How to stop Google from thinking Edge is outdated version of chrome?

Copper Contributor

So, one thing I find really annoying about using Edge, is that when I go to most Google sites (gmail for example) it always puts up a banner telling me I am running an outdated version of Chrome and should update it.

I realize two things; first is that it is probably true that the underlying version of chromium is indeed out of date, and second that it is Google that is doing the calculus.

 

Still, wondering if anyone has figured any way for an end user like myself to resolve this (without switcing to Google Chrome).

8 Replies
"probably true that the underlying version of chromium is indeed out of date"
and what's the source of that? because that's Not true. Edge is Not older than Chrome.

more info about your Edge installation: edge://version/

Have you asked this in Google forums or from Google itself? because it's their problem that they do this either intentionally (to lie to users, wouldn't be the first time) or by mistake.

@BulletRouge "... when I go to most Google sites (gmail for example) it always puts up a banner telling me I am running an outdated version of Chrome and should update it ..."

 

I avoid Google like the plague, but I do keep a Gmail account for recovery/notification purposes.  I didn't remember ever seeing an "outdated version" banner as described, so I signed in a bit ago.  I got this popup, as always:

 

GMail Screenshot 2021-01-02 092545.jpg

I checked Gmail on my Linux build, and I get the popup, but not the "outdated version" banner as described. 

 

The popup, of course, indicates that Gmail recognizes Edge as "not-Chrome", which is the opposite of what you are getting. 

 

I remember discussions of this issue early on -- Spring or Summer 2019, maybe even into the Fall of that year  -- before Google recognized Edge as Edge rather than Edge as Chrome, and there were similar issues when trying to sign into this or that Google service for the same reason, but I don't think I've seen any recent discussions involving Edge on Windows. 

 

I'll be curious to see if others respond with the same issue, but I'm wondering if the issue isn't somehow specific to your environment or an artifact of some sort. 

 

It is quite possible that you have a hijacker problem.  Take a look at this article -- "Attention You Are Using An Outdated Version Of Chrome" -- to evaluate that possibility.  If it turns out that you think that a hijacker may be the problem, you can research that possibility more carefully for a solution, which will involve running Microsoft's anti-malware tools and perhaps a third-party anti-malware scanner/remover such as Malwarebytes.

 

I'm almost certain that this is not a case of Google messing around with Edge.  We haven't had reports of that in recent months, and if this were some new game that Google was playing, this forum and lots of other forums would be lit up like the 4th of July about the issue, and they are not. 

 

Odds are you should be looking in the direction of a hijacker or other malware, so I'd look into that possibility.  The "outdated version" scam is relatively common with Chrome, intended to lure the unwary into installing a malicious Chrome imposter.  Microsoft's Edge User Agent string includes a reference to Chrome, as I understand it, so it is likely that any malware would identify Edge that way, hence a Chrome "outdated version" message.

Here's an example of the banner I am talking about (it is not a popup that you would expect from malware), and I see it on Mac & windows.

BulletRouge_0-1609768991842.png

Not sure where on google I've seen it before, but I'm sure it's elsewhere.

This is with Version 87.0.664.66 (Official build) (64-bit)

@BulletRouge  What you are been seeing is almost certainly a hijack. Here's a similar banner (one among many on the internet in articles discussing this sort of thing) from Chrome that is a hijack:

 

Older Version Banner Screenshot 2021-01-03 064601.jpg

 

Although popups are more common, banner hijacks are also common.  The removal steps are, as I understand it, the same in each case.

 

The standard steps to remove the hijack are:

(1) Turn Off Sync - Turn off sync if you are using it on the affected computer/device. If you have more than one affected computer/device that is infected, turn of sync on all until all have been cleared.

(2) Uninstall PUPs - Open Control Panel and look at installed programs. If you see anything that you can't account for having installed, PUPs might have installed through a program you added. Typically, PUPs purport to be shopping/search programs and/or file management utilities. Do an internet search on any programs you don't recognize to see if the programs are identified as problematic. Remove any programs that are identified as problematic.  In recent years extensions have also become a PUP carrier, so check those as well, particularly any that did not come from Microsoft (numerous bad actors among Chrome store extensions have been recently identified).

(3) Run Anti-Virus/Anti-Malware - Open Windows Security and run a FULL scan (not a quick scan). If you use other/additional anti-malware programs**, run them with a full scan as well. Remove any threats that are identified.

(4) Reset Edge to Default - If (2) and (3) don't resolve the issue, then reset Edge ("Settings", "Reset Settings") to default. Resetting Edge will reset the startup page, new tab page, pinned tabs and search engines, disable all extensions and clear temp data, cookies, history and the like.

(5) Turn On Sync -- After you've cleared all computers/devices that are infected, turn sync back on.

 

Good luck.  I've not personally dealt with a banner hijack, but but I've dealt with numerous popup hijacks on friend's computers, and I think that this will work for both banner and popup.  If these steps don't work, you will need to dig deeper, possibly into the registry.  If the problem is that deep, a Windows clean reinstall might be the best solution.  I've had to do that, too, in one case where I was cleaning a friend's computer from the one of the PC support scams that got deep into his system.  Ugly, but 100% effective so long as you don't immediately reinstall the cruft.

 

===============

 

** I personally rely on Windows Security as my primary defense, with Malwarebytes Premium as a heuristic overlay, on my production computers, and use Windows Security with the free version of Malwarebytes installed for scanning, if needed, on test/non-production computers.  I'm not sure that it makes a lot of difference; I'm sure that any of the reputable anti-virus/anti-malware products will work.  Use what you use.

Thanks, I'll give it a try. To be clear though, I see the same on Edge on Windows & MacOS. Plus I am running basically the same set of extensions in both Chrome & Edge.
So, I just disabled all extensions, and I no longer see it. Good call!
Will winnow it down to figure out the offending extension.

@BulletRouge 

another proof that it was not a legit banner

navigating to this website shows the Edge stable version is using up to date Chromium version

 

https://chromium.woolyss.com/

 

fdfsfds.jpg

 

 

also here:

https://chromiumdash.appspot.com/releases?platform=Windows

 

and compare that version to the version you see here: edge://version/

 

 

@BulletRouge "So, I just disabled all extensions, and I no longer see it. Good call!
Will winnow it down to figure out the offending extension."

 

Great!  I'm glad you quickly got to the problem.   Smart.  Beats tearing your hair out.  I hate hijacks.

 

BTW, when you identify the culprit extension, and if the extension came from the Microsoft extension collection, be sure to report it via Feedback.  Microsoft will probably want to pull the extension.