News and Interests Showing Up and Running In Task Manager

Anonymous
2024-09-25T22:25:15+00:00

Hello,

I was checking my Task Manager today after installing Cumulative Update KB5043131 on my HP OMEN Desktop and my wife's HP Envy laptop and noticed a task called News and Interests running (see image below). We are running Win10 22H2 Build 19045.4957 . I have not noticed this before running in my Task Manager. I have News and Interests turned off in my Task Bar Settings and I do not see it but why is it all of a sudden showing up in my Task Manager. I have tried to use End Task for this but it keeps coming back after I end it. I use FireFox as my default browser and I have no interest in using this News and Interest junk now or ever. Could someone please tell me why it is there now and how I can get rid of this running in my Task Manager? I have also sent in feedback to MS Edge since I see Edge WebView2 and also to MS FeedBack Hub. Thank you.

Respectfully,

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Settings

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lmacri 2,505 Reputation points
2024-10-29T13:18:48+00:00

Hi DonT5:

Microsoft appears to have released a bug fix.

My MS Edge WebView2 Runtime (msedgewebview2.exe) updated to v130.0.2849.56 on 28-Oct-2029 and after a re-boot the News and Interests process no longer appears in my Task Manager. From Control Panel | Programs | Programs and Features on my Win 10 Pro v22H2 machine:

Kudos to EricB for reporting this bug fix in their 29-Oct-2024 post # 2713239 in the AskWoody.com topic October Updates Are Out.

Dell Inspiron 15 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.5011 * Firefox v131.0.3 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.24080.9-1.1.24080.9 * Malwarebytes Premium v5.2.0.140-1.0.5073 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783 * Microsoft Edge v130.0.2849.56

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Anonymous
2024-10-29T19:53:55+00:00

Thanks for the information. I'm waiting for the next few days to reinstall the Webviews2 App from the official Microsoft website to see if it installs version v130.0.2849.56 and not v130.0.2849.52.

Last hour: Windows 11 automatically installed the v130.0.2849.56 version of Webviews 2 and now everything is back to normal on Windows 11 23H2 too.

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-11-14T16:05:52+00:00

    I am getting this problem as of this month's update. I have latest edge and webview2 runtime. (if you need that screenied too I can provide it)

    Here is a screenie of what is under the task News and Interests. https://i.imgur.com/6Od7cvz.png

    Here is a screenie of my Windows OS. https://i.imgur.com/7Konbsi.png

    News and interests has been long disabled, as with search highlights.

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  2. lmacri 2,505 Reputation points
    2024-11-14T13:01:52+00:00

    UPDATE: This cripples Windows Search. Not a solution. :(((

    It would be helpful if users with the latest Microsoft Edge browser and and Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime (currently both v130.0.2849.80) who are still seeing the News and Interests process in Task Manager could expand that process and provide a screenshot of the .exe executables running under that process. For example, here's an old image I captured on 17-Oct-2024 before Microsoft released a Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime update in late October 2024 that fixed the problem for most users.

    Image

    If you are only seeing instances of SearchApp.exe (i.e., no instances of msedgewebview2.exe) then right-click on an empty space in your taskbar to open your taskbar settings. If Search | Show Search Highlights is enabled then DISABLE that setting as shown below and restart your computer to see if that removes the News and Interests process in Task Manager.

    If disabling both News and Interests (see my 13-Nov-2024 post <above>) and Show Search Highlights in your taskbar settings doesn't help then also let us know your Windows OS (including the version and build number) when you post back.

    Image

    Dell Inspiron 15 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.5011 * Firefox v132.0.2 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.24090.11-1.1.24090.11 * Malwarebytes Premium v5.2.1.144-1.0.5088 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783

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  3. Anonymous
    2024-11-14T10:57:01+00:00

    UPDATE: This cripples Windows Search. Not a solution. :(((

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