Fix: Microsoft Edge Pinned on Taskbar when Opening another Window

You may see more than one Edge icon on the taskbar if the installation of Microsoft Edge is outdated or corrupt. Moreover, more than one installation of Edge (like Canary or Dev) or more than one Edge user profiles may also cause the issue at hand.

The issue arises when the user pins the Edge to his taskbar and uses the pinned icon to launch Edge but Edge launches as another window (not stacked up on the pinned icon). Every new instance of Edge will stack up on the new window, not on the pinned icon. The behavior is usually noted after an update of the Edge browser.

Before moving on with the solutions to stop Edge from opening new Windows, make sure that the setting of Combine Taskbar Buttons in the system’s Settings is set to ‘Always, Hide Labels’.

Solution 1: Update the Edge Browser to the Latest Build

The Edge browser may show the current behavior if it is outdated as it can create incompatibility between the browser and OS modules. In this context, updating the Edge browser to the latest build may solve the problem.

1. Launch the Edge browser and open its menu (by clicking on the three horizontal ellipses in the top right of the window).

   

2. Now select Settings and in the left pane of the window, choose About Microsoft Edge.
3. Then, in the right pane of the window, make sure the Edge browser is updated to the latest build. You may have to Restart Edge after updating.

   

4. Now check if the dual taskbar icons issue is resolved.

Solution 2: Re-pin the Edge Browser

The temporary glitch of your OS modules might be causing Edge to show more than one icon on the taskbar. In this context, unpinning and then re-pining Edge may solve the problem.

1. Launch Edge and if it is shown as a 2^nd Edge icon on the taskbar, then right-click on the previous pinned icon and choose Unpin from Taskbar.

   

    
2. Now right-click on the Edge icon (the running instance) on the Taskbar and choose Pin to Taskbar.

   

3. Then reboot your PC and check if the multi-icon issue is resolved.
4. If not, then unpin Edge from the taskbar and reboot your PC.

   

5. Upon reboot, hit the Windows key and in the Windows Search, type Microsoft Edge. Then right-click on Microsoft Edge and choose Pin to Taskbar.

   

6. Now reboot your PC and then check if launching Edge from the pinned icon resolves the issue.

Solution 3: Disable Internet Explorer 11

The Edge browser may show the dual icons on the taskbar if the Internet Explorer 11 is enabled in the system’s Settings as it may hinder the operation of the Edge browser. In this case, disabling Internet Explorer 11 may solve the problem.

1. Hit the Windows key and open Settings.

   

2. Now select Apps and then open Optional Features.

   

3. Then expand the Internet Explorer and click on the Uninstall button.

   

4. Now wait for the uninstallation and then reboot your PC.

   

5. Upon reboot, check if the Edge browser is showing only one icon.

Solution 4: Remove Other Installations/Profiles of the Edge Browser

Your Edge browser may show more than one icon on the taskbar if there are different versions of Edge installed or the Edge browser is configured to use multiple user profiles. In this scenario, removing other versions/profiles from your system may solve the problem.

Remove Other Installations of Edge

1. Right-click on the Windows key and in the Power User menu, choose Apps & Features.
2. Now check if there is more than one version of Edge are installed (e.g., Canary, Dev). If so, then remove other versions (except the stable release) and reboot your PC.

   

3. Upon reboot, check if the multi-icons issue is resolved.

Remove Other Profiles from the Edge Browser

1. Launch the Edge browser and click on the user icon (near the top right of the screen).
2. Now click on the Manage Profiles Settings and in front of the profile (that you do not want to use), click on the 3 horizontal ellipses (you may have to switch to that profile).

   

3. Now select Remove and then click on the Remove Profile button to confirm the removal of the profile.

   

4. Then reboot your PC and check if the taskbar is clear of the dual Edge icons.

   

Solution 5: Reset the Edge Browser to the Factory Defaults

The dual icons on the taskbar may be caused by the corrupt installation of the Edge browser. In this scenario, resetting the Edge browser to the factory defaults may solve the problem. Before moving on, make sure to backup essential data (favorites, passwords, etc.).

1. Launch the Edge browser and open its menu by clicking on three vertical ellipses (near the top right of the window).
2. Now open Settings and then steer to the Reset Settings tab.

   

3. Then click on Restore Settings to Their Default Values and then click on the Reset button to reset the settings.

   

4. Now check if Edge is showing one icon on the taskbar.
5. If not, then create a system restore point (just in case…)
6. Now delete the contents (do not forget to back up) of the following folder (you may copy the path and paste it in the Run command box):

   \Users\%Username%\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe

   

7. Then right-click on the Windows button (it will launch the Quick Access menu) and select Windows PowerShell (Admin).

   

8. Now execute the following:

   Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml” -Verbose}

   

9. Then launch Edge and hopefully, the dual icons issue would be resolved.

If the issue persists, then you may try to perform a repair install of Windows.