MS Start Headache

Common Voice
#1

I am new to this forum so I apologize if this is the wrong place for this question or any other transgressions I may commit.

This wasn’t my original problem but in attempting to join this forum I got hijacked by MS Edge. What happens is the email link it sends me will only open in Edge. I attempted to join the forum in Firefox, it sent me a link to my email, I clicked on the link, and here I am composing this on Edge. I can’t get around it.

I want nothing to do with MS or MS Edge. I checked, Firefox is set as my default browser.

OK, hoping somebody can tell me how to access this Firefox forum using the Firefox browser.

My original problem in a nutshell:
Have a windows 11 PC
Use Firefox
Use Duck Duck Go search

Not sure when this started happening but when I do a specific news search, say “news fusion reactors” for example, I get results that list the source, “Business Insider” for example, but when I click on the link it takes me to the MS Start page.

I want nothing to do with MS or MS Start.

I did notice there’s a little butterfly graphic next to the afflicted, hijacked, links but I don’t want to have to tiptoe around to avoid MS Start. I just want it gone.

I sent Duck Duck Go a complaint about this and they didn’t respond.

Also have pretty much the same problem on my Android phone.

I have looked to fixes but they all say disable the Microsoft App which I don’t have, and refer to the Edge browser which I don’t want to use.

Is there any hope?

#2

Well, this section is a for Mozilla’s Common Voice project, for building datasets for Voice-AI.

But I feel your pain, and I’m also nearing to ditch Windows with the new “features” they introduced with Win 11. Some time ago they even pushed ads into the start menu (I uninstalled the KBxxx)…

You can solve your problem by changing default opening application for ALL FILE TYPES Edge is related. This was a simple one click setting in Win 10, but now…

  1. Open Setting on Start Menu.
  2. Go to Apps> Default Apps.
  3. Find “Microsoft Edge” and click on it.
  4. Change every occurrence of Edge to something else - if you are able to (because some links only can be processed by Edge like Holographic).
#3

I did everything you said.

Wherever I could switch from Edge to Firefox I did. There were several MS Edge apps that Edge was the only option.

And, when I clicked on the visit topic link in the notification email it opened in Edge.

I did figure out a work around. If I copy the hyperlink attached to the visit topic link, and then paste it into Firefox browser, I can get to the forum in Firefox. I shouldn’t have to do that.

Did I do something wrong? Maybe I should uninstall Edge?

Regardless, thanks for your help.

#4

Which e-mail client are you using? It might be related to the settings in that client. I think and MS client would force Edge nowadays. If so, I think you should change your client (Outlook, Windows Mail etc).

These two links can also help: 1 and 2

PS: I’m also flagging this topic to be moved to a correct location by moderators, if you don’t mind.

#5

I very much appreciate moving it to the right place.

Could you send me a link to that place?

I do use Outlook and wouldn’t be surprised at all if it forces Edge.

None of this will address the news and MS Start issue?

Thanks again for your help.

#6

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook_com/forum/all/how-to-stop-outlook-links-being-opened-in-edge/89bf6eec-b9ad-40de-a781-09310f304998

This works.

Now all I need to do is get rid of MS Start when I do news searches using Duck Duck Go.

#7

Going to keep posting here until somebody tells me otherwise.

The MS Edge hijacking links in Outlook emails issue is fixed.

I still have the problem of when I do a news search using Duck Duck Go the majority of the links that come up may say something like “Business Insider” but actually take you to the MS Start page.

You can see which links will do this because they have the little MSN butterfly graphic next to them.

I downloaded a “recommended” extension from Mozilla called Block Site.

Now when I click on an MSN link at least it blocks access.

But I don’t want MSN to show up in my searches period. I don’t want to have to avoid or block links to MS Start. I just want it gone, period.

Again, I asked Duck Duck Go for help and they haven’t responded.

Is there any hope?

#8

IMHO those are legitimate sites and you cannot ask a search engine to unlist them. But you can even block the results from duckduckgo as described here - same problem answered by duckduckgo.

#9

I guess in a sense they are legitimate sites in the technical sense. And maybe it would be difficult for Duck Duck Go to do anything about it.

But, it wasn’t this way in the past, where 50-75% of news searches redirected you to the MS Start page where you are asked to sign in and subjected to all sorts of other harassment.

Guess the real problem is MS has hijacked the internet, or a large part of it.

Again, thanks for your help.