Fix: Microsoft Edge Pinned on Taskbar Opening another Window

Is the Microsoft Edge pinned on the taskbar opening another window on your PC?

Microsoft’s history with web browsers isn’t as pleasant, to say the least. But just when everyone assumed that Microsoft is out of the browser’s race, it came up with Microsoft Edge, which surprisingly is far from the Internet Explorer. 

The latest features such as the vertical tabs option, compatibility with Chrome extensions, and privacy control make it an excellent alternative for browsers like Chrome. However, all these unique features do not make Microsoft Edge entirely error-free. 

It is prone to errors, like every other Windows program, but luckily, most of these errors are easy to fix. Recently, several users reported that the Microsoft Edge pinned on their PC’s taskbar is opening the apps on a duplicate window instead of the one they launched.

If you are facing a similar issue, you’re in the right place. We have listed some of the most effective solutions to this issue, which will help you fix the error in no time. 

Let’s get started. 

1. Re-pin the Edge Browser.

It is common for users to face errors within the browser, such as the duplicate icons on the taskbar due to browser glitches. 

A quick and straightforward solution that will help you resolve the issue is unpinning Microsoft Edge from your browser and then re-pinning it. This method has helped several users fix the error, and we hope it will work for you too. 

Here is what you need to do:

1. Launch Microsoft Edge from the taskbar and right-click on the icon that is not active. 
2. Click on Unpin from taskbar.

3. Now right-click on the active icon and select Pin to taskbar. 
4. Restart your PC and check if doing so resolved the error. If the error persists, unpin Microsoft Edge from the taskbar and restart your PC again. 
5. Upon rebooting, type Microsoft Edge in the search bar.
6. Right-click on Microsoft Edge and select Pin to taskbar.
7. Once done, restart your PC and check if the error is resolved. 

You should now be able to use Microsoft Edge from your taskbar without any issues. 

2. Remove Other Installations of Microsoft Edge.

If you recently installed a new version of Microsoft Edge without uninstalling the older version, then there are chances that the older version is causing the Microsoft Edge pinned on the taskbar to open another window. 

Older versions of programs often conflict with the latest versions, so it is crucial to uninstall them. 

Here is how you can remove the other installations of Microsoft Edge from your PC:

1. Type Apps & Features in the search bar and click Open. 
2. Inside the window, check if there are more than one installation of Microsoft Edge on your system. 
3. If you find any, click on them and select Uninstall to remove them. 
4. Once done, restart your PC. 

3. Disable Internet Explorer 11.

Several users have reported that they managed to stop Microsoft Edge from opening another window by disabling the Internet Explorer 11. 

Internet Explorer 11 has several compatibility issues alongside corruption errors that affect the entire system. We suggest disabling Internet Explorer 11 to check if doing so resolved the error. If it helps, you can uninstall Internet Explorer from your PC to prevent such issues in the future. 

Here is how you can disable Internet Explorer 11:

1. Type Apps & Features in the search bar and click Open. 
2. Inside the Apps & Features window, click on Optional features and locate Internet Explorer 11. 

3. Click on Internet Explorer 11 and select Uninstall.

4. Once the uninstallation is complete, reboot your PC. 

If Internet Explorer 11 was causing the issue, uninstalling it hopefully will resolve the issue. 

4. Update Microsoft Edge. 

Another common reason behind Microsoft Edge duplicate error is the outdated Microsoft Edge browser. 

Outdated programs prevent you from accessing new features and make your system vulnerable to viruses and malicious software. If you have not installed the recent Microsoft Edge updates, we highly recommend you install them. Updates are packed with new features and fixtures, which is why they can help you resolve issues. 

Here is how you can install the pending Microsoft Edge updates:

1. Launch Microsoft Edge and click on the More button (three dots) at the top-right corner.
2. Click on Settings and select About Microsoft Edge from the left panel.

3. If there are any pending updates, install them and restart your PC. 

Hopefully, installing the pending updates will help you resolve the issue on your PC. 

5. Try Using CleanMyPC. 

If you haven’t deep cleaned your PC in a long time, then now might be the right time to do it because the Microsoft Edge duplicate error might be occurring due to the unwanted, corrupt system files. 

As we mentioned earlier, other Edge installations can prevent Microsoft Edge from working correctly. There are times when you uninstall old installations, but their relevant files stay in your system and wreak havoc, which is why it is essential to eliminate all the junk files from your PC. 

The best way to remove the junk files is by running scans using a reliable PC cleaner, and if you are looking for one, we recommend using CleanMyPC. 

CleanMyPC is a powerful cleaner that scans through the system, identifies junk files, and attempts to clean them with little to no user input. Moreover, CleanMyPC can also increase your PC’s speed and overall performance, so you can enjoy using it seamlessly. 

Install CleanMyPC and bid all the junk files a final goodbye!

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6. Reset Microsoft Edge.

If Microsoft Edge pinned on the taskbar is opening another window even after following the methods above, then this implies that the corruption error causing the issue cannot be fixed using the conventional troubleshooting methods. In this case, we recommend resetting Microsoft Edge. 

Resetting the Edge browser will revert it to its initial state, thus resolving the process’s error. 

Here is how you can reset Microsoft Edge on your PC:

1. Launch Microsoft Edge and click on the More button (three dots) at the top-right corner.
2. Click on Settings and then select Reset settings from the left panel.
3. Click on Restore Settings to Their Default Values and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process. 

That’s it. Resetting Microsoft Edge will resolve the error once and for all. 

This brings us to the end of our article on fixing the Microsoft Edge opening another window issue. We hope that our troubleshooting methods helped you fix the error on your PC in no time. If you have any questions regarding the ways we mentioned above, please let us know in the comment box below. We will try to assist you as much as we can. 

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂