The Chromium-based Edge will launch later this month and Microsoft has started sharing essential information about the browser, including how to disable various features in your environment.
Microsoft says the new Edge will be pushed via Windows Update to supported versions of Windows 10 and it replaces the existing Edge as the default web browser.
When installed, Microsoft plans to use 'Experimentation and Configuration Service (ECS)' in Edge to request and receive different kinds of configurations, feature rollouts, and experiments.
In other words, Experimentation and Configuration Service (ECS) allows Microsoft to turn on and test experimental Edge's features, improvements and bug fixes without a user's knowledge or permission.
While ECS experiments aim to improve the browsing experience, they can also create problems for enterprises and administrators.
For example, in November Google used a similar concept to enable an experimental WebContent Occlusion feature that caused the browser to show a white screen for enterprise users. The experimental feature was rolled back after furious admins complained.
If you want to be on a safer side, you can disable Microsoft Edge's communication with the experiment service by installing the Microsoft Edge group policies.
Disable A/B testing service in Microsoft Edge1. Download and
install the Microsoft Edge Policy file from the
Microsoft Edge Enterprise site.
2. Once installed, open the
Group Policy Editor via the Start menu or search.
3. In Group Policy Editor, under Computer Configuration, right-click on
Administrative Templates and select
Add/Remove Templates.
4. When the Add/Remove Templates window appears, click on
Add and navigate to the
C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions\en-US folder and select
msedge.adm as shown below. Then click on the
Open button.
Add Microsoft Edge Template5. Close the Add/Remove Templates window.
6. Now go to
Computer Configuration ->
Administrative Templates ->
Classic Administrative Templates and then click on
Microsoft Edge.
7. Look through the list of policies and double-click on the
Control communication with the experimentation and configuration service option.
8. You can then select one of the following three configurations depending on what you wish to do — Retrieve configurations only, Retrieve configurations and experiments, and Disable communication with the service. Descriptions of what each setting does can be
found here.
Configure Policy9. Once you select the option you wish to use, you can close the Group Policy Editor and the policy will be configured.
** Microsoft warns that disabling the communication with this service could affect the company's ability to patch bugs in the Edge browser.
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