Edge shuts down every 2 weeks, like clockwork.

Hi Larry,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A.

I understand how frustrating it must be to have Microsoft Edge shut down every two weeks, especially when it clears your history and cache without warning. You've done a great job tracking the shutdown times, and the consistent pattern you’ve observed is very helpful for diagnosing the issue. The 2-week cadence is highly suspicious for an automated task, even if IT isn’t aware of it. To help narrow down the issue, here are some steps you can take:

1 - Check Task Scheduler and Event Viewer

• Press Win + R > type taskschd.msc > open Task Scheduler
• Press Win + X > Event Viewer > Windows Logs > Application
• Look for anything (tasks, prompts, etc.) running around the crash times.
• Pay attention to names related to Edge, Cleanup, or custom IT scripts.

2 - Review Edge settings and system policies:

• Open Edge > go to edge://policy to see if any policies are being enforced.
• Go to edge://flags > Reset all to disable any experimental features.
• Check Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) or ask IT to review:
  • Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Microsoft Edge
  • Ensure Sync settings are not misapplied
  • Disable Configure automatic cleanup frequency
  • Disable Clear browsing data on closes

3 - Temporary disable third-party softwares and firewall:

• Temporary disable browser extensions:
  • Open Microsoft Edge > Extensions > Manage extensions 
  • Uncheck (or click Remove below) each extension

    Note: If you chose to remove, save your Extensions list so you can add them back later if this was not the cause!

• Follow this guide on How to perform a clean boot in Windows - Microsoft Support
• Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Windows Security > Firewall & network protection > Turn off.

  Disclaimer: Temporarily turn off Windows Defender Firewall. However, keep in mind that if you do so, your device may be vulnerable to threats. So please turn it on immediately once the issue is fixed.

4 - Create a new Edge profile/Windows user account to test:

• Go to edge://settings/profiles > create a new profile.
• Create a new local or Microsoft-linked user profile.
• For each step above, use Edge past the usual closing moment to see if any of your profiles corrupted.

5 - Reset/Reinstall Edge:

• Go to edge://settings/reset > Restore settings to their default values.
• You can also try to reinstall Microsoft Edge using the Windows Package Manager > open Command Prompt > run winget install Microsoft.Edge.

I hope this helps you get closer to resolving the issue. Let me know if you find anything unusual in Task Scheduler or Event Viewer, and I’d be happy to help you interpret it. Please understand that our initial reply may not immediately resolve the issue. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution. Thank you for your time!

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Thanks for this information! I found one that appears to be the culprit, but also leaves more questions. I found "Cleanup and Configure Agent Inventory Transfers" ran yesterday, Starting at 2:10 PM and completing at 2:13 PM. When looking this up in Task Scheduler, it's set to run daily.

Thanks for your help. As this is a work computer, I am somewhat limited in what I can do with clean boots and profile settings.