Can You Enable the Legacy Version of Microsoft Edge? Not Anymore

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But Internet Explorer mode in Edge may be a workaround

Written by Hannah Dillon

Last Updated: February 1, 2026 Fact Checked

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• Using IE Mode in Edge
|
• Editing the Registry (Historical)

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If you want to revert to the old, non-Chromium version of Microsoft Edge, unfortunately, there is no way to do that now. There used to be a way to do this with the Registry Editor, but Microsoft removed the necessary files for this workaround in 2021. Now, the only way to bypass this is to use Internet Explorer mode in Edge; however, this won't necessarily restore old Edge functionality that existed before the browser was updated. However, Internet Explorer mode will help you view old websites that don't work on the modern version of Microsoft Edge. Read on to learn more.

Using Legacy Microsoft Edge

Unfortunately, there's no way to fully revert to the old, non-Chromium Microsoft Edge. There used to be a way to do this, but Microsoft removed the necessary files sometime in 2021. The next best option is to use Internet Explorer mode in Microsoft Edge.

Steps

Section 1 of 2:

Using Internet Explorer Mode in Edge

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1. 
   1
   Open Microsoft Edge. The only way to view old Internet Explorer websites that don't work on Edge is through Internet Explorer Mode.
2. 
   2
   Type edge://settings/defaultbrowser in the address bar. Press ↵ Enter once you've typed it out. This will open a settings menu.
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3. 
   3
   Toggle on "Allow sites to be reloaded in Internet Explorer." If this option is already toggled on, you can skip to step 5.
4. 
   4
   Restart Microsoft Edge. You must restart Edge to apply the Internet Explorer mode setting.
5. 
   5
   Go to a website. This can be any website, but ideally, you'd go to an old website that doesn't fully work on Microsoft Edge.
6. 
   6
   Click the ••• button in the upper-right corner of the window. It's next to the Copilot button.
7. 
   7
   Choose Reload in Internet Explorer Mode. If you're on an older version of Microsoft Edge, you'll need to click More tools > Reload in Internet Explorer Mode.
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Section 2 of 2:

Editing the Windows Registry (Historical)

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1. 
   1
   Open Registry Editor. To do so, press ⊞ Win+R and type regedit.exe.

   Note: This method no longer works, as Microsoft removed the required files. It's been retained for historical purposes only.
2. 
   2
   Expand \HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft. You will be creating a new registry key here.
3. 
   3
   Create a new key. Name it "EdgeUpdate". This is the registry key that will be used to decide whether Legacy Microsoft Edge should remain enabled.
4. 
   4
   Click on the newly created "EdgeUpdate" key. You will also be creating a DWORD value.
5. 
   5
   Create a new DWORD value. Name it "Allowsxs". This is the value that you will set to enable Legacy Microsoft Edge.
6. 
   6
   Right-click and choose "Modify...". You will need to set the DWORD value before restarting your computer.
7. 
   7
   Set the value to "1". It does not matter what the base is, because 1 is the same in both hexadecimal and decimal. Then click on OK.
8. 
   8
   Restart your computer. After making changes to the registry, it is a good idea to restart your computer. This will confirm that you have applied any needed modifications.
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