ideas on how I can achieve hiding the FirstRunExperience requesting the signin option?

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