It’s been over a year since Microsoft Edge browser for Windows 10 started supporting extensions. Users can install extensions for Edge from Windows Store. Edge barely has a couple of dozens of extensions compared to thousands available for third-party web browsers.
Extensions enhance the functionality of your web browser. You can add additional features to your web browser by installing useful extensions. For instance, you can use password managing extensions to save and sync your web credentials across your devices.
Browser extensions are not always helpful! You must install them only if you find them useful as they might slow down your web browser. The same applies to Edge extensions as well. You should disable or uninstall Edge extensions that you don’t use.
If you don’t use extensions for Edge browser, you might want to prevent others from installing Edge extensions. A provision in Windows 10 Group Policy allows you to prevent installing extensions in Edge browser.
When you configure Windows 10 to prevent installing extensions, no one will be able to install extensions in Edge browser. Extensions that are already installed will also be disabled automatically. In short, you will not be able to use extensions when the policy is in force.
Method 1 of 2
Prevent installing Edge extensions via Group Policy
Follow the given below directions to prevent installing extensions in Edge browser in Windows 10.
Note that Group Policy Editor is not part of Windows 10 Home edition. So if you are on Home edition of Windows 10, please scroll down the page and refer to the directions in Method 2.
Step 1: Open Group Policy Editor by typing Gpedit.msc in the Start/taskbar search field and then pressing Enter.
Step 2: In the Local Group Policy Editor, navigate to the following folder:
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Microsoft Edge
Step 3: On the right-side, double-click on Allow extensions policy. This will open its properties.
Step 4: Select Disabled and then click Apply button. That’s it!
Method 2 of 2
Prevent installing Edge extensions via Registry
This method applies to all editions of Windows 10.
Step 1: Open Registry Editor by typing Regedit.exe in the Start/taskbar search field and then pressing Enter key.
Upon getting the User Account Control screen, click Yes button.
Step 2: In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following key.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE PoliciesMicrosoft
Step 3: Right-click on Microsoft key, click New, click Key and then name the new key as MicrosoftEdge.
Step 4: Next, right-click on the newly added MicrosoftEdge key, click New, click Key. Name the new key as Extensions.
Step 5: Select Extensions key. On the right-side, right-click on an empty spot, click New and then click DWORD (32-bit) Value and name it as ExtensionsEnabled.
Step 6: Finally, double-click on ExtensionsEnabled and set its value to 0 (zero) to prevent installing extensions in Edge browser in Windows 10.
Hope it helps you!