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Microsoft Makes Windows Easier and Friendlier for Europeans

Windows continues to be the most popular desktop operating system. While it sometimes seems that Microsoft is only interested in using Windows as a vessel for pushing its other services, those that make the company money, it sometimes is introducing useful features to the operating system as well.

Users from the EEA, the European Economic Area, get several enhancements this year according to a new announcement on the official Windows Insider blog.

These changes put a break on Microsoft tactics to get you to use Microsoft Edge, web-based searches, or the Microsoft Store and improve usability significantly, but only if you live in one of the EEA countries.

Microsoft Edge: the major changes

Microsoft Edge

Microsoft used varies strategies to get users to use its Edge browser. Some of them legitimate, others annoying or close to malware-like behavior.

One of the main points of criticism leveled at Microsoft was that it is difficult to set a default browser other than Edge and keep it the default.

This should not be a problem any longer for users in the EEA, as Microsoft Edge won't prompt users anymore to set it as the default browser, if you do not launch it.

So, if you ignore Edge, Windows and the browser should not push prompts into your face anymore to make it the default.

Also, if Edge is uninstalled, other Windows applications won't prompt users anymore to reinstall the browser. The only exception to that rule is when a PWA distributed via the Microsoft Store is using the Microsoft Edge technology.

Additionally, the Start Experience app, which provides access to widgets and feeds, opens web content now using the default web browser. If you set the browser to Firefox, Brave, Vivaldi,, or another browser, then that browser will be used to render the content.

Microsoft Store

Microsoft Store

Microsoft notes that users from the EEA may uninstall the Microsoft Store app just like any other application going forward. Right-click on the app in Start or use the application listing in the settings to remove the app.

Previously, you had to run commands or use specialized software to remove the Microsoft Store application from Windows.

Good news is that any app that updates via the Microsoft Store continues to be updated, regardless of that.

Last but not least, when you run a search in Windows Search and click on web content, e.g., a link pointing to a support document or website, then this content will be opened in the default browser of the system from early June on.

Windows Search

Web Search preference Windows for EEA

Microsoft mixed Windows Search with results from Bing. Many users turn of web results, as they provide little value.

Users from the EEA get a new feature that makes it easier for other search providers to register their search engines as a provider in Windows Search.

This means that web-based search results will pull results from these search engines as well.

Users who do not want to see those can turn off the functionality entirely under the new Web Search preference. There they may also disable a specific provider or change the order in which results are shown.

Closing Words

The majority of searches apply to Windows 10 and Windows 11 systems. Most have started to roll out to user devices in the EEA already, but it may take some time before they reach the entire device population in the region.

Now You: what is your take on the announcement? Is there anything that you would like to see changed next to the announced changes? Feel free to leave a comment down below.

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