How to safely uninstall Microsoft Edge browser in Windows 10?

On Windows 10 22H2 systems, a common reason How to uninstall Edge in Windows 10 fails is that the newer Chromium Edge uninstaller performs a check for the presence of the older, legacy Edge (EdgeHTML) files before it will proceed. If the system lacks this old Edge directory structure, the uninstall will often fail with an error code. You can effectively How to uninstall Edge in Windows 10 by creating this placeholder file to satisfy that check.

The "dummy file" technique has been confirmed by the community to allow the removal process to proceed. The exact internal logic of why this works is not public, but it appears the uninstaller uses the existence of that legacy file path to confirm the system state before allowing removal.

The purpose of the method is straightforward:

• Create a Placeholder File: You create an empty file named MicrosoftEdge.exe at the following location:
  C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\MicrosoftEdge.exe
• Trick the Uninstaller: This action simulates the presence of the legacy Edge browser, allowing the uninstaller to run successfully.

Before you decide to use this method, it's important to understand its nature and limitations.

• It's a Workaround, Not a Supported Feature: This is a community-discovered trick and not an officially supported removal process from Microsoft. The logic relies on the internal workings of the Edge uninstaller, which may change in future updates.
• Remaining Files and Reinstallation: This method may not remove all Edge components. Some files and services, like the EdgeUpdate service and WebView2 components, may remain, and future Windows updates are likely to reinstall Edge.
• System Dependency: Be aware that certain Windows features and applications depend on Edge components. Removing Edge can impact other parts of your system.