Microsoft Edge Webview2 Runtime can't be uninstalled.

[PavelDobCZ23]

I've been redirected(from there) to ask here about one issue I have. Microsoft Edge Webview2 Runtime keeps getting installed on my PC. I can't uninstall it as next day it somehow installs itself back. Can someone please tell me what is going on? I don't use either MS Edge or MS Office so I want a clear answer on what it is and how to stop it.
Thanks in advance

[#2 · Accepted solution]

Hi, WebView2 isn't something you use and see it in action, there is no user interface for you to interact with, it's the backbone of other software that rely on it. Windows 10 has WebView 1 installed by default in it, number 2 is the one that's based on Chromium.

can't tell why exactly you have it without knowing what's on your computer.

which Windows 10 build are you using?

[#3]

@HotCakeXI personally am tired of Microsoft and others putting in permanent runtime features that run in the background when you don't need them.

I don't develop websites or apps.  I do not need the Webview and I even don't use any Office products.  3 jobs running in background for Microsoft Edge Webview2 and no way of stopping them from restarting if I kill them in the background.

I may be running a "pro" version of Windows but that doesn't mean I want nor need this software.  Researching it cannot be removed and even if you don't use Edge or Office you cannot delete it.

This is so wrong and I'm tired of companies like Microsoft, Apple, etc. forcing us to run background jobs we don't need or use that simply take up memory for the very slim chance it might be used and to make it start quicker.

Give us the option to run it or not.  Just because we use Windows doesn't mean we will use ALL the possible features.

By the way running the Windows Insider version (basically Windows 11)

[#4]

If you are running Windows 11, you already have features that rely on Edge WebView2, like the new Chat, Widgets pane, hence the reason you see background processes for Edge WebView2.

[#5]

It’s also quite possible that Microsoft had nothing (directly) to do with Webview2 being installed on your machine. It is made available to third-party developers to install with their software as needed (much like the .NET runtimes):

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/webview2/concepts/distribution

This is done so third-party applications can display HTML without requiring the installation of any specific end-user standalone webbrowser. Developers are free to include other rendering libraries / frameworks in their apps instead, but by using Webview2 they get free security updates even if the parent application is never updated (e.g. the publisher goes out of business or discontinues the product).

That said, running an Insider version of an un-released OS _may_ in fact come with certain components pre-installed that won’t be there by default in the release version. [As @RohitYadav mentions below, if you were to uninstall everything that depends on Webview2 then perhaps you could eliminate it from your system… but more and more applications (third-party and Microsoft) seem to be using HTML5 for parts of their actual UI, so I fear this may be a Sisyphean battle.]

[#6]

Hi PavelDobCZ23, I'm Corry and I am going through the process of becoming a data science/software engineer with one day working for Microsoft.

With that being said I believe I've found a solution for you as I have been able to remove edge and runtime 2, and installed an up-to-date edge from the Microsoft Website here ( https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge )
Before you get started you need to download the edge installation file and save it to a USB or a device capable of transferring (drag and drop) the downloaded edge setup to the machine that it's being installed on. (Note: I simply downloaded it to my smartphone (android) and connected a USB cable from my phone to my computer and drag/drop the file)
This is and important step as there will be a moment of time where you're machine won't be able to access the web due to most default apps use edge to open.

Now that you have an edge install file handy go to Settings/Apps Right-Click Runtime2-Adv Settings and select Terminate then repair and then reset. Next do the same thing for Edge.

Kindly note that I was not connected to a network and closed all running process that was using Edge (this includes things like the Microsoft Store/Weather/Spotify etc etc.)

Next, WITHOUT restarting the apps up navigate to C:/ProgramFiles(x86)/Microsoft/Edge. I selected all the Edge files (there where 4 edge.core, edge, and 2 other edge files), and simply pressed the delete key, confirmed the UAC warning, and the files where transfered to recycle bin, which I then emptied.

Next you need to Unpin edge from Taskbar and start menu and it should prompt you with an error saying the file is deleted and ask you if you would like the system to remove the application from (where ever you unpinned it from) do this for the pinned task bar/pinned start menu/and then start/allapps/scroll down until you find edge and right click (you may need to select modify to get the error message and then have the system remove it as well.

Now go to Control Panel/Programs/Uninstaller and right click for the runtime2 app and you should now have completely removed edge and runtime2 from system.

Simply insert your usb of the downloaded Edgesetup file and drag it to the desktop, double click and follow install instructions, and to verify install run an update check on system and appstore and you're good to go.

I hope this helps out. If you could reach out and let me know either way it would help my learning and troubleshooting skills.

Thanks

[#7]

nice gumption, 2 things: 

1. focus, the topic is removing, that is all.  a developer doesn't write long emails, end of story

2. Microsoft pays next to nothing, and you have no room to grow w/o your phd, and they are not the best to learn from.  (i.e. the users alpha and beta tested win 11)@_RBL_ 

[#8]

Hey@PavelDobCZ23 

I don't know if this will help but I managed to keep webview2 off my OS by not being connected to the internet at startup (from a restart) I'm not sure if this works with shut down/ power on.  I just unplug my LAN whenever I need to restart and don't have wifi on autoconnect.  I also don't have edge and chrome on my OS

Hope this helps

[#9]

@Webview2ux I don't believe there is a fix, this is installed in the background automatically. I manually delete (uninstall) each time I boot my PC. 

[#10]

This isn't something you fix. As other posters have said, Webview2 is an engine that websites can run on. It is the same underlying technology that Microsoft Edge uses to display webpages. Before Webview2, if a developer needed to show web content within their application (without opening it in a separate browser) they needed to include a HTML/web engine with their software. Usually adding around 200MB to the download size of their application. This was called BYOB (bring-your-own-browser). The problem is, every application brought their own browser engine! So, if you had 6 apps with web/HTML content included, then you might have 6 identical browser engines installed, taking up over 1GB of storage capacity on your machine.
What Webview2 does, is it allows Windows applications to share the same HTML/Web engine. When an application needs to show a website, or HTML page, it asks Windows if Webview2 is already installed. If it is, it uses the one you already have. If not, it asks Microsoft to install the correct version.
In this way, the 6 application I just mentioned would all share the same browser engine fully supported, updated and secured by Microsoft. It was an excellent addition by Microsoft and will make people's desktop experience much better.
In short,
Microsoft added something that developers already included themselves, but it is better, smaller, faster and supported by Microsoft.

[#11]

@Rohit Yadav 

Dude I don't use ANYTHING that depends on the edge webview, it doesn't even hit or anything if I need something I install it. I just want to remove this from my pc, as well as useless for me, it slows everything down.

[#12]

@GustavoGalvao even though you may not use it, it is still needed by the apps & system. Similar was the case with Microsoft Edge WebView 1 powered by Legacy Edge, & so is the case with this. 

1. May I know what OS you are on?

2. May I see a report of where you claim it slows down your PC? It does not run in background unless called by an app that needs it.

[#13]

Best way to reduce the use of EdgeWB was to go to standard applications, click on EDGE and change everything to Google Chrome. Put everything you can into Google Chrome and it will greatly reduce WebView2 usage.

[#14]

@GustavoGalvao @Rohit Yadav

Actually, the best solution is to revert back to Windows 10 21H2. 

There are too many issues with W11 that there's no need to upgrade until W10 is no longer officially supported or there is some functionality that you must have. 

[#15]

Lmao you both are so wrong xD
1. You will get WebView2 even if you stay on Windows 10 21H2 or upgrade to Windows 11.
2. Gustavo, what are you speaking about? Do you even know what a WebView is? It is much more than switching default browser and calling it a day.

[#16]

@Rohit Yadav Hmm. With my W10 21H2 I was able to stop it from coming back. Then again, my installation seems to have gremlins. 

[#17]

Like I said, it is a system component so you cannot get rid of it permanently.

[#18]

@Rohit Yadav And like I said, I was able to prevent it from coming back ;)

[#19]

If you have installed Roblox delete it. If you not have try delete your Microsoft account from windows 10.

[#20]

@Barbara1265 

I got Webview2 unexpectedly when I installed ipevo software for a document camera a few days ago. Webview2 attempts to accesses my camera whenever I turn on the computer. Norton 365 identified that as a security risk and has successfully blocked Webview2's access to my camera. I get a message about the blockage each time when I turn on the computer, but that's a small price to pay to get rid of the camera security risk issue. I just hope that Webview2 is not being used as a vacuum cleaner to suck up other information about users.