Setting a default browser could get easier in future Windows 11 versions

But it probably won't stop the OS from reminding you that Edge exists.

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[Dark Jaguar]

Is this something that happens? I haven't tried Win 11 yet, but on my Win 10 PC I set Firefox to the default browser long ago and it's stayed that way through multiple feature upgrades and the initial Edge installation.

Yes, and on Windows 10. It's been a frustrating issue. It's especially prevelent any time a wide deployed image is designed because Windows 10 requires using a special XML sheet, and Windows 10 is currently designed so that if even one item on that list is rendered invalid (usually through a major build MS pushes out), ALL file associations revert to system default on restart.

 

[real mikeb_60]

Is this something that happens? I haven't tried Win 11 yet, but on my Win 10 PC I set Firefox to the default browser long ago and it's stayed that way through multiple feature upgrades and the initial Edge installation.

In Win10, the setting for Firefox as default works, but mainly because 1) Firefox renews that every time you use it, in background (or so I understand - they somehow manage to set/maintain it without you having to invoke the Windows default settings), and 2) whenever you go into Settings, at least in Win10 Home, there's a bar on the top for recommendations, and it ALWAYS says you're at risk by not using the default browser and should reset that unless you're using Edge.

In Win 11, at least, that bit of nag is gone. Still nags about MS 365, which I don't need because Onedrive and LibreOffice get along just fine together.

I do have to admit, though, that it's been a long time since Win10 reverted me to Edge on its own, outside of a "Fresh Start" that nukes all the installed 3rd-party applications. Even upgrading to Win11 maintained my defaults for browser (FF) and email (Thunderbird).