Managing Microsoft Edge: A Guide to Closing Excessive Tabs

Thanksgiving gatherings can often be a delightful mix of family, food, and, as many of us know, technology challenges. Recently, while spending time at my grandma’s house, I encountered an unexpected dilemma—Microsoft Edge had accumulated a staggering 438 open tabs! As you can imagine, this abundance of tabs not only caused the browser to freeze but also made it impossible to access settings or close them individually.

If you find yourself in a similar predicament, fret not! Below are some effective strategies to swiftly close all those tabs and start fresh without losing important information.

Steps to Close Excessive Tabs in Microsoft Edge

1. Force Quit the Application:
   If Microsoft Edge is frozen and unresponsive, you can force it to close. On a Windows 10 device, simply press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager. Locate Microsoft Edge in the list of running applications, select it, and click on “End Task.” This will close the browser entirely.

2. Opening Edge Fresh:
   To ensure you open Microsoft Edge without restoring the previous session (and those excessive tabs), you can do this:

3. Right-click the Edge icon on the taskbar or desktop.

4. Select “New window” to launch a new, fresh instance. This should open the browser with a clean slate.

5. Changing Startup Behavior:
   To prevent Edge from reopening those tabs in the future, consider adjusting the startup configuration:

6. Once you’ve successfully reopened Edge, head to the settings by clicking on the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner.
7. Go to “Settings,” then “On startup.” You can choose the option to open a specific page or a new tab page, eliminating the overwhelming experience of encountering all those tabs upon launching Edge.

A Note on Browser Alternatives

While one might consider switching to a different browser entirely, this could complicate matters, especially if it requires downloading software through Edge itself. However, if you’re looking for a longer-term solution, it may be worth exploring other browsers in the future when the situation permits.

Helpful Tip

For anyone using a similar setup (like my Acer Aspire E1), always ensure your system is updated, and review any applications that may impact performance. Keeping tabs to a manageable number can significantly enhance your browsing experience.

In Conclusion

Managing a browser with hundreds of tabs open can be a daunting task,