How to uninstall Edge in Windows 11 using its built-in EU switch

How does Windows decide if Edge can be uninstalled?

The rules live in a file called IntegratedServicesRegionPolicySet.json in C:\Windows\System32. One entry, with the GUID {1bca278a-5d11-4acf-ad2f-f9ab6d7f93a6}, controls Edge removal. It holds a defaultState and a list of two-letter region codes. The file is owned by TrustedInstaller, so an admin has to take ownership with takeown.exe and icacls.exe, add the region to the allow list, then restore the original permissions and owner. The author warns against replacing the whole file with someone else's copy, because that can break other policies.

The registry matters too. Edge's entries in the installed-software keys (both 32-bit and 64-bit views) carry a NoRemove flag. At 1, the button in ms-settings:appsfeatures stays grey. Set it to 0 and the button becomes active and launches the official uninstaller. If the value is missing, for example on an MSI install, the author says not to create it. According to the piece, no system files or AppData profiles are wiped.

Removing Bing apps and installing another browser

Bing's companion apps should be removed as Appx packages for the current user. PowerShell finds them, and Remove-AppxPackage removes them. Deleting files inside WindowsApps is a bad idea. Leave Windows Search and Edge WebView2 alone, since removing them breaks the interface and third-party software.

For installing a replacement such as Brave, the author suggests downloading from the official servers with a timeout and a size limit. Before running the EXE, check its Authenticode signature: it should be valid and the publisher should be Brave Software.

The author has also packed all these steps into a free portable C# and WinForms utility (v1.0.1) that backs up the JSON and calculates SHA-256 checksums. It is shared through a personal Google Drive link, so treat any unsigned download with the same caution the article recommends.