Firefox Fixes Windows 10/11 Toolbar Search, Microsoft Blocks Fix

[Uncrowned Guard]

Both Windows 10 and the new Windows 11 allow users to set their default internet browser, but users have continued to complain that the non-Edge browser experience is lacking due to Edge still being a mandatory default browser setting in many areas.  Items like the built-in Windows search, Cortana, and certain built-in links that use an internet browser have been locked to whatever Microsoft chooses, which is currently their browser Edge.

Firefox has always pushed for user choice in-browser experience and after Windows 11 made changing the default browser a painful and needlessly extensive experience, Mozilla (the owner of Firefox) started working on a way to better serve people not using Edge (nearly everyone).  EdgeDeflector was also a rising star in grabbing links meant for Edge and sending them to the browser that the user uses.

With nearly unanimous user praise, the Windows feature that awkwardly made the built-in search and other features a burden to users was about to be fixed by multiple companies and Microsoft has decided to pull the plug on the fix.  Microsoft has announced that they will be patching the search features so users cannot use their default browser and have pressured Mozilla into dropping support for continuing to try a fix the problem. 

Sadly, it appears many users will have to continue to avoid using the many built-in UI features and Cortana at this point if having numerous browsers open together is unwanted.  This has been considered an odd move as it both reinforces the antitrust laws being pushed currently on the major tech companies and pushes against what users want and generally just end up finding a workaround for anyway.

Image: Ralf - stock.adobe.com

[StormyFire]

Didn't this type of thing get Microsoft in trouble for antitrust violations years ago? Of course, many antitrust laws have been dismantled over the past few decades...

[Uncrowned Guard]

3 hours ago, StormyFire said:

Didn't this type of thing get Microsoft in trouble for antitrust violations years ago? Of course, many antitrust laws have been dismantled over the past few decades...

Ya, Microsoft got hammered with antitrust laws back in the day. Nearly crippled the company.  It does seem like they have used Apple's and Google's success as reasons to go back to just trying to be a tech Monopoly (which in many ways I can't blame them), but stuff like setting the default browser is what brings way too much attention to that fact and brings their customers into action.  That last part is what I figured they would want to highly avoid.