This 1 MB open-source tool fixed the biggest issue with Windows search

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This 1 MB open-source tool fixed the biggest issue with Windows search

Windows search is great for opening apps and finding local files. But one of its underrated features is the ability to search the web directly, so you don’t need to open a browser to get started. The part I don’t like, though, is that it doesn’t give any control over what browser or search engine it uses. By default, it always opens Bing in Edge.

MSEdgeRedirect is a free, open-source tool that fixes this problem. Once you install it, your Windows search queries are automatically redirected to your favorite browser and search engine. Since adding it to my PC, I’ve actually started using Windows search far more than I did before.

OS: Windows
Price model: Free

MSEdgeRedirect is a free tool that directs Windows taskbar search to your default web browser.

Fix Windows’ most annoying behavior

MSEdgeRedirect installation on Windows PC — Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required

MSEdgeRedirect is a simple tool that stops Microsoft from forcing Bing and Microsoft Edge on you. In simple words, it intercepts those “open in Edge” commands and redirects them to your default web browser.

With this tool running, if you type something in the Start menu and hit Enter, it’ll open in your default browser. This also means your queries will open in your preferred search engine instead of Bing. Even if you try to open Edge manually from the search menu, this tool forces Windows to open your default browser instead.

The best part about MSEdgeRedirect is it uses no system resources, and more importantly, is regularly updated. This means even if Microsoft makes any changes that break the tool, it’ll likely be fixed quickly via an update.

Installing MSEdgeRedirect on Windows

You need to do this right

Getting MSEdgeRedirect up and running isn’t much different from installing any other tool. But before you do that, you need to double-check the default web browser on your PC. Since the whole point of this tool is to redirect links away from Edge, it needs to know where to send them. If Edge is still your default browser, the tool will run into a dead end.

Head to Settings > Apps > Default apps, choose your preferred browser from the list, and click Set default. Once done, get the MSEdgeRedirect tool from GitHub and run the installer. During the setup, you’ll see three different installation options. This part matters.

Europe Mode is for those who live in the European Economic Area. In these regions, Microsoft already allows Edge to be disabled in Windows search, so this mode takes advantage of those built-in options. If you live in the EU or any other country that’s part of the EEA, this is the one you should pick.

The Service Mode doesn’t affect MSEdgeRedirect’s functionality in any way, but it keeps the tool running at all times. This can cause the tool to use anywhere from 1 to 10% CPU. For most people, this is unnecessary, so it’s best to avoid it.

This leaves Active Mode, which is also the recommended option. It does exactly what you want, which is to redirect your search queries to your favorite browser without any extra background load. Simply select that and hit Next. Select Edge Stable and all the other checkboxes under Additional Redirections, and click Save.

Once you’ve set up MSEdgeRedirect, the changes will take effect right away. You don’t need to reboot your PC or do anything else. To test it, try searching for a website on Windows and see where you land. If not, make sure you’ve followed the steps correctly and have Microsoft Edge installed on your PC.

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It redirects Bing everywhere

From widgets to spotlight, nothing is left untouched

Windows 11 Widgets panel — Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required

Besides Windows search, Microsoft has also hard-wired Edge and Bing into several other parts of Windows. When you click on a news link in the Widgets panel, or click the Spotlight icon, or open any other built-in link, it always opens in Microsoft Edge and Bing. The MSEdgeRedirect tool can fix that too.

Open the tool from the search menu, select all the relevant checkboxes under Additional Redirections, and save your settings. Besides redirecting Edge, you’ll also see the option to disable Copilot.

Once you’ve set this up, Windows will no longer open Edge or Bing any time you open a link from the MSN Discover panel, weather widget, or anywhere else.

If you want to move back to Edge at any point, you can open the tool again, uncheck all the boxes and hit Save. Or, you can also uninstall MSEdgeRedirect entirely from your PC, which will have the same effect.

It’s no secret that Microsoft doesn’t miss any opportunity to force users to use its own products. Your Windows search answered by Bing in Microsoft Edge is just one example of this. Thankfully, the MSEdgeRedirect tool fixes this beautifully, and I hope it continues to work the way it does.