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Whenever I click on the blue Help icons in any Windows 10 window, it opens Edge to show me the corresponding Windows Help website.

(This one for instance)

My default browser is Firefox. I'd like to make it so Windows' Help links open in Firefox and not in Edge.

(Essentially, I don't want Windows to ever open Edge unless I specifically open Edge)

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  • As a test, find the file helppane.exe in %windir%, and rename it helppane.bak I believe helpPane.exe is what is used to spawn Edge. If it doesn't work, or you now can't open help, rename it back to .exe and await a further answer.
    – spikey_richie
    Commented Dec 23, 2020 at 22:14

2 Answers 2

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Windows 10 Chromium Edge cannot be uninstalled and one main reason is that it is the built-in viewer for all Help System displays.

So no, you cannot change this or use Firefox for the help browser. Edge is built right in.

Edge will continue to be used for extensions of Help (because Help will be calling the extensions). By extensions I mean Web help called by Help.

I will look for an article, but it falls in the realm of common knowledge as Microsoft issues its updates.

I trust this explains it.

Anecdotal Note:

My time with Windows 10 has been 6 years including Previews in early 2015. I have 2 production machines 20H2 up to date and 1 insider machine 21H something new. Help in Windows 10 has been built around Edge all that time.

Help in Insider is progressing forward from Help in 20H2. Chromium Edge is being more tightly integrated and it shows up in overall change in looks and the extensions into Web Help (different browser windows that do not affect my own Chromium Edge normal setup.

I read the Insider Notes and they generally support the above.

I have had the very good fortune to attend sessions in Redmond WA over several years (non-disclosure of course) but the presentation about the use of Edge supports the above as well.

So Help is a Chromium Edge world, and default browsers of our choice are for web work outside of Help. Of course there is a grey area going from one to the other.

Again, I trusts this helps you.

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  • This doesn’t answer the author’s question.
    – Ramhound
    Commented Dec 23, 2020 at 20:29
  • Can't you just change the file association for .CHM files?
    – spikey_richie
    Commented Dec 23, 2020 at 20:53
  • @spikey_richie CHM files haven’t been used in 12 years by Microsoft, default support, doesn’t even exist in Windows 10
    – Ramhound
    Commented Dec 23, 2020 at 22:54
  • I disagree and will provide an answer which I trust will help everybody. :-)
    – Fauxcuss
    Commented Nov 23, 2022 at 0:57
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I had this same frustration with help links, from within Windows, opening pages in Edge when Firefox was my default browser.

I found the following which does a great job of making sure that those links now open in my default browser:

MSEdgeRedirect

That link, as of today, brings you to the GitHub project. Scroll down on the main page to the download link for the EXE file. Occasionally after doing a Windows Update, Edge could be restored for handling these help links inside of Windows, but MSEdgeRedirect will detect the change and prompt you to ask if you want to fix it again.

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