Microsoft Edge is a popular web browser that comes pre-installed on Windows 10. One of its features is the ability to restore previous browsing sessions when you open the browser. While this can be useful for some users, others may prefer to disable this functionality for various reasons. In this article, we will guide you through the steps to disable the Microsoft Edge restore pages functionality.
Step 1: Open Microsoft Edge Settings
The first step is to open the Microsoft Edge browser. Once it is open, click on the three dots in the top-right corner of the browser window. This will open a menu with various options. From the menu, click on "Settings" to proceed.
Step 2: Access the "On startup" Section
After clicking on "Settings," a new tab will open with the Microsoft Edge settings. Scroll down until you find the "On startup" section. This section allows you to customize what happens when you open Microsoft Edge.
Step 3: Disable the "Continue where you left off" Option
In the "On startup" section, you will see an option called "Continue where you left off." By default, this option is enabled, which means that Microsoft Edge will restore your previous browsing sessions when you open the browser. To disable this functionality, simply toggle the switch next to the option to the off position.
<img src="disable-restore-pages.png" alt="Disable Microsoft Edge Restore Pages" title="Disable Microsoft Edge Restore Pages">
Step 4: Relaunch Microsoft Edge
After disabling the "Continue where you left off" option, you will need to relaunch Microsoft Edge for the changes to take effect. To do this, close the browser and then open it again.
Once Microsoft Edge is relaunched, it will no longer restore your previous browsing sessions. Instead, it will open with a fresh start page or the page you have set as your homepage.
Step 5: Clear Browsing History (Optional)
If you want to remove the browsing history from your previous sessions, you can do so by clearing your browsing history. To clear your browsing history, click on the three dots in the top-right corner of the browser window, go to "History," and then click on "Clear browsing data." From the options provided, select the types of data you want to clear, such as browsing history, cookies, and cache. Finally, click on the "Clear" button to remove the selected data.
<img src="clear-browsing-data.png" alt="Clear Browsing Data" title="Clear Browsing Data">
Disabling the Microsoft Edge restore pages functionality is a simple process that can be done through the browser settings. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can prevent Microsoft Edge from automatically restoring your previous browsing sessions. This can be useful if you prefer to start each browsing session with a fresh start page or if you have privacy concerns and want to clear your browsing history regularly.
References
| Number | Source |
|---|---|
| 1 | Microsoft Edge Support |
| 2 | Microsoft Edge Browsing Data and Privacy |