Facts about Edge Stable version [+ Link] - And what we know so far

MVP

The Stable version of the new Edge browser is publicly available to download from Microsoft servers:

 

https://c2rsetup.officeapps.live.com/c2r/downloadEdge.aspx?ProductreleaseID=Edge&platform=Default&ve...

 

Keep Reading, it's not officially available on the front page

 

and for any reason that Microsoft has, they let it stay online and available for us to test and use it.

 

So, this is neither an accident, nor a mistake. there are certain rules and security measures that apply to files on a server and Microsoft employees, probably better than anyone else, know how to make a file secure.

Clearly, if Microsoft wanted only their employees to have access to this file, they would have done so long time ago and anyone else would receive an "Access Denied" Error. but as you see there is no such error when accessing that link.

 

The source of that link:

it consists of 2 parts

so you see, nothing unknown or strange about that link, all very simple.

 

If Microsoft did not want people to download it, you would get a message like this after clicking on that link:

 

Annotation 2019-10-27 193243.png

 

 

Reminder:

You are able to Uninstall it and the Latest version of Edge (chromium based) Stable is:

Version 79.0.309.7 (Official build) (64-bit)

 

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/DeployEdge/microsoft-edge-sysupdate-windows-updates

 

 

See the screenshots:

Spoiler

Annotation 2019-11-01 115632.png

 

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these were all the facts so far about the stable version of Edge insider, hope it shed some light over the whole idea and hopefully we will learn more from Microsoft employees themselves.

 

Have a nice day!

 

19 Replies
Nice informative post....

Dennis5mile

@HotCakeX 

 

Does it replace the Edge HTML though ?

@hiren1610 Yes. Once installed, the old version of edge becomes completely unavailable.

@nikitat1260 

Thanks for confirming this. I would ensure that I won't install it on any of my live systems. May be I will try it on VM.

 

Interested to know Microsoft's approach on how they will release and replace EdgeHTML when stable version of Edge C will be finalized.

@HotCakeX, We have not made the Stable channel public yet, and as you have noticed, installing a build marked as Stable will change the behavior of your Windows operating system.  You will also notice that the build is the same as the Beta channel.  Thanks - Elliot

Now that Elliot has confirmed that Microsoft has not released the leaked "Stable" version of Edge Chromium for testing by Microsoft Edge Insiders and/or the public-at-large at this point, I'm wondering what might be gained by downloading and installing the leaked "Stable" version, and why those who installed it did so.

 

The leaked "Stable" version (78.0.276.14) is identical, for all practical purposes, to the current Beta version (78.0.276.17). The only significant difference between installing the leaked "Stable" version and the current Beta version is in the installation process itself -- the current Beta version installs as a application and can be uninstalled by normal means, while the leaked "Stable" version changes Windows 10, removing Edge (Classic) and embedding Edge Chromium into the operating system, making it impossible to uninstall through normal means, and requiring a System Restore to return the computer to its prior state.

 

(1) Because the two are substantially identical, I can't think of anything that would be gained by testing the leaked "Stable" version itself that would not be gained by installing the current Beta version and testing that version.

 

(2) Because the difference between the two are the changes made to Windows 10 by installing the leaked "Stable" version, I can't think of anything that would be gained by running the leaked "Stable" version in a Sandbox, because the Sandbox blocks the changes to Windows 10 that are the point of testing the leaked "Stable" version.

 

(3) I can see why a mid- to large- size business customer with significant in-house software and/or system modifications/integration might want to install and test the leaked "Stable" version in a lab environment to get a "heads up" about potential Windows 10 problems before a Stable version is released by Microsoft for testing, but I can't see what a consumer (that is, most of us in this Forum and just about anyone in the public-at-large) would gain at this point by testing an installation process that has not been released for testing, particularly when we can count on the fact that Microsoft will release a version for testing by Microsoft Edge Insiders when the version is ready for testing and we will have ample opportunity to test at the time.

 

So mine is a question of simple curiosity, asked, in part, because my IS/IT experience was at the enterprise level and my attitudes -- plan carefully, test thoroughly, adopt with caution, stay a bit behind the bleeding edge -- were formed in and by that environment.

 

Question:  To those of you who installed the leaked "Stable" version so far, what did you hope to gain, what did you gain, and would you recommend that others do the same as you did?

@tomscharbach 

Spoiler

@tomscharbach wrote:

Now that Elliot has confirmed that Microsoft has not released the leaked "Stable" version of Edge Chromium for testing by Microsoft Edge Insiders and/or the public-at-large at this point, I'm wondering what might be gained by downloading and installing the leaked "Stable" version, and why those who installed it did so.

 

The leaked "Stable" version (78.0.276.14) is identical, for all practical purposes, to the current Beta version (78.0.276.17). The only significant difference between installing the leaked "Stable" version and the current Beta version is in the installation process itself -- the current Beta version installs as a application and can be uninstalled by normal means, while the leaked "Stable" version changes Windows 10, removing Edge (Classic) and embedding Edge Chromium into the operating system, making it impossible to uninstall through normal means, and requiring a System Restore to return the computer to its prior state.

 

(1) Because the two are substantially identical, I can't think of anything that would be gained by testing the leaked "Stable" version itself that would not be gained by installing the current Beta version and testing that version.

 

(2) Because the difference between the two are the changes made to Windows 10 by installing the leaked "Stable" version, I can't think of anything that would be gained by running the leaked "Stable" version in a Sandbox, because the Sandbox blocks the changes to Windows 10 that are the point of testing the leaked "Stable" version.

 

(3) I can see why a mid- to large- size business customer with significant in-house software and/or system modifications/integration might want to install and test the leaked "Stable" version in a lab environment to get a "heads up" about potential Windows 10 problems before a Stable version is released by Microsoft for testing, but I can't see what a consumer (that is, most of us in this Forum and just about anyone in the public-at-large) would gain at this point by testing an installation process that has not been released for testing, particularly when we can count on the fact that Microsoft will release a version for testing by Microsoft Edge Insiders when the version is ready for testing and we will have ample opportunity to test at the time.

 

So mine is a question of simple curiosity, asked, in part, because my IS/IT experience was at the enterprise level and my attitudes -- plan carefully, test thoroughly, adopt with caution, stay a bit behind the bleeding edge -- were formed in and by that environment.

 

Question:  To those of you who installed the leaked "Stable" version so far, what did you hope to gain, what did you gain, and would you recommend that others do the same as you did?


Everyone has their own reasons for trying out this build, the reasons might be personal.

you can't think of any reasons? fine, that's okay, you're not forced to do it anyway.

 

I explained in my post the caution required with clearly red color and what would the outcome be,

 

 

UPDATE:

Edge Stable can now be uninstalled thanks to the  Eagle Eye user @Serhan86

 

Annotation 2019-11-01 115632.png

 

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Download Link:

 

https://c2rsetup.officeapps.live.com/c2r/downloadEdge.aspx?ProductreleaseID=Edge&platform=Default&ve...

Will the official release be uninstallable?
I can't say with 100% certainty but the current one which is marked stable is uninstallable :)

Regarding the latest version of Stable:

 

(1) Has this build been released by Microsoft for testing by Edge Insiders?

(2) Is this build supported by Microsoft Edge Insider Support if issues develop?

(3) Is the build 79.0.309.5, that is, the build that Microsoft intends to release to the Beta Channel shortly?

1. you can ask Eliot Kirk about it but the fact that they keep putting it on their servers publicly available is a green light for anyone to use it. specially when installing it comes with no warning.
you can read more about that logic above on my main post.

2. Again a Microsoft Employee must answer this. so far there has been very few posts regarding the stable build issues and they were all answered by community members.

3. Yeah, they are planning to release it to the Beta channel.
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Discussions/Dev-channel-update-to-79-0-309-5-is-live/m-p/9634...

@Elliot Kirk  Regarding the latest Stable version referred to in this thread (that is, 79.0.309.nn), @HotCakeX  has requested that I refer the following questions to you:

 

(1) Has this build been released by Microsoft for testing by Edge Insiders?

(2) Is this build supported by Microsoft Edge Insider Support if issues develop?

Its odd that it is the same version as the dev version which I am using. Dev has been pretty stable for me and will stick with it unless it becomes buggy.

@berto82  "Its odd that it is the same version as the dev version which I am using. Dev has been pretty stable for me and will stick with it unless it becomes buggy."

 

The current Dev build (79.0.309.nn) is being prepped for release as the Beta version, and the unreleased (as of yet) Stable version is usually identical to the current Beta version.  The fact that Beta and Stable are the same version brings into question (in my mind) what is gained by downloading the unreleased Stable version, particularly since Microsoft does not appear to have released Stable for testing by Edge Insiders.  I plan to wait until Microsoft releases the Stable version to Edge Insiders for testing.

I think when Edge insider stable will be released, it won't be for testing, it will be a stable proper browser for everyone to use.
it will however most likely be released to Windows 10 insider users as an embedded form replacing Edge classic Edge new Edge.