Windows 10 Operating System _ Windows 10 shortcut to websites default to INTERNET EXPLORER and not to MICROSOFT EDGE Browser

 

Hi Copilot, when i create a shortcut which is my favorite URL or a specific URL on my Windows 10 Desktop , and when i open up that particular shorcut , that favorite URL or that specific URL is opened up using the INTERNET EXPLORER Browser ! Why that happened , Copilot ! Copilot , i have already installed and upgraded my Browser to MICROSOFT EDGE Browser but my Windows 10 machine still open up that particular shortcut using the INTERNET EXPLORER Browser and in doing so , the pages that have been open using the INTERNET EXPLORER Browser do not look nice and some of the pages look gibberish ! Copilot , do you think you could help me with this problem so that in future when i open up my shortcut on my Windows 10 Desktop , the pages will look neat and nice and beautiful ? THANKS for the answer Copilot.

MICROSOFT Copilot Answer

You’ve run into a classic Windows 10 quirk: desktop shortcuts to websites often default to Internet Explorer if they were created in certain ways, even though you’ve already upgraded to Microsoft Edge. Let’s fix this so your shortcuts open neatly in Edge instead of looking broken in IE.

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🔧 Why this happens

• Default browser setting: Even if Edge is installed, Windows may still treat IE as the handler for .url shortcuts if the default browser isn’t set correctly.
• Shortcut properties: A desktop shortcut created via IE or older methods may explicitly point to Internet Explorer instead of the system’s default browser.
• Legacy compatibility: Windows 10 still includes IE for backward compatibility, so shortcuts can sometimes “fall back” to it.

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✅ How to fix it

Here are the steps you can take:

• Set Edge as default browser

  1. Open Settings → Apps → Default apps.
  2. Under Web browser, select Microsoft Edge.
     This ensures all links open in Edge.

• Recreate the shortcut

  1. Open the page in Edge.
  2. Click the three dots (…) → More tools → Pin to Desktop or Pin to Taskbar.
     This generates a shortcut that explicitly launches Edge.

• Check shortcut properties

  1. Right-click your desktop shortcut → Properties.
  2. In the Target field, make sure it only contains the URL (e.g., https://example.com) and not a path to iexplore.exe.
     If it points to IE, replace it with just the URL.

• Remove IE associations
  If IE keeps hijacking shortcuts, you can disable it:

  1. Go to Control Panel → Programs and Features → Turn Windows features on or off.
  2. Uncheck Internet Explorer 11.
     This removes IE as an option entirely.

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Once you do this, your shortcuts should open in Edge, and pages will render cleanly and beautifully.

Would you like me to walk you through step-by-step recreating one of your shortcuts in Edge so you can test it right away?