Something's wrong with the search history message.

KindAdaptableKayak 65 Reputation points
2026-09-03T15:31:53.9533333+00:00

When I click the delete button on a certain heading section of the search history, rather than being a bigger square and showing an "are you sure" message at the top, instead, it's smaller, and only the buttons are shown.

This isn't normal, and this looks like my PC is possessed by demons. Perhaps you can fix it?

bandicam 2026-09-03 11-29-08-746

Microsoft Edge | Favorites, history, and downloads | Windows 11
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  1. Clary-N 15,375 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-09-04T06:10:31.7266667+00:00

    Hi KindAdaptableKayak,

    I understand how strange this must look. The smaller confirmation box with missing text suggests that the page or browser interface may not be rendering correctly, rather than anything being wrong with the search history itself.

    First, please update Microsoft Edge by opening Settings and more > Help and feedback > About Microsoft Edge, then restart the browser after any available update is installed. Microsoft recommends keeping Edge updated when troubleshooting display or loading problems.

    If Edge is already updated, temporarily disable any extensions from Settings and more > Extensions then restart Edge and test the delete button again. An extension that modifies webpage content or appearance could interfere with how the confirmation message is displayed.

    If the problem continues, you can repair Edge without normally affecting your browser data or settings:

    1. Close Microsoft Edge.
    2. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
    3. Find Microsoft Edge, select the three-dot menu, and choose Modify.
    4. Select Yes, then choose Repair while connected to the internet.

    Could you also share a screenshot of the affected dialog, along with the Edge version shown under Settings and more > Help and feedback > About Microsoft Edge? Please hide any personal search entries or account information. This will help me confirm whether the issue is occurring in Edge itself or on a specific search-history webpage.

    Please let me know what happens after updating or repairing Edge and I’ll be glad to help further.

    If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".  

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-09-03T15:32:10.3733333+00:00

    This looks like a UI rendering bug in Microsoft Edge rather than a problem with search history itself.

    Try these steps in order:

    1. Use the keyboard shortcut instead of the broken dialog:
      • Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete.
      • Set the time range.
      • Select the data to remove.
      • Press Enter.
    2. Check Windows display scaling:
      • Close Edge.
      • Go to Settings > System > Display.
      • Under Scale, temporarily set it to 100%.
      • Reopen Edge and test the delete/history dialog again.
      • If it works, the issue is likely dialog resizing or scaling related.
    3. Test with a new Edge profile:
      • If the problem only happens in one profile, the profile may be affected.
    4. Report it as an Edge bug:
      • Press Alt + Shift + I in Edge.
      • Include a screenshot or recording showing the smaller confirmation box.

    If the history is Bing search history rather than Edge browsing history, it can still be cleared from the appropriate history page or privacy dashboard:

    • On Bing, open ... > History.
    • If signed in with a Microsoft account, clear it from the Microsoft Privacy dashboard under Browsing and search.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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