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

Microsoft

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.

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  • 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.

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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. 

37 Replies

@MSAlf Are your machines Domain-Joined?
If not, read my blog-post to solve this: 
https://hitco.at/blog/apply-edge-policies-for-non-domain-joined-devices/

@Pedro1982 are the GPO admx from 1/23 the ones you need to make this change?

@beeryurt I don't know what "change" you are talking about, and I have no idea what "1/23" means, but you find the most actual ADMX-Templates here. Regarding Homepage etc... there was no change since v77 to v80:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge/business/download

 

@beeryurt Just goto https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge/business/download and download them. Then you have the new admx with the option to disable the FirstRunExperience. ;)

@Gunnar Haslinger 

 

I had just downloaded the admx templates last week and that was the date on the files, I grabbed the new ones today and see those have the hidefirstrun in them

 

@Gunnar Haslinger

Hi and thanks!
Thought it might be something related to domain-joined story. Computer I tried new Edge on is not domain-joined. I’ll give a try, thanks.
More thanks, Alar.

@Gunnar Haslinger

Hi again!
Yes, it (all problems I described here) do work now as expected.
More thanks to all, Alar.

@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?

@rishavsharan 

 

Hey. Just tested the newest V81 Beta (81.0.416.16). and its still not fixed in there

 

Does it mean i will not have a solution in V81?

 

 

@Joachim_T it IS fixed since version 80 (Stable), 100% sure. Make sure you got the right ADMX versions.

@Pedro1982 

It isnt fixed in 80 Stable and it was always announced for V81

 

I dont Talk about First run Splash Up. I am talking about AutoImportAtFirstRun

@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?

 

This is fixed in E81 Beta. Maybe there is some other issue at play. Can you confirm that when you open the browser where the policy is applied on, and navigate to edge://policy, you can see AutoImportAtFirstRun with the correct value?
this page lists all the policies which are active on this browser instance and if you do not see this policy in the list, there was some other issue while applying the policy.
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.

Here how it looks like on first run with new profile:

 

Joachim_T_0-1582801946575.png

 and as you can see policy is at work:

Joachim_T_1-1582802035982.png

So Import always need manual work. I have to click on the link in Favoritebar.

@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. 

@giovannimyles Following up offline with you about this

@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?