how do I reinstall the browser in Windows 11

Hello, thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A.

First, Completely Uninstall the Microsoft Edge web browser:

To do that,

Open File explorer and go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application

In that folder, you will see the current version of the Edge web browser installed.

Now, open the Command Prompt (Administrator) and run the commands one by one below to uninstall the Edge browser.

First command:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\145.0.3800.82\Installer

Note - here replace 145.0.3800.82 with your edge browser version.

Then, run the next command to uninstall Edge permanently.

setup.exe --uninstall --system-level --verbose-logging --force-uninstall

(Example screenshot)

Once uninstalled, you can download and install the Edge web browser from the link here-

https://www.microsoft.com/edge/download

Let me know if you still need more help.

To reinstall Microsoft Edge on Windows 11 and address freezing issues, follow these steps in order.

1. Try a repair-style reinstall of Edge
2. Open any working browser (for example, another browser installed on the PC).
3. Go to https://www.microsoft.com/edge.
4. Download the latest Microsoft Edge installer.
5. Run the installer and let it install on top of the existing Edge. This effectively repairs/reinstalls Edge without removing data.
6. Make sure Edge is fully closed before reinstalling
7. Open Task Manager.
8. In the Processes tab, confirm there are no msedge.exe or msedgewebview2.exe processes running.
9. If any are present, select them and choose End task.
10. Run the Edge installer again.
11. Check common causes of install/update failures Before or after reinstalling, if the installer fails or Edge still freezes, check the following:

• Restart the device
  • Restarting clears temporary states and releases locked files that can block Edge updates or repairs.
• Verify disk space
  • Ensure at least 1–2 GB of free space on the system drive (usually C:). Free space if needed.
• Run the installer as administrator
  1. Right-click the downloaded Edge installer (.exe).
  2. Select Run as administrator.
  3. Approve the UAC prompt.
• Temporarily disable third‑party security software (if allowed)
  1. If third‑party antivirus or endpoint protection is installed, temporarily disable it according to organizational or personal security policies.
  2. Run the Edge installer again.
  3. Re‑enable the security software immediately after the installation completes.

4. If Edge still misbehaves after reinstall If Edge continues to freeze even after a reinstall:
5. Make sure Windows is fully updated:
   • Select Start > Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates, then install any available updates.
6. If installation or update errors appear (for example, 0x8004xxxx, 0x80040154), follow the specific guidance for those codes:
   • For 0x8004xxxx (files missing or corrupt):
     • Use any working browser to go to https://www.microsoft.com/edge and download/reinstall Edge.
   • For 0x80040154 (Edge update service missing/disabled):
     1. Open Services (services.msc).
     2. Find Microsoft Edge Update Service.
     3. Set Startup type to Automatic and start the service.
     4. In Edge, go to edge://settings/help to check for updates.
7. Advanced: collect logs and contact support (if needed) If reinstall and the above checks do not resolve the freezing, collect diagnostic logs and contact Microsoft support:
8. Ensure Edge and WebView2 apps are closed.
9. Collect Edge installation/update logs from:
   • %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate\Log\MicrosoftEdgeUpdate.log (all‑users install), or
   • %LOCALAPPDATA%\Temp\MicrosoftEdgeUpdate.log (per‑user install).
10. Collect installer logs from:
    • %WINDIR%\Temp\msedge_installer.log (all‑users), or
    • %LOCALAPPDATA%\Temp\msedge_installer.log (per‑user).
11. In Edge (when it runs), export policy info from edge://policy using Export to JSON.
12. Optionally, capture a Process Monitor (ProcMon) trace during a freeze.
13. Use these logs when opening a Microsoft support request.

References:

• Troubleshooting tips for downloading, installing, and updating Microsoft Edge
• Install, update, or roll back failures for Edge and Edge WebView2
• Microsoft Edge will not start. - Microsoft Q&A