Yes, it seems legitimate.
Yes, it seems legitimate.
You've recently encountered Microsoft's Rule 35. They were unaware of its existence, but now they're addressing it.
Currently, most pre-installed Microsoft applications can be removed or restored using the Get-AppxPackage tool.
It will definitely remove Edge and potentially damage anything relying on it. It’s similar to those stubborn “tiny windows” people who think disabling Windows Update is the solution, only to learn that updates are essential for getting hardware drivers.
I've been using Edge as my main browser for the last month and really enjoy it. It doesn't use up as much memory as Firefox has optimized, and it handles foreign websites into English more smoothly. I also switch to Bing for searching as a way to counter Google. While not as polished as Google searches, it works fine for my purposes. Transferring all my favorites and login info was straightforward thanks to the automatic setup Firefox allows. People may have different views, but I'm satisfied with this setup right now.
I enjoyed Edge before Chromium took over... since then it's been quite unreliable, but that's not important. I don't appreciate how much control it claims over system functions, like XML handling—it used to be independent of PWA or something similar. I prefer using ZERO for this purpose (a kind of disguised tool). Uninstalling it is my right, and depending on the law, relying on a third-party browser is illegal. My goal is simply to remove it without causing disruption to my PC or OS. I think I'll give it a shot, but I might also switch back to a more stable version. I see many problems with 22H2, especially with file systems and thumbnail generation (why does everything feel so slow now?). I unlocked the outfits I needed with DX12, so I can revert anytime. But thank you for your help—I'll try to eliminate it, maybe using PowerToys or tweaking settings. It's not perfect, but 1803 is definitely better. (I miss Cortana too.) P.S.: Whatever works for you isn't what I'm after, but Chrome still fits my needs perfectly—especially with 58 tabs open and 2100MB usage. It includes solid features like a channel blocker, uBlock, and unhook, which are really helpful.)