Edge keeps running in the Background

Hi Rodro,

yes - it's not about Edge running in the background. My actual question is about this gossip drop down list under the search bar.

Could you please explain this again?

I have set everything in page settings (gear icon) to NOT show anything ... favourites / adds, weather, etc. as you can see with my straight forward gray background. But the Gossip under search bar still appears ...???!!!

Now-in Settings / privacy your screenshot shows: set to Google...and to Adress bar.

I tried it and it only works if set to 'Address bar' ... not when left to 'search bar'.

Set to 'search bar' produces the same gossip list.

Could you please confirm that this is the only way.

BTW - when using "InPrivate", after typing in a search, it opens directly to the Bing page with links.

When in normal mode, and set to Google and Address bar, as in your suggestion, it first produces a drop-down list, then, after picking one, proceeds to Google page with links.

I don't like it too much but it seems to be the only way to avoid the gossip list ... using Google ... set to 'address bar'

is this correct?

Thanks for a follow up comment, if you don't mind

The linked workaround resolves the issue, the real topic here.

https://www.reddit.com/r/MicrosoftEdge/comments/1ac4ioa/a_workaroud_to_prevent_background_running_after/

The added Edge's policy will never be aimed at changing the New Tab layout. So, how to configure your Edge new tab page to your liking is a different topic.

Now, out of the topic issue, you are probably missing something when customizing and setting up your New Tab page layout. I have nothing displayed below the search box and no drop-down lists.

Here is my clean and customized new tab page:

Here is the new tab page with my layout settings displayed:

Now, if you do not like the Search box drop-down suggestions (Bing/Copilot powered, disable any Copilot Edge's setting, and via Windows GPO settings) use the following Edge settings:

Hi Rodro,

thanks for the information.

However, after doing the registry tweak and setting all possible appearance options at the welcome screen, there is still a drop-down list of gossip under the search bar.

Copilot is still asking for using it.

No large advertisements but under the search bar appears a dropdown list of gossip

That's how far I had it before without registry tweak.

Basically square one.

https://www.reddit.com/r/MicrosoftEdge/comments/1ac4ioa/a_workaroud_to_prevent_background_running_after/

Thank you, mate. Yes, finally, a proper workaround!

Looking at the name of the added Edge policy that stops the issue, we were likely right in pointing out that the problem was caused by Edge's new Sidebar/Copilot feature integration.

Also, credit to @Careless-Elevator768 and all we have been investigating and reporting this annoying "feature" or misbehavior since October 2023 till today.

There is no more need for InPrivate mode (by the way, you can already set up a clean with no gossip/weather/sports ads and bloated stuff Edge's new tab page via easy layout customization) or Windows 11's End Task feature for developers (I found it helpful anyway and will keep using it, though).

Here are the instructions from the linked Reddit post (with an extra reminder):

1. Turn off "Continue running background extensions and apps when Microsoft Edge is closed" and "Startup boost" Edge's settings (System and Performance > System).
2. Open regedit.exe (Registry Editor) - Running it as Administr is recommended.
3. Go to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge" (if this path does not exist, add a new Key with that name).
4. Add the following new DWORD (32-bit) Value: StandaloneHubsSidebarEnabled and set it to 0.
5. Reboot Windows or kill the task and restart MS Edge.
6. NOTE: "Managed by your organization" will be displayed below the Close Microsoft Edge option (Settings and more, Alt+F) and "Your browser is managed by your organization" mentioned at the top of the Edge's Settings tab/page.

I hope this helps. Enjoy!

That's bad news for me. I have a Windows 11 laptop with 23H2 they installed. Haven't even looked at that yet. Thanks for the heads up that Firefox works. Hear that EDGE people, I'm going to dump Edge browser.