Troubleshooting Microsoft Edge Installation Failure on Windows Server 2019: Web Installer vs Standalone Package


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During a fresh Windows Server 2019 evaluation installation, I encountered an unexpected roadblock when attempting to install Microsoft Edge through the official website. Here's what happens:

1. Navigate to https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge
2. Click "Start Microsoft Edge"
3. Receive UAC prompt (expected)
4. After approval, get error: "You'll need a new app to open this microsoft-edge"

The core issue stems from how Server 2019 handles web-based installers differently than client Windows versions. The web installer (MicrosoftEdgeSetup.exe) relies on a protocol handler that isn't properly registered in Server 2019 by default.

You can verify this by checking the registry:

reg query HKCR\microsoft-edge

On a working Windows 10 system, this returns complete registration data, while Server 2019 shows either nothing or incomplete entries.

Here are three reliable methods to get Edge running:

# Method 1: Using standalone installer (recommended)
$url = "https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2109042&Channel=Stable&language=en"
$output = "$env:TEMP\MicrosoftEdgeEnterpriseX64.msi"
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $url -OutFile $output
Start-Process -FilePath "msiexec.exe" -ArgumentList "/i $output /qn" -Wait

# Method 2: Manual protocol handler registration
$edgePath = "$env:ProgramFiles(x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\msedge.exe"
New-Item -Path "HKCR:\microsoft-edge" -Force
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKCR:\microsoft-edge" -Name "URL Protocol" -Value ""
New-Item -Path "HKCR:\microsoft-edge\shell\open\command" -Force
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKCR:\microsoft-edge\shell\open\command" -Name "(default)" -Value ""$edgePath" "%1""

# Method 3: Using winget (requires package manager installation)
winget install Microsoft.Edge

While frustrating, this behavior is actually by design for several reasons:

  • Server 2019 uses the legacy EdgeHTML-based Edge by default
  • Web-based installers introduce additional attack surfaces
  • Enterprise environments typically prefer MSI deployments
  • The OS prioritizes stability over ease of browser installation

For system administrators managing multiple servers, consider these deployment strategies:

<!-- Sample XML for Intune deployment -->
<Application>
  <Id>MicrosoftEdge</Id>
  <Version>1.0.0</Version>
  <Install>
    <CommandLine>msiexec /i MicrosoftEdgeEnterpriseX64.msi /qn</CommandLine>
    <Source>\\fileserver\software\MicrosoftEdgeEnterpriseX64.msi</Source>
  </Install>
</Application>

Remember that server environments often require additional configuration:

# Disable automatic updates for Edge in server environment
New-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate" -Name "UpdateDefault" -Value 0 -PropertyType DWORD -Force

When attempting to install Microsoft Edge on a fresh Windows Server 2019 instance, many administrators encounter a peculiar behavior. The standard web-based installer fails with the message "You'll need a new app to open this microsoft-edge" even after disabling IE Enhanced Security Configuration.

The root cause lies in how Server 2019 handles web-based installers. Unlike client Windows versions, Server 2019 lacks the proper protocol handler registration for microsoft-edge: links by default. This is particularly ironic since:

  • Server 2019 still ships with legacy IE11
  • The same installation method works fine on Windows 10/11
  • Chrome's web installer functions without issues

Here are three proven approaches to successfully deploy Edge:

Method 1: Standalone Offline Installer

Download the official offline installer package:

# PowerShell download command
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2109042&Channel=Stable&language=en" -OutFile "MicrosoftEdgeEnterpriseX64.msi"

Then install silently:

msiexec /i MicrosoftEdgeEnterpriseX64.msi /qn

Method 2: Using Winget Package Manager

For systems with Winget installed:

winget install Microsoft.Edge --silent --accept-package-agreements

Method 3: Deployment via Group Policy

For enterprise environments, download the Edge ADMX templates and configure policies through:

\\domain.com\SYSVOL\domain.com\Policies\PolicyDefinitions\

While technically possible to fix the protocol handler issue manually, Microsoft doesn't support this approach:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\microsoft-edge]
@="URL:microsoft-edge Protocol"
"URL Protocol"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\microsoft-edge\shell\open\command]
@="\"C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Microsoft\\Edge\\Application\\msedge.exe\" \"%1\""

While frustrating, there are valid reasons for this behavior:

  • Server environments typically require controlled deployments
  • Offline installers provide better version control
  • Web-based installers can fail during critical server updates

For production servers, consider:

  • Using Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager
  • Building custom images with Edge pre-installed
  • Implementing approval workflows for browser updates