They must be completely removed permanently.
They must be completely removed permanently.
To prevent Microsoft Edge and Webview2 Runtime from auto-installing, you’ll need to disable their automatic updates. Check your system settings or browser options for a “Disable automatic updates” or similar setting. If available, look for a toggle or option that blocks third-party extensions or background services. Make sure no extensions are enabled that could interfere with installation. Let me know if you need step-by-step guidance!
Webview2 is commonly integrated into various applications. Any third-party software or games utilizing an embedded web browser likely employs Edge Webview2 (Chrome-based), and it's also present in some native apps. It plays a role in Progressive Web Apps as well. If you notice it active, it suggests its presence. Examples include Microsoft Office, Visual Studio, Weather app, Reddit app, and the upcoming New Outlook app for Windows 11. It doesn't replace the official Outlook service. Microsoft Edge serves as the default browser, offering performance advantages over Chrome. If you prefer alternatives, uninstalling and reinstalling your browser ensures continued internet access. For additional storage needs, upgrading to an SSD or using a microSD card could be beneficial.
The edge version is Webview2. Internet Explorer isn't included with Windows 11; you're using it in your screenshot from Windows 10. Only older apps rely on IE ActiveX (which should function). Current programs typically use WebView2 for embedded solutions or follow paths like Steam or Epic Stores.
I don’t rely on Windows 11, and I won’t upgrade anytime soon (actually I disabled my TPM just to be rude to Microsoft). That means I don’t need webview2 or Edge. I’m looking for a way to prevent an app I didn’t allow myself to install from running.
Hey, at least it's not directly developed by Google. If you're this adamant about control over your PC, it's time to switch to Linux! You can play games developed for Windows using either Wine, or install steam (developed for Linux) and use the proton compatibility layer, which contributes to the development of Wine. Linux gives you a significant amount of control--the only thing thay might be annoying is dependencies. Dependencies are usually forced on the user, and tied to a certain version of a program. So if you update your system, it updates your programs at the same time. Also, you'll be tied to the distribution package management, as to the newest version available of all programs for your system. In a few cases, you may be able to override this, but I am not sure if it causes issues. With Linux, you can change the CPU scheduler, hard disk scheduler, cache flush pressure, swap (page file) usage, and a completely overwhelming amount of other tunable options. Here is an example, I really enjoy the virtual memory or vm section https://docs.kernel.org/admin-guide/sysctl/index.html This is definitely not anywhere even close to 1% of all the tunable options for your system, so search around for more options. One could easily argue that there are too many settings to change, but then there is the Windows registry, which can change stuff that isn't documented, so it's probably similar in what all can be changed, but Linux may have better documentation on available options. Play around with it in Virtualbox or vmware, and learn the basics of the system, installing programs, adding games (yes, in a virtual machine with only basic graphics processing, to learn how to setup the system.
However, the problem persists because it restarts repeatedly, and I don’t want it to happen again. I made sure it wasn’t installed, but it’s still coming back.