Microsoft just updated Edge to a new version and some users are reporting serious issues where the web browser essentially stops functioning.
New I first found out about this after one of the site’s readers highlighted the problem – and it turns out that there are quite a few other people apparently affected by the gremlin in Edge’s work. (See messages on Reddit And Answers.com from Microsoft for example).
The apparent bug means that the Edge browser fails to load websites, displaying an error message stating ‘this page has a problem’ or that there is ‘not enough memory to open this page’.
This happens across all websites and even Edge features like the Settings panel, bookmarks, or even just a new tab. Essentially nothing works, no matter what you try to open you get an error.
This is the case with the latest stable version of Edge (122.0.2365.63) and disabling extensions does not help. However, there is a possible solution – with notable caveats, the most notable of which is that you should adopt this apparent solution with some urgency.
Why? Well, because you have to dive into the settings panel for Edge, and as we just mentioned, if you’ve already updated to v122.0.2365.63 of the browser, guess what when you try to open Settings? You get an error message and you can’t access it. Argh…
So if you’re reading this in Edge right now and haven’t yet updated to v122.0.2365.63 and want to apply this suggested fix as a preventative measure, the best thing to do is go there now and open Settings.
And hey, we haven’t mentioned yet what this solution (first discovered by Nails89 on Answers.com) actually is, so here goes: In Settings for Edge, go to “Privacy, Search & Services,” then scroll down to the Security box (near the bottom) and find the ‘Improve your security on the web’ option and then disable it.
Analysis: Tricky issue
You may have noticed that we keep saying an ‘apparent’ solution, because while this is a successful solution for some people, at least according to various reports, there are also other Edge users who note that this doesn’t work for them, and the errors to stay.
As the Microsoft moderator noted on Answers.com, it appears that this problem isn’t as simple as just flipping the switch. Other users have reported that they resolved the issue by logging out of their profile in Edge, but again, add spice here – your mileage may vary.
Of course, there’s no harm in trying that, and the problem with the other tactic of disabling Edge’s Enhanced Security Mode is that you don’t have that extra protection when you’re browsing the web.
While more tech-savvy users may feel like they don’t need that enhanced security, it’s a useful setting for those who aren’t so sure how to stay safe on the Internet — and so ideally those people don’t want to have to figure it out to change gear. (Assuming they can reach the setting before the bugbear makes the panel unreachable).
It’s worth noting that those who don’t want to turn off the enhanced security can instead lower it from the ‘strict’ level to ‘balanced’ and this may help – and it will still give you a basic level of protection. But it sounds like you might have to disable the entire feature to take advantage of this – or at least have a chance to take advantage of the change.
Overall, this is a bit of a sticky issue, so let’s hope Microsoft looks into this and can provide some details on what’s going on for affected Edge users, and hopefully a fix or patch in time. We’ve reached out to Microsoft to check if there’s any more information or advice for Edge users, and we’ll update this story with any response we receive.